So this is Christmas...

2007 was one of the tougher ones I’ve had in my life, yet I find myself looking very optimistically towards 2008. This was the first year we spent Christmas day alone. And when I say alone, I mean as just our immediate family: Catherine, myself, and the boys. Although I guess technically we actually did have an honorary guest: Jackson, a beautiful and big mutt who we looked after for James (the gym Manager where Catherine trains). We figured short of actually owning a dog, we could enjoy some of the benefits without all the hassle by just having them for a little while every now an then. So when James asked us if we could watch Jackson for a few days while he traveled for Christmas, it was a no-brainer. The boys are obsessed with Man’s four legged best friend, and Jackson is a strapping mix with a monstrous noggin’ and as sweet as they come. Just picture me sounding astonishingly similar to Dad saying “Bless your little heart” over and over to the pup throughout Jackson’s stay with us. We reminded Bair repeatedly that he has a cousin named Jackson to avoid any confusion later on.

J-Dawg and Catherine hit it off immediately. Catherine has a way of making any creature quite comfortable in her presence and they spent a good deal of time cuddling.

You knew I was gonna get mine too. It is true what they say about how far a good pup will go towards relieving stress. Jackson was a welcome and extremely pleasant guest and we’d have him back any time.

We hit the Trail of Lights this year again, which has become a good tradition. It’s basically just a mile long trail through a big park lined with light display after light display and various Christmas figurines and music. It’s free and as you can see from the electrified looks of excitement here, the boys love it, and thus: so do we.

Christmas Eve and Christmas itself were both sunny and bright, so Cal did his best Bret Favre impersonations while Bair worked on his canine training skills much of the time.

“Blue! Forty-Two! Hut…Hut…Hike!”

“SIT!!! Jackson…SIT!” And occasionally: “SIT! Benny…SIT! Good dog.”

Auntie Jen was out-and bravely at that-again just shortly after her emergency appendectomy and took a break from studying for the Boards. Despite the frigid sub 50 degree temperatures, Bair insisted he show her his biking prowess. So wearing a wonderfully coordinated outfit he did an impromptu show at night and wowed the cul-de-sac with his rapid pedaling and suave smirks that can only be interpreted to say “Ciao!”

Christmas morning stockings and presents were subdued but, incredibly, stickers, a weird talking-learning-caterpillar thingy, and Thomas the Train was all it took to make the boys realize it was a day unlike any other.

But the real prize went to Catherine; as you can see right here. (Thanks Kevinda!)

A walk along the lake with Jackson, Auntie Jen, and a near perfect day warm and breezy capped off a great holiday and a much needed break for all of us to just hang out and look forward to another year.

Without Catherine-who does more than she could possibly know to keep me sane when I would otherwise have gone off the deep end long ago-and coming home to Bair and Cal every day, 2007 might not have been such a pleasant memory, and 2008 might look that much more daunting. But 2007 seemed good to me and 2008 does not seem so scary anymore these days. As the wise Cederic said awaiting his fate as a top 10 finalist on “So You Think You Can Dance” (where so much of my inspiration comes from): "I’m at peace."

Happy Holidays!