Christmas Past Christmas Present

Another stretch of the time - and a wonderful Christmas marked.

Up in Olympia with the Crump clan - enjoying some real downtime for once. Christmas here is like entering a time vortex where everything slows down. Eating, sleeping and hanging out are the norm. This year has been my favorite so far. Starting to really feel comfortable and part of the family unit.

More presents than ever under the tree this year. It was nuts! Felt sorry for my sister-in-law and her family - who have to hump most of that Christmas booty back to Maryland. Still, it was fun getting up early and finding small red pollowcases with our names on them - filled with creative stocking stuffers. Santa is celebrated here with a vengeance - and family is paramount.

Greer and his younger cousin Trott were an inseparable pair. To watch them interact and enjoy Christmas together was a joy. They drew and played together like siblings. At one point they were wearing the same pattern pajamas - and looked like a something out of a glorious Dr. Suess fable.

On our way up north, I got a call that my good friend Mike was in the hospital with a serious health episode. Very scary stuff, but he's out of the woods now. Felt my old praying self step up for the first time in a while. The news of is stabilization was the biggest Christmas gift of all.

Visited my old friend Phil in Seattle on Christmas Eve. A personal indulgence of sorts that reminded me of the spirit of the season. Time well spent with a friend makes the holiday come alive. After getting the news about Mike, it my time with Phil all the better and more valued. We had lunch - chatted about family and took a tour of his stomping grounds on a unseasonably clear, cold afternoon. Tasty stuff.

So...it's been good.