The 12 Gifts of Christmas

Here are some highlights from this Christmas season, in no particular order:

1. Evan wearing his new Orioles ball cap (and, at times, Isaac's new Orioles hat, both courtesy of Grandma & Grandpa Turner)
2. The fact that Summer, Ryan, and I all got (and appreciated) gifts of or related to scripture--Summer a new quadruple combination, Ryan a scripture case and scripture markers, and me a set of scriptures in Spanish--you're doing something right when the people you love also love sacred writ
3. Watching Allyson wear and love her iPod shuffle, which makes her feel just that much more mature
4. Going to Old Town on Christmas Eve to stroll among the luminarias--and the fact that we could be out past sundown at that time of year without risking frostbite
5. Seeing the kids thumb through the Encyclopedia of Cousins from Grandma & Grandpa Catherall and knowing that they love their family, both immediate and extended
6. Spending a lazy day with the kids, the highlight of which for me was making pomanders (oranges punctured with whole cloves) with Isaac, Ryan, and Allyson
7. Staying up late with Summer to finish watching the first Lord of the Rings movie--our goal is to watch all three, plus all three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, before I go back to work, at the rate of half a movie per night
8. Giving Isaac my junk drawer in the kitchen for his new cooking supplies--he got two cookbooks and an assortment of utensils, and this week he's making dinner once
9. Watching Ryan intently attack the Rubik's cube he got in his stocking--as Summer put it, if anyone on this house can solve that thing, it's him
10. Talking to my parents, Summer's parents, Nathan, Carolyn, and Michelle, and realizing how blessed we are to have caring, loving, funny, dear people in our lives
11. Knowing that we have all next week to go on outings--I'll post a list of my plans later, along with pictures from them (once we get new batteries for the camera...)
12. Looking forward to a new year, one in which any number of wonderful and memorable things will happen in our family