Christmas Hallmarks, 2012

A few special things I expect will become our favorite memories of the season:

The "fire"

Every morning and periodically throughout the day, Luke in particular wanted to sit by this thing—usually without a shirt. The kids would read in front of it, drink hot chocolate, or just crowd around and stare. And fight over who was hogging more than their share of the warmth.

The irony is that the tantalizing "fire" is actually an electric appliance that trips the breaker if any other outlets are used at the same time. But to these Arizona children, it is mysteriously compelling.

The red wool coat

My favorite find on my favorite girl.

The dog

Our first Christmas with a dog, and Moses' first Christmas. Jack gave him a ball, which he destroyed in four seconds flat.

The loft

I put the gifts on top of the kids' play fort to keep them from Cora and Moses.

The boys aren't supposed to be up there, but aren't they just too sweet together? They tried hard to guess what they were getting (to no avail: I numbered the gifts and made a master list).

The Red Ryder

Jack was both surprised and delighted—a win for us.

The pajamas

Woody and Grumpy.

 The creepy hair hats

The doll

Pocahontas, best look-alike doll ever.

Now with the holidays nearly a month past, Cora still cheerfully wishes everyone she speaks to a "Merry Christmas." And why not? We might as well savor our best times.