Whew! December is always the busiest month of my year. Also, without doubt, the most fun.

I’m writing this post the day after Christmas while sipping coffee. The house is quiet. The dog and the teenage girl are both snoozing. I have very little on my calendar today and tomorrow–a huge blessing. I’m taking this opportunity to look back with gratitude on some highlights from this whirlwind of a month…

The first two weekends in December, my daughter performed in a musical. I spent many afternoons driving her from school in downtown Dallas through rush-hour traffic to the theater in the northern suburb of Plano. Round-trip, that took me 2.5 hours each time. It was worth it! As a parent, supporting my kids in something they’re passionate about is one of my favorite things. Also, it was a joy to watch her and the rest of the cast onstage. (I saw 4 of the 8 shows.) 😉

In my Facebook Group, The Cheer Squad, we organize an annual Christmas book exchange. This year, more than 180 women took part! Delightful posts like the one above have populated the group’s feed all December long.

I thoroughly enjoy festive Christmas gatherings and was fortunate to attend several this month! Among those…

From the 20th-23rd we snuck in a getaway to our lake house on Lake O The Pines in east Texas.

When we’re at the lake house, the quaint and historic town of Jefferson becomes our hometown away from home. It was decorated adorably for the season!

On Christmas Eve, we celebrated by going to the candelight service at church followed by dinner at a nearby restaurant called Hillstone. We practically cleaned them out of their barbecued ribs.

On Christmas day, I made a big breakfast that we ate in between opening gifts. We spent the afternoon at the movies. Wicked sing-along for my daughter and me, the new Bob Dylan movie for my husband and son.

May these days between Christmas and the new year provide us all with opportunities to slow down, rest, and enjoy.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours! And “may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way” (2 Thess 3:16) in 2025.