Dec 5th Jennifer from Minor Details

Today’ s Guest Blogger: Jennifer, New York

When I think about the holidays, I get a bit misty. I think about hot cocoa, warm cider, gingerbread houses, holiday gatherings , food and most importantly, Christmas eve. When I was a child, Christmas eve consisted of my entire family gathering at my grandmother’s house for dinner and the first wave of holiday present opening. One of the most memorable times was the car ride home. My sister’s head glued tight to the back seat window as mine following suit on the other side. The car radio basting a warm Christmas jingle with intersecting breaking news reports of Santa Clauses current location over the skies of Atlanta, Georgia. Once the car pulled into the drive way, my sister and I had the car doors opened before my father could put the car in park. Because we knew, if we did not fall fast asleep, Santa could potentially by-pass our house and there was no way we would let that happen. On Christmas morning, there always seemed to be an explosion of gifts under the tree and utter bliss, along with lots of noise, filled our entire house for hours. Those times make me feel so warm.

Fast forward to my adult life, which now happily includes my daughter. Who is at the prime age of 5 1/2 and could not be more excited for Santa’s arrival this year. We are boarding a plane to Georgia and doing everything as I had done, oh so many years ago! That alone is gift enough for me. To know that I could give my daughter the same nostalgia that I was given just makes my heart grow two times bigger. But what has evolved into my adult Christmas Eve with my family now…is kinda ten times more fun. We make Santa cookies and put out reindeer food with the kids. Once they are in bed, we break open the wine and start Santa’s workshop through-out different areas of the house. We are building bikes, dollhouses and lego towers. It’s like we are kids again but only this time, we are playing Santa, drinking merrily with our parents and feeling every bit of the warmth that the holiday season should bring.

So on this 5th day of December, I am counting down the 19 days until I can put on Santa’s hat, toast my parents with a fine Pinot Noir and try my best to fumble my way through his workshop…. with us normally falling asleep within hours of the kids all waking up …. and loving every minute or it.

Happy Holidays!

Jennifer Ward
Creative Director