Dickens would be Proud

Ian decided he needed an office. He rearranged furniture, cut a make-shift round window from cardboard and taped it to the wall, organized his clips, writing utensils and papers, and began working. Isn't he the cutest thing? Since Lilly has to do what Ian does, you see she, too now has an office.

Meanwhile, daddy disappeared. When daddy disappears this time of year, you know he's up to something for somebody.

Sure enough, he'd snuck away to the kids' rooms to cover their headboards in Christmas lights, a tradition since Ian's first year in his big boy bed. This is Lilly's first year.

She was pleased.

How many reasons can you have for loving one human being? When I met Nathan more than a decade ago, he re-introduced me to Christmas. To keeping it. Really keeping it. And loving every second of it. The lights, the smells, the music, the traditions--even the cold! An example: making cocoa in December isn't just making cocoa to him. It's putting on the right holiday music, inviting family, choosing special mugs, and doing some decorating. You get the idea. The man knows how to celebrate Christmas.

Ian and Lilly, the purpose of this blog is for you to know your life as I saw it--as the four of us saw it. So when you're all grown up and reading this, know that the reasons I loved your father were infinite, and remember your daddy at Christmas.

Peace on earth.