Oh happy day. That keeps going through my mind. This was the best holiday season yet, filled with love, and music, and family.

We went to the second annual Christmas Jam at our son, Andrew’s house and had a great time with his friends playing music, laughing, eating, and celebrating. I performed the song I wrote last year called “Alabama Sunshine” but with its new verse about coming home, ending in “Colorado Sunshine!”

I do not take for granted that our whole family was together Christmas morning. We all spent the night at our oldest daughter, Shyanne and Jacob’s house. My (hopefully) future daughter-in-law, Victoria made brie and apricot grilled cheese and I heated up some butternut squash soup. Simple food. Our youngest daughter, Emily and her husband, Reed brought a fun Bob Ross game. We all played games until it was time to put the littles to bed. Our family has a tradition (due to lots of animals and/or small children) that we don’t put presents under the tree until the children all go to bed after hanging their stockings. Seeing all my children and their spouses helping prepare the scene for Christmas morn was heartwarming.

As dawn approached and Santa had been there in the night, the smell of coffee filled the air, the Christmas tree was all alight, and songs of Christmas joy wafted from the television, we gathered the excited grandchildren and walked them out to see what Santa left for them!

Oh, it was a lovely day indeed. The celebrations continue! We started moving my things into my new art studio. Tomorrow is Shyanne’s 29th birthday. Lochlan’s 2nd birthday party is Sunday. New Year’s brings the opening of my studio (301 Main Street in Canon City, Colorado), and our annual Vision Board party with dear friends is a week from Sunday.

Oh happy day. I hope that all of your celebrations were filled with joy. Happy New Year, friends. And I do consider you all my friends. It’s a small world after all.