Christmas was in Luray this year. It was family, mountains, cold outdoors, toasty wood stove fires, dog cuddles, and sweet homemade treats. Plus a new camera to capture the memories! These really are some of my very favorite things. Winter looks fine on the Blue Ridge.
Luray has an enormous, ancient chinquapin oak tree. We gave it some hugs because it's been alive so long and has grown so much, and that's enough. Appreciate your elders.
I tried out the new camera on a variety of subjects on our family strolls through town . Like this mossy little bird cottage above, and passing through a tunnel below.
Laura took the camera for a spin too. The photo credit on these next few go to her. Really, she is the master and I'm the apprentice.
Back at the house, we all soaked up the holiday spirit.
We have a Christmas Eve tradition of making homemade pizzas. Kahlil is head chef. The rest of us rotate as sous chef and line cooks.
The ingredients are extensive.
The pizzas are beautiful. And delicious. We eat them as fast as they come out of the oven.
Natalie and Kahlil not only make excellent pizzas, they've also made an awesome kitchen, and we spent tons of time there.
To counteract all the kitchen time, we took walks. Mowgli did his best to startle ducks.
Look at my family. We really like each other after all these years.
But back to Mowgli. He's such a scene stealer.
Luray sure is pretty too.
There are a lot of reasons Laura is delightful, just one being her willingness to sit for portraits.
These two are best friends.
I think it should be noted that Kahlil was sick with a virus during Christmas, probably the flu, but he still entertained us with great cheer and rarely complained.
He also gave most of us the virus, but that took a few days to discover.
Worth it.
