Well, Happy New Year.

We rang in New Year’s Eve last night at Pop and Gramm’s house.

Pop grilled us steak for dinner and then we all toasted each other Welch’s sparkling grape juice.

H and K, yall had slept over the night before.

We brought tamales over for lunch and then took y’all home when T needed to nap.

My favorite part of the day was that it started snowing around dinnertime.

The snow finally started to stick and then the air turned blizzard-like there for a bit.

H, you went to pick up dinner with me and we found ourselves out in a winter wonderland.

It was so pretty we all went for a short drive around the neighborhood just to enjoy it.

When we got home we did a few chores – and then H, mom, and I did our annual polar bear challenge.

We all get in our underwear and stand on the back porch for 2 minutes as a sheer act of courage and ridiculousness.

It was 16-degrees when we did it tonight.

The years are coming too fast.

But I can’t wait to spend another with you.

I love you.

-Dad

In retrospect for some reason, I found this to be a relaxing Christmas.

T, you slept decently (as well as a two-year-old can with the flu).

K, you crawled into our bed at 3 AM after waking us up squealing about the presents under the tree.

And H – I am not sure you slept much at all. I think I got up twice and found you in the living room rooting around in the presents. Who knows how long you were in there playing? And, come to find out, you emptied and rooted around everyone’s stockings at some point. 🤣

Yall played with all of Santa’s gifts before breakfast – and then we paused for pigs in a blanket and all the coffee in the world.

Mid-morning we went for a short walk to get out of the house.

Pop and Gramms swung by at lunchtime and dropped off a Thanksgiving feast.

Sure. Of course, I ate too much.

And yes, I still washed it all down with a piece of pumpkin pie.

T, you went down for a nap in the afternoon and the rest of us turned watched Encanto. H, you and I ate an entire sleeve of Hershey Kisses while we watched. I think mom stayed awake all of 5 minutes into the movie and then fell asleep for a two-hour nap.

We opened the rest of the presents in the evening and then went for a long walk after it was dark. Enjoying all the Christmas lights as we strolled by was a terrific end to the day.

Baths when we got home, and then it was time for bed.

Happy Christmas!

I love you.

-Dad

T, nooooooo!

You woke up on Christmas Eve with a temperature of 101.8!

Since we had a Christmas Eve service to go to and plans tomorrow with Pop and Gramms we scrambled quick to find a doctor’s office.

We hoped it was an ear infection or the like – non-contagious, quick prescription, and done.

No such luck.

So we had a relatively quiet day.

We got Caprock to-go for lunch and tried to take it easy.

K, you went with me to get T’s prescription and we spent over half and hour enduring the pergatory that is Walgreens on Christmas Eve.

The pharmacy was so bad, you looked at me at one point and said:

Uh, dad. We should have just done the drive-thru.

H, I took you and K to the Christmas Eve service. We sat with Pop and Gramms.

The pastor’s son, Josh Wilson put on a mini concert and sang y’all’s favorite song Noel.

K, you fell asleep with your head in my lap.

We watched Charlie Brown Christmas and ate leftovers when we got home.

H and K, in the excitement of the day, I cannot remember the last time you were both so silly, loud, and crazy.

Christmas Eve is the best.

I love you.

-Dad