CHRISTMAS EVE IS COMING SOON...

The Kirkpatrick family - Sean, Nancy, Brendan and Caitlin - are today representing the families of our six children. The top photo shows four stockings hung on their fireplace. Sean's stocking, on the left, was made back in 1956 by the grandmother of our friend Homer Heath. She made one for Sean's sister Erin the next year. When my kids began having their babies, I decided to knit each of them a stocking. So in the above photo, there are three hand-knit and one store-bought stocking. I always had in the back of my mind to knit one for the spouses, but alas, there was always another grandchild to knit for and I just never got around to doing that.

Here is little Brendan in 1987 showing off his own personal stocking. He was not quite 6 months old in this picture and he appears to be a sober little tyke. But in reality we now know that he was thinking deep thoughts, probably trying to figure out how the camera worked. He was a charming little kid, very smart and very likeable. And he grew up with all those attributes, too. Now I know you aren't going to believe me, but do you know that all of my 13 grandchildren fit this description exactly? I am certainly not bragging, but they, like Brendan, have grown up well.

So now here is Brendan going into adulthood. He graduated last May from CSULB carrying a double major and is presently employed in a great position with Edison. Brendan also is an accomplished musician who has played the French Horn with his father in many, many orchestras and smaller groups in the Northern California area. His sister Caitlin is a freshman at USC, also an engineering major and like her mom is accomplished on the flute.

Remember that I asked you to let this Kirkpatrick family represent all our families for this Christmas Blog? We also have families of Titles, Pramls, Davises, Lambriches, Lopezes, Broughtons and Katzes. We have them scattered about from Alaska to Florida. We have some we see a lot of and some we don't see often enough. But they all are charming, bright, likeable and loving. We send to each of them our love and best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous new year.

For us, they are what make the Christmas holidays (but actually not limited to those holidays) so bright and cheery, so warm and comforting and so full of love. As far as we are concerned, Jerry and I have Christmas every day of the year! Lucky us.

*Blog originally from 12/08 and updated for 12/10.