Back To Your Regular Scheduled Program

I took an unannounced and unplanned break from the 'puter the last couple of weeks. Brian's company allows to him to carry over only 40 hours of vacation time which meant he needed to use some of it before the new year. It made sense that I would do the same.

Unlike some of my last blogging breaks, this wasn't due to lack of ideas or lack of time. It was just a mindful way to immerse myself in my family and in the wonderfulness of Christmas without getting sucked into the time trap that can be the Internets.

On Monday morning Brian texted me from work:

"It feels weird not to be with you today."

It was his first full day back since December 22. And I had to admit, it did feel weird to be without the head of our household.

Just thinking of our Christmas Vacation warms my heart like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day. It was the kind of break where I came away feeling like I have a stronger marriage. Feeling like I'm a better mom. A better in-law. A better, everything.

And somehow, to try to write it all out, to try to replay the events of the last couple of weeks, to try to get across to you, my readers, what it really felt like to be with my family in complete mind, body and soul would, I think, diminish the value of those days. So I'm not going to write about the dancing and the eating and the talking and the love and the beauty and the hilarity and the spontaneity of it all. I'm just going to leave it back there in the corner of my heart that I reserve for the happiest of happy memories.

But I will share a few photos that make me smile from ear to ear.

Self-timer, family portrait.

Best Christmas present reaction ever, right?

Christmas morning.



In the high  feather bed, Papa reads a bedtime story to a few of his grandchildren.



She had a million other things to do.  But at that moment Nana took Lucy aside for a spa date.



There will never be a day this photo won't make me laugh.  It was a huge poker tournament with all the Nashes.  To capture it I set my camera to take 10 photos in 3 second increments.  Brian and his brother pretended not to notice but they changed poses for each shot and what I got in the end is a series of pictures that could be put into a flip book.  This photo was in the middle of the series.



Brian and his beautiful older sister (by two years).  They tell me of all six siblings these two have never had so much as a disagreement with each other.  I believe it.

On a spontaneous trip to a neighborhood diner for lunch, William picks out his muffin of choice.

Still at the diner, Brian and I linger to finish a second cup of coffee.  Our lovely waitress gave us two bags of animal crackers, post meal, to entertain the kids.  Here, I'm animating a monkey for Lucy.

And to finish, not one...

...but TWO smiling kiddos.  Who doesn't love an ending like that?

Now tell me, what part of your Christmas Vacation brings a smile to your face?