These are the special times

Celine Dion has it right with her Christmas album "These are the Special Times." I love the Christmas season, and thankfully I've had a couple moments this past week to remind me of that feeling. Last weekend we finished decorating our tree. While I decorated, Sierra cruised around in the living room, I played Christmas music and set my computer to play the past year's worth of pictures (and home videos) on the big screen. Thayden enjoyed looking at the old pictures and talking about the memories - from our trip to the ocean a year ago, to playing in the snow in Minnesota with Uncle Micah and Abby, Gamma and Papa's 50th anniversary, the birth of our beautiful baby girl, my graduation from medical school, Josh & Jessica's wedding, our old house in MN and lots of outdoor fun in our new state. We are so blessed! That night after the kids went to bed I sat in my rocking chair with a cup of tea with the fireplace warming the living room and the lights sparkling in the Christmas tree and it was perfect. Just perfect. (the picture doesn't do it justice.)

Another moment of holiday blessings was played out tonight. I am scheduled to be on call tonight, and, as you can probably gather I am posting to my blog instead of resuscitating newborn babies. Tonight was the annual Holiday Party for all the pediatric residents and their families. The one night a year where ALL of the residents in our entire program get the night off - covered by attending physicians so we can enjoy a nice meal and dancing. It feels amazing to break up an every-4th-night-on-call schedule! I will be sleeping in my own bed (momentarily) for six straight hours before going back to work, and that, dear readers, is a true Christmas gift.

Pictures from tonight (good possibility this will also be our x-mas card this year if I find time to send them out.)
The lyrics of one of the many songs I am enjoying tonight:
And so this is Christmas, and what have we done?
Another year over, a new one just begun.
And so this is Christmas. I hope you have fun
the near and the dear ones, the old and the young
a very merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year
Lets hope it's a good one, without any fear.
And so this is Christmas, for weak and for strong
the rich and the poor ones the war is so long
And so happy Christmas for black and for white
for yellow and red ones let's stop the fight
A very merry Christmas, and a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one, Without any fear.


In other updates, one of my friends from medical school stayed with us last night as she is interviewing for residency programs now (she took a year off), so it was great to catch up with her. In less happy news Sierra and I were in a car accident this week and my trusty Prius is a little worse for the wear. I have had a stressful couple of days dealing with insurance companies and car rental companies, but in the end (due to their mistake) I am currently driving a Cadillac CVS which I guess I shouldn't complain too much about. That's all for tonight as I am going to enjoy a few hours of sleep!

I hope all our friends and families have a wonderful, blessed holiday season.