December 25

Merry Christmas, my friends! I hope it's been a blessed day for all of you. It certainly was for us.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was a bit bummed to be here in California since this is the year we'd usually be back in Maryland with my family, but that sense of disappointment quickly disappeared when I emerged from the bedroom at a little before 8 AM. 

When I did, I found only Adam seated on a couch in the family room. Alone. No kids anywhere. We both chuckled over the silence and I silently mused that we have indeed moved on to the "just teenagers in the house" phase of life. (In their defense, though, I soon found out that they were all awake; they were merely staying upstairs until given the go-ahead to come down. It was still a far cry from the days of 3 AM visits to our bedside asking if we could please, please, please go see if Santa came yet?!)

After Adam popped the cinnamon rolls in the oven and I made myself a cuppa joe (and I am very thankful that despite a lack of regular use, my Keurig still worked!), we went into the living room. Stocking exploration was up first, followed by several hours of gift-opening around the tree.

There were so many creative gifts and so many belly laughs over said-creative gifts that I couldn't possibly share them all. Special highlights were items given to Brady by Abby and Isaac, respectively: a personalized pillow featuring his forehead, and Chub's mom. And one to me that Adam picked up just yesterday in response to a question that was posed by Abby the other day. When she asked what present I'd most like to receive, I thought I was being funny when I chose a private plane with a pilot at my beck and call. So my sly hunny bought me a toy Paw Patrol plane complete with Skye as its pilot. (He got me. It was very, very well-played.)

There was also dancing in the kitchen while we noshed on cinnamon rolls, which resulted in one of the most epic photos of Isaac that I've ever seen, and a long round of Unstable Unicorns using the two expansion decks Brady received. (I'm pleased to say that once the skittering of hooves ceased and the dust settled, I won.)

From there we broke into smaller groups, with the kiddos heading back to the living room to create Chub's family tree via Paper Mario, Adam napping, and me watching football while playing Monopoly GO. And then there was a quick stroll around the neighborhood for Adam and me, spaghetti for dinner, and the big evening event: the Niners/Ravens clash of the titans game. I'm gratified to report that unlike the most recent time the two teams played in a Superbowl, we all remained peaceful and pleasant, and though my fellow Baltimore sports fan Brady and I were happy to see the Ravens come out on top, I was bummed for Adam and Isaac. 

And now... now it's just late. Everyone else is in bed. And it's quiet, save the sound of the ice maker doing its thing on the kitchen counter. It has indeed been a wonderful day, filled with laughter and fun and family. But it's also been a day of reflection. More than once I thought of Logan and wondered how things would be different if he were here. And I felt that twinge of sadness because it's always hard when a bright light fades away so soon. It's a strange juxtaposition to live with and I often wonder how it is that I can simultaneously feel such fulfilling, deep contentment and a sense of unending longing for that sweet boy of mine. 

But I suppose that's why Christmas is. It happened to give us hope that there is a tomorrow beyond what we can see. To give us certainty that we will again be with loved ones who have gone ahead without us. That there is indeed something wonderful beyond this world that we can currently see and touch and smell and feel and hear. And that truth --that Jesus' birth means our troubles and longings will one day cease-- is beautiful.

So yes, it's been a wonderful day. A beautiful Christmas. And I am so very thankful for the memories and the fun and the promise of what will one day be.