There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays

Perhaps my favorite part of the holiday season is the opportunity it presents to reconnect with friends and family from afar. Every day this month, I skip out to the mailbox in giddy anticipation, like a kid on Christmas morning waiting to see what Santa has brought. But my Santa is the postman, and she brings beautiful cards, adorable family photos, and news and updates from friends and family I see way less often than I would like. I look forward to the whole holiday card exchange all year - while I know the practice is perhaps outdated and definitely not earth friendly, it is a lovely tradition that makes me extra happy and grateful at this time of year.

Even more special than cardstock and photos are real live visits with faraway friends. Aunt Gwen, Uncle Mike, and Brian arrived late Saturday night, and the boys could not wait to see their cousin Sunday morning. So we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's for a day of family and winter fun. The boys were put to work immediately, lugging wood indoors for the stove. Ethan, as usual, embraced his assignment with gusto.

Adam preferred to stand there and look pretty.

After the work was done, there was time for play.

And pigpiles.

And while the little boys slept, the big boy tried that skating thing again.

I remember so vividly my first year away at college, that special feeling of coming home for Christmas. Now that we have our own home, I love being here for Christmas, and having others join us. The first visitors have arrived, and others will creep in over the next few days. And then our home (and our hearts) will be full.