As the holidays are rapidly receding in the rear view mirror, I feel as though they arrived too early but were over with way too soon. When I started seeing Christmas decorations in stores back in September and started hearing Christmas music in early November, I was disgusted. Then suddenly Halloween gave way to Thanksgiving, and I found myself in the middle of December without so much as a Christmas card bought in preparation for the holiday. Now here it is, halfway through January and I still can't believe the holidays are over.

Merry Christmas!

Ryan's school has been having monthly themed Spirit Days. Today's was "Dress as a Christmas Tree." The following costume is the result of a creative collaboration between me and my mom - and Ryan as well. (The idea to use a Grand Star from Mario Galaxy 2 for the topper was all Ryan!) The garland sparked in the morning sun, and made me and Ryan feel pretty darned sparkly, too!

I’d never seen a Christmas letter before in my life until sometime in 1997. I had no idea such an animal even existed. I was working for a small production company in Beverly Hills and was tasked with compiling a summary of a client’s family history as recorded throughout some 40 years of Christmas letters. I sat down with the stack of letters hand-typed on festive paper and began to read.

The story began with a young married couple just starting out. Reports of a new home and a new job were enthusiastically related in a letter signed off with best wishes for a bright and merry Christmas, and healthy New Year. As I continued through the annual missives, a child was born, then another, then another. I read my way through good grades and family vacations, achievements and accomplishments. Time slipped away as I witnessed graduations, marriages, and grandchildren coming into the world. Lifetimes unfolded before my eyes and I was held spellbound.

I never actually met the clients, but that didn’t matter. I felt as though I’d traveled through the years and crossed generations with them. I was fascinated simply by the journey – and by the love and care with which these letters were written. What an amazing legacy and gift to leave behind.

When I realized Christmas letters were not just a wonderfully eccentric quirk of this one particular family, I immediately began planning my own Christmas letter – even though Christmas was still months away.

When Christmas finally did arrive, something unexpected happened. I began receiving Christmas letters from family and friends. I opened them with as much enthusiasm as a child opening presents. I loved reading the updates, and cheered at every piece of good news or good fortune.

With the arrival of e-mail, blogs, and social networks, it seemed the Christmas letter might land on the endangered species list. After all, why send a yearly letter to someone who has been following your every move throughout the year online? However, I’m greatly relieved to report that the Christmas letter is alive and well. After all, not everybody is plugged in. And even so, I still enjoy reading how the year has unfolded for loved ones, even if I’ve been following their status updates, too.

There’s just something magical about those Christmas letters – a tangible gift and a legacy to treasure.

(Photo courtesy of PaperSponge.com.)

The day after our neighbors moved out, Ryan was doing much better. I was glad, but still did a lot of praying - asking God for help letting Kit/Nermal go, or for help bringing her back. As a couple of days passed, I was sure we were supposed to let go. Then today I heard our former neighbors pull into the driveway next door. (I never thought I'd be thanking God for their extremely loud engine, but thank Him I did!) Before I even realized what I was doing, I bolted out the door. With my heart pounding, I asked my neighbors if we could have Kit. As it turns out, they had been meaning to ask us before they left if we were interested in any of their kitties. At that point I figured it was meant to be after all. They agreed to go get her and bring her back later on in the afternoon.

I don't think I'd waited so hard for something since I was a kid! I couldn't wait to see the look on Ryan's face. When our neighbors arrived, Ryan was at the door reaching for Kit saying, "I missed her!" Kit was home.

As I write this she is curled up in ball next to me, asleep. Maybe we don't always have to let go. Maybe we just need to have a little faith instead.

Sometimes there’s a special critter that bounds into your life and steals your heart. A kitten from next door did just that. This cute little ball of fur and mischief had us all smitten. Ryan and I had started calling her Kit while my dad was referring to her as Nermal. Kit and Ryan bonded instantly. There was something about the pair that just seemed right. Ryan would go outside every day looking for Kit, and Kit spent as much time as she could either in our backyard or in our house – a very welcome guest.

Unfortunately, a guest was exactly what she was – and not ours to keep. Today we went out into the backyard only to realize our neighbors were gone. Ryan didn’t want to accept it. He walked into the front yard and when he saw the big red “For Rent” sign in our neighbor’s yard, he burst out sobbing. Ryan was inconsolable. He started screaming “Kit! Nermal! Come back!” It was all I could do not to burst into tears myself. Ryan was heartbroken and I was heartbroken for him. Worse yet, all day yesterday our neighbors were out in their backyard. I was in and out of my own yard several times and at any time could have said something to my neighbors. I could have asked to keep Kit.

But I didn’t.

Knowing I could have possibly prevented Ryan’s gut-wrenching heartbreak only makes it worse. Of course the neighbors might have said no, but now I’ll never know.

The best we can do is treasure the time we did have with Kit, however brief, and know that at least she has a home where she’s being taken care of.

I know there will be other critters, but Kit was the first one to really connect with Ryan. For that she will always be special.

 On November 19th, my parents and Ryan and I returned to Tar Pits Park in Carpinteria. This was our third visit and as always, we had a great time. Each visit to this beach has been different. This time around, two specific things made this visit unique for us. First, the tar was oozing out of the hillside at a rate fast enough that we could actually see it dripping. Second, we got to see wild marine life at a fairly close distance in the form of a seal. I didn't even try to capture it on film. However, after I got home and looked at my pictures on my computer I discovered I'd gotten lucky and captured the little critter twice without even realizing it.
 Below are photos from that beach visit. I do realize I take an overabundance of beach photos but I can't help it. Every frame is special and distinct to me. There are a few cute ones of Ryan in there, too. As always, click on the slideshow if you'd like to view the photos in a larger size in Picasa Web Albums. Enjoy!

 Last Friday Ryan's school hosted their annual Thanksgiving Feast honoring grandparents. Volunteering to help out with the feast last year was not only fun, but it quite literally changed my life. Helping out with the feast is now a tradition I look forward to, and I enjoyed it just as much this year. My parents and Ryan and I all had a great time!
 The above photo is a scrapbook page Ryan's friend's mom made and personalized for each child in Ryan's class. I was blown away by her thoughtfulness and creativity, and am so happy to have this beautiful keepsake.
 Below are photos from the feast. Enjoy!

 (I forgot to mention during our first trip to this particular beach we were lucky enough to see dolphins close to shore.)
 On November 12th, my parents and Ryan and I returned to Tar Pits Park at Carpinteria. One of the things I love about the beach is that you can go to the same beach over and over, but it's different every time. The first time we visited this beach, it was foggy and magical - very unreal. It felt like we were in some alternate world. This time, it was partly cloudy so the light kept changing from bright to cloud-filtered. The change in light made the beach feel different from our prior visit, but it was still beautiful. Below are photos from our visit. Enjoy!