This is much overdue, but as always life tends to overwhelm us at times. So a little delayed, but here none the less, is the story of Cale’s and my first Christmas together. Below is actually the letter that I wrote for our Christmas album. We received this red scrapbooking album from Cale’s cousin this year, and it just begs to be filled with our Christmas memories for years to come. So each year I will write a letter detailing our holiday season and fill it with pictures from that year. I really love this idea, and I hope it can inspire others to find new ways to document their holiday memories.

January 12, 2008

Our Christmas this past year began the day after Thanksgiving. I gleefully unpacked our Christmas tree and took my first trip to Target for decorations. I wanted our first home together to feel like the holidays even though our time spent there during the actual holiday season would be short. I gathered pinecones from a neighboring yard and spray painted them silver. Those, along with gold ornaments, filled vases around the house. Our first Christmas together was a silver and gold Christmas. It turned out very well, and now we have the base colors of gold and silver to which we can add any color to decorate with.

We started our holiday weekend by heading to Bakersfield on Friday December 21, 2007. I wasted no time in starting my baking marathon. I gathered several different recipes that I wanted to try for the first time. I spent the next three days battling mishaps in the kitchen and ended up with three different cookies that turned out wonderfully and one amazing white chocolate peppermint cheesecake. It was a hit at Jessica’s house for Christmas Eve.

That evening was such a wonderful Christmas Eve. Jessica’s home was so beautiful and full of love with Faith and Jason joining our family this year. In total, we were surrounded by my mom, my dad, Caitlyn, Brent, Grandma Pat, Aunt Net Net, Randy, Jessica, Luke, Jeremy, Talia, and the kids. It was such fun watching the kids all play together with Emma and Annabelle. Their grandma Net had bought them all matching pajamas. They looked so adorable all together. While the kids played with their new toys, we did our annual ornament exchange, where Cale and I plotted to get The Office ornament that Jessica brought. It was wonderful time spent with the family with food, laughter, and of course love.

The next morning we woke up and had a wonderful Christmas breakfast before we opened our presents. It was Cale’s first Christmas morning with our family, but he had fun opening his stocking and all the presents my mom spoiled him with. After lounging around in our post Christmas stupor, we got ready to visit Grandma Cindy, Paha, and the Richmond’s. We went to their community center in their development. We ate Mexican food and opened our presents. Cale and I had to head out early to go over to his father’s house for yet another meal.

We had visited earlier that weekend because Cale’s grandma Verla came home from the hospital on hospice care. We visited her for the last time that evening before her passing on January 1, 2008. On Christmas we were joined by Mike, Kari, Karen, Royce, Warren, Rafaelia, and Mila. Cale’s dad made filet minion and turkey with delicious green bean casserole and potatoes with onions. We played deal or no deal and talked with the family.

The morning following Christmas we headed back home. Once we unloaded the car, we exchanged our stockings that we made for each other. I got Cale warm pajama pants and slippers, along with other goodies, and Cale got me the cutest little salt and pepper shakers that I had asked for. We of course got each other Barnes and Noble gift cards that we used the next day.

That evening we had our final Christmas with Cale’s mom, Andrew, Kelly, Grandma Sallie, and Grandma Betty. We had a large gift opening, and ate leftovers from their party the night before. We then went to visit the new horse, which ended with Kelly and I riding in the trunk of the car on the way home. By the time we got home that evening Cale and I were exhausted, and our only question was where in the world we were going to put all our new things. It was a wonderful first Christmas, solely because we were able to be around all of our new large family.

Brodie tired after the long weekend

Maisie under the Christmas Tree

Tired puppies on the drive home

On the road again

Maisie got straight to digging once we got home. Her dirt mustache.

Verla E Corwin
9/8/1927 – 1/1/2008

She was born in Kellyville, California on September 8, 1927 and graduated from Bakersfield High School and had majored in bookkeeping. Soon after she met Leonard Corwin while working in the office of EO Mitchell Farm Repairs, Inc. as Len worked in the machine shop. Two months later they were headed to Las Vegas to get married. They lived mostly in Bakersfield, with several moves taking them from Fresno to Hayward and as far as Oregon and Alaska. They had two children together: Sue and Mike, who brought them grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. This past September they celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary. What an amazing example to set for those of us still young in our marriages.

This past weekend we gathered with family and friends to remember our dear Verla. We will always miss her, but as someone passes on, we can always keep them alive with our memories.

Verla with Cale when he was a little one.
Verla, Kari, Karen and I at my bridal shower
Verla and I at the wedding
Len and Verla

Cale and I with our grandparents.