Christmas 2021

Christmas 2021 was a lovely week for our family. Nana and Grandpa Marty came up to celebrate the weekend before, we did church and family day on Christmas Eve, and hosted Ty's family on Christmas Day.

Christmas morning contained the usual gift and homemade cinnamon roll magic. The extended family arrived around three, and Ty made a last-minute trip to the store because I was missing a key dinner ingredient and had bought the wrong potato variety. Ty offered up his finest wines and let Steve and Don uncork whatever their hearts desired. We all partook and had a super fun time making and enjoying the potato pancakes. The kids tore through their gifts and immediately started shooting their archery set. Lizzie broke a champagne flute and Ty spilled wine on our white rug. I love the chaos of a full and happy home.

Chris, Kari, and the girls spent the night, and we woke up to a blanket of snow.

The day after Christmas, Owen started asking questions about Santa. The cousins were here and a lot was going on, so I asked him to please wait and assured him that we'd sit down and talk about it after everyone left. He looked at me and said, "I have some questions about Santa and I don't want you to lie to me." I promised I wouldn't.

When we found a quiet moment, Ty, Owen, and I sat down in my bedroom with snow outside and sunshine streaming in. He asked if Santa is real, and I asked what prompted the question. He went through his investigative report: there are satsumas in the stockings every year, so he counted the ones in our bowl before bed—twenty-six—and again on Christmas Day—twenty-three. The gifts that Santa brought Hazel were available on Amazon, and one thing she didn't get wasn't.

After he finished sharing his thoughts, we talked about what Santa represents, how the spirit of Christmas is about sharing joy and kindness without wanting anything in return. We asked him what it would change if Santa was an idea more so than a man who lives at the North Pole. We told him that we both believe in the spirit of Christmas, even as adults. He thought about it for a while, and we added that the real reason we celebrate Christmas is that Jesus was born. I was ready to walk away from the conversation without giving a finite answer when Ty made eye contact with me before chiming in and dropping the bomb that we're the ones who put out the presents. From there I added that Owen is now in on the secret and gets to start helping be Santa for the little kids. As anticipated, he loved that idea and left the conversation feeling quite jovial.

I was honestly rather relieved. The older kids get, the more the Santa narrative feels like a web of lies. It is so fun and I love them believing in the magic, but I disliked having to straight-up lie when Owen began to identify suspicious details. After we had the conversation, I thought about it: if we had told Owen in that moment Santa is real, he would have believed us. I think that is the juncture at which we could have broken his trust. I feel good about how it went down and am looking forward to Owen helping us make magic for the little kids. I'm also glad that this conversation happened just after Christmas, so he has a whole year to process it. I think finding out just before the impending holiday could put a damper on the season.

Ty and I spent the forty-eight hours following Christmas cleaning and then headed to the Cove for a few days with the Rallo clan. We came home on New Year's Eve and continued our bonfire, sparkling cider, and confetti popper traditions. After a Christmas break full of family memories, we are ready to see what 2022 has in store!

7-Year-Old Love Letter

My sweet Wessy bug,

As you transition into your seventh year, you are looking taller, leaner, and more grown-up every day. You are excelling in first grade and have a fantastic teacher. You like to practice the week's spelling words on Sunday nights so that you can ace the pretest, which you do regularly. You follow the rules and strive to do the right thing. This is your first year riding the bus to school, which you adore.

You love playing games, and Monopoly has logged many hours in your sixth year. You have a strategy that I find incredibly impressive. You only buy the railroads, utilities, Boardwalk, and Park Place. Once you secure Boardwalk and Park Place, you buy houses and then hotels. It was news to me that if you have a hotel on Boardwalk, the rent due is $2,000—enough to bankrupt your opponent every time. You love all things Seahawks. You want to wear shorts and short-sleeved shirts no matter the weather. You had a fantastic soccer season and loved being on a team with some of your besties—Will and Miles. You are on the shy side, and your teacher reports that you're quiet at school. You're signed up for a season of basketball this winter. You love art, and your drawings continue to bring me joy.

You are incredibly modest, and privacy is very important to you. You've recently gone through a phase where you claim to dislike everything I cook (besides rice, of course). You are still accident-prone and always have a bump or bruise from this or that, although I'm happy to report that the falling and landing with your head seems to have ceased. Your adorable smile and big blue eyes shine.

Your sweetness remains, making you so, so easy to love. Your kind and easy-to-get-along-with nature draws people to you. I am so grateful for all that you are and the balance that you bring to our family. I recently watched a documentary where they talked about how children are like seeds and parents are their gardeners, helping them grow into exactly who they're intended to be, nurturing and watering them along the way. You are full of beauty, and I love watching you blossom into your destiny. You are deeply cherished for exactly who you are.

Happy birthday to my sweet seven-year-old. I love you with all that I have and all that I am.

xoxo,

Your loving mama 

Thanksgiving 2021

Another Sunriver Thanksgiving is in the books. Sadly, there was no snow this year but the house we rented was beautiful and the time together was rich. I'm am grateful our kids got to be with Papa and GG, as they've decided this will be their last trip. Ari is a perfect little buddy for Hazel, while Levi and the boys had fun playing video games together. It was a looonnnggg drive but worth it for the lovely location and time with our people. 

9-Year-Old Love Letter

My sweet Owen,

You are nine years old and third grade has been a true coming of age. You are confident and motivated in school. You've made new friends and have a crew that includes Jackson, Oliver, and Marshall. You know all the kids on the bus and talk about standing up to bullies when they're being unkind. You've learned to say what you think and add "in my opinion," which I greatly appreciate. You understand that just because you think one way doesn't mean everyone else has to agree.

You aspire to be a leader and do the right thing. When your teacher told you masks aren't necessary in the classroom, you kept yours on. You told me you don't like wearing it but know it helps keep people safe. You are becoming more independent, and the role of friends is beginning to take more space in your life. Even so, you welcome what we teach you, still trusting and agreeing with our values.

You love boating and being on the water. Your sly smile when you're excited about something is my absolute favorite. You've begun piano lessons and are loving it so far. This year's soccer season was your best yet. You truly enjoyed being out there and scored your first goal. One thing Dad and I have encouraged over the years is to try your best no matter the circumstances. In your eighth year that became a reality both in school and in sports, for which I am quite proud. You've expressed an interest in photography and come to sessions with me as a paid assistant. You are a great helper, carrying my props and making babies laugh. You've picked up some language that we don't love like "idiot," "stupid," and "sucks," and are experimenting with how much you can get away with saying. You're a little apprehensive about basketball after having a bad team and coach right before the pandemic, but are signed up and willing to give it another try this season, with Jackson as a teammate. You love holidays and make sure they are celebrated with intensity.

You are obsessed with candy and sweets. Your emotions resemble those of a teenage girl, with highs, lows, and mini outbursts that often puzzle me. Your increased maturity is apparent as you move from young to mid-childhood. With your youth now officially half over, I already miss toddler Owen. At the same time, your increased capacity for thinking and participating in activities is delightful. I love playing ping pong and foosball now that I can try my best and still lose. I love everything about nine-year-old Owen.

Parenthood is such a juxtaposition of emotions, a constant longing for both what was, what is, and what is still to come. And here's the thing—who you were, who you are, and who you are becoming are all my favorite. Not a day goes by that I don't love and cherish you. From the high highs to the low lows—you are exactly who you are supposed to be and deeply loved.

Happy ninth birthday to my firstborn. I love you with all that I have and all that I am.

xoxo,

Your loving mama 

Halloween 2021

I love Halloween more every year. We trick or treated in the neighborhood with friends and had so much fun!