Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 🏠🎄
This year, Christmas came early for me in the form of a new home. I'm officially part of the homeowners’ club. I couldn't have done it without the love and support of my family, a fantastic realtor, and an excellent loan officer.
As I decorate my new space, I've unlocked so many memories, and I'm reminded of home and family. I love vintage photos of families gathered around the Christmas tree decked out in their finest. It reminds me that the heart of the holidays is in the traditions we create and the love we share. Fun fact: that's my mom (Karen) as a young girl in the cowboy hat on the right, holding her younger brother, my uncle Don. Another fun fact: his birthday is Christmas Eve. Is there anything better than a vintage tree decked out in tinsel? There's something so comforting about seeing holiday traditions carried on with each generation. Gathering the cousins in front of the tree for a photo never gets old.
One tradition that never changes in our family is that Christmas morning is always spent at my mom's house. My mom's house has always been a magical place at Christmas time. She spends days decorating and getting the scene just right. The tree is always pristine, the stockings hung by the chimney with care. It's that special warm cozy feeling that only home can hold in your heart.
Home for the holidays,
I believe I've missed each and every face,
Come on and play my music,
Let's turn on every love light in the place.
It's time I found myself,
Totally surrounded in your circles
Oh-whoa, my friends
Please, celebrate me home,
Give me a number,
Please, celebrate me home
Play me one more song,
That I'll always remember,
That I can recall,
Whenever I find myself too all alone,
I can sing me home.
As I got older and moved away from home, I loved being able to just drive over to my mom's house. No airport visits needed when you never leave your hometown. Coming home from college and sleeping in my old bedroom, I felt like a little kid again - waking up early and getting everyone else in the house up and at 'em so we could get Christmas going.
As I got older and moved out on my own for good, I loved decorating my own space and my own tree(s). There have been many over the years - white, fake, fresh-cut, tree lot, nobles, Doug Firs, and even a little Charlie Brown tree Wren found in a dumpster that just needed a little love.
As I moved from apartment to apartment, I soon realized - as corny as it sounds - that home really is where the heart is. Meaning, home is where you make it, and it doesn't even have to be a physical location. Home is making your childhood friends celebrate Hanukkah and dressing up as your favorite soap opera characters for your annual gift exchange. It's getting hot cocoa with your besties at Coffee Time. Home is meeting up with friends and coworkers at McMenamins for Cajun tots and festive drinks. Home is ugly Christmas sweaters, white elephant gift exchanges, and office potlucks. Home is seeing the red light lit on the deer from the old White Stag sign on the Burnside Bridge. It's Peacock Lane, volunteering at toy drives. It's Christmas tree lightings; it's letters to Santa.
You catch my drift. Home for the holidays means celebrating the joy of the season with the ones who make you feel like it's Christmas every day of the year. There's one song in particular that really embodies this spirit - Kenny Loggins' "Celebrate Me Home." Time to take a pause, hit play on the link below, and immerse yourself in yacht rock Christmas vibes.
Celebrate me home. I love my new little home. And now I get to create so many more memories with my boys, friends, and loved ones.
The boys love running up and down the stairs. Another fun fact: Bryson's foster mom told us that she wished she could find a nice lesbian couple with stairs to adopt him since he feared men and loved to jump down stairs. And Bob just turned 13 and finally has access to a backyard again. Dreams do come true.
There's even room for Wren and her girls to come visit and have sleep overs in the spare room / office / podcast lounge / art studio / Christmas wrapping station. Always wanted a whole room dedicated to just Christmas wrapping.
Merry Christmas from our home to yours. And remember, let's turn on every love light in the place.
Love,
Adrienne, Bob, & Bryson