2025 · Christmas

Christmas Day 2025

πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„

May your holidays be happy days,
Filled with love and laughter.
May each day bring joy your way
in the year that follows after.

πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„

2025 · Christmas · Throwback Thursday

Christmas Season (Part IV) 2010 – 2011

πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„

In 2010, Kevin, Katelynn, Sara, and I went to our local Christmas Parade again. This time, the girls got a glimpse of Santa. Katelynn was in first grade. Her class had the school play β€œSanta’s Suit”, where she was the β€œLego” Elf. On Christmas Eve, Katelynn lost her first tooth. So, the Tooth Fairy and Santa visited our home on the same night. Unfortunately, Sara had a bad cold on Christmas Day. She wasn’t too happy. But we made the best out of the situation.

πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„

Santa left apples, oranges, nuts, and candy under the tree. Of course, Sara found the candy first and wanted some. Kevin and I said she could have some after breakfast. Instead of listening, she was very sneaky, put one in her mouth, and acted like she didn’t know what we were talking about. Lexi was happy; she had a new toy duck, which was shredded by her and Ranger the same day.

πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„

… to be continued in December 2026

2025 · Christmas

The First Christmas Present πŸ˜

πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²

The Tree Wooden Elephants

Kevin and I met in a club 25 years ago. He was with a couple of friends, who were friends with my friends. After a couple of drinks, we got into a conversation. When I was ready to go home, he gave me a ride to my apartment. Since he knew where I worked, he had shown up the next day. Usually, I don’t give out my phone number unless someone asks for it or I ask for theirs. But when Kevin was standing in front of me, I said, “Dude, I forgot to give you my number last night. If you want to hang out, give me a call. Maybe we can do something for Christmas together.” Kevin agreed, folded the note, and left. The same night, he called me. And we were talking over a beer in a bar.

The next day was Christmas Eve. I was on vacation leave for the remaining days of the year. Months ago, a friend of mine and I planned a small Christmas dinner for the night before Christmas. I asked her if it was okay if I brought a friend over. She said: “Well, it’s Christmas. Nobody should celebrate this special holiday alone.” Kevin picked me up from home. When I sat in the car and we talked a little, he opened the glove box and handed me a small present. I shook it to hear what might be in there. Kevin screamed: “NOOOOOOOOOOO!” Later on, I found out why he did that. Well, the little elephant lost part of its trunk when I shook the little box. Even when the elephant doesn’t look perfect anymore. But it is a story worth talking about. It was very sweet of him since we had known each other for a couple of days. It was the first gift I got from Kevin. I still treasure these three wooden elephants to this very day.

πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²πŸŽ„πŸŒ²