The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

| our 2016 holiday card |

We took down all our holiday decorations yesterday. I don’t know why it pained me, but it did. I held the Christmas tree light plug in my hand and for a moment, I hesitated. We plugged in the lights the moment our tree was decorated and they have stayed on 24/7 for the past few weeks. I would catch myself lingering on the staircase as I was headed up to bed at night, I would often stop and just stare at our tree. It was so beautiful with all the red and white ornaments against the evergreen backdrop. The lights just made it glow and the sight captivated me. The lights illuminated the stairs in the still dark morning as I made my way down the next day and it continued to enchant me.

Unplugging those twinkling lights would signify the end of the holiday, and I desperately didn’t want it to end. I wanted to remain on the ride, coasting up and down and all around in a magical swirl of family, friends, food and laughter. If a year were to have a theme, it would be gathering. We gathered around the tables this year. The kitchen table, the dining table, the coffee table, the craft table, and the game table. We cooked, we ate, we drank, we talked, we glued and we gamed. It was a soul-filling holiday that will linger for many weeks after the decorations have been put away. I’ve included a roundup of some of my favorite photos. I truly hope that you and your loved ones had many special moments during the holiday season that created wonderful memories.

xo,
Sarah