The Night Before Christmas

It's Christmas Eve!

...and the
highlight
of our season...

... has been
the weeklong visit
from my brother, Chris,
from California...

...with
his wife,
Norma,
the artist of the family....





....and their kids -

Sweet Isabella...
















Trouble Calvin...

...and
little Solana.

Tonight,
my doctor brother,
Nic,
joins us at Brixton...

...with his PhD
doctor wife, Marti...

...and their kids...


Cally
from Chicago...

...and David,
from Minnesota
with wife Lyndsey.

Of course,
Gramma Gene,
joins us all
at Brixton....

...and for a brief moment
we talk on Skype
to California brother,
Ed...

...and his family.

Our house
is utter chaos...

...but
at least
Stubby
finds a peaceful lap.

Tom and KC....
















fix
a marvelous
dinner...






Grown-ups
get

the dining room....

...kids eat
in the great room.

We exchange
presents....

Gramma Gene
gives
the Chris Steussys
their heirloom jewelry...

Calvin
thinks
it's treasure!

- Calvin,
let's put that away
for a few years...

Gramma Gene
gets a stand
for her IPad...

...and TJ gets
an Origami gift.

Solana
helps him
open.

Now it's
Solana's turn...

Should she
open it?

or wear it?

Everyone
watches
her careful hands...

It's a book!

But not
just any book...

As she turns the pages
we hear
a soft
southern drawl....

- 'T'was
the night
before Christmas
and all
through the house....

...not a creature
was stirring.

Not even a mouse.

The voice
is Gramma Gene's!

The book has recorded
Gramma Gene reading!

So Solana
can hear her grandma
read this book
over and over...


...for years to come.

What a
wonderful gift!

...for all of us
to be together...

...laughing...

...loving...

...sharing
the gifts
of togetherness...




...and family.