Merry Christmas

 christmas with my family has always been exactly, completely, entirely...  

this:

and even though my parents traded snow for surf and moved...

here:

and instead of having aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, priests (yes, priests) and friends over for dinner we started passing out gift baskets at my dad's hospital in... 

these:

and candlelit midnight mass on christmas eve has become us one by one trickling into the living room to watch my crosspoint family on...

this:

and us "kids" no longer wait at the top of the steps for our parents to get the coffee and camera ready before we get to see what santa brought us like...

this:

not all that much has changed like...

this:

merry this and happy that to everyone and everything.

'tis the season.

ps - i got the most bestest biggest outstandingest terrific amazingest supercalifragilisticexpialidocious gift ever this year.  more on that as soon as i can share details...