2023 Holidays

Where did the time go?! It flew by so quickly, and I neglected to keep my blog up to date. Thanksgiving passed, as did Christmas and New Year's Day. Each of those days were full of joy for us, and two of them - Thanksgiving and Christmas - were spent with family. 

Thanksgiving, for Dan and me, was spent in Houston, with Chris, Kelsey, Clara and Robert. Chris was still undergoing chemo treatments, but he was feeling well and able to enjoy the day along with the rest of us. In fact, it was he and Robert who prepared a charcouterie board, which kept us all fed throughout the day. We didn't try to do a big feast, but chose, instead, to keep the day low-key and calm, especially for Chris' sake. The day after Thanksgiving we all went over to the nearby park so that I could take some photos of the Houston Judds. Kelsey was hoping to get a few good ones to put on their family Christmas card. We were successful, and here is the card she made and sent out.

Christmas was spent at our house. The family all came here, arriving on different dates and at different times. Tim was first to arrive, on the evening of December 22. He drove straight through from Albuquerque, so arrived tired and hungry. On Saturday, Chris arrived around noon, along with Thor (Clara's corgi). That evening, as we sat at the table for dinner, I was struck by the fact that I couldn't remember the last time JUST the four of us - Dan, our two sons, and I - were all together. The reason that Chris came alone was because Kelsey and the kids had gone to Pecos to spend a few days with her family. She left Pecos early on Christmas morning, and arrived at our house mid-afternoon. After she and the kids caught their breath from their journey, we opened presents. The gifts this year were mostly for the kids. As Dan and I said many times, our gift was having Chris successfully through his chemo treatments and feeling well, and having the whole family together. It was a wonderful Christmas.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day were both very quiet at our house. We didn't do anything special. I actually went to bed on New Year's Eve around 10:30. I read awhile and then fell asleep. I woke to the booms of fireworks, at midnight, so I did "see the new year in," though it was from my pillow.