Maxdon: Where have I been?

I'm sorry for the lack of posts. Things have been beyond crazy here. I really wanted to write all about Sarah's first Christmas, but it seems so far away now. I'm not sure I can summarize it like I could have last week. I'd still like to tell you about some moments that I'll never forget.

Seeing my oldest nephew, Cody, was surreal. He is now much taller than me. He speaks thoughtfully and intelligently. He's interesting and inquisitive. I could sit and chat with him all day long. It's hard to believe that he's only 12. The weirdest moment - no, I'm not sure weird is the right way to put it. Actually, I'm not sure how to describe this moment. It was odd, sad, joyful, heart wrenching, a mix of so many feelings - was when my little Cody, the boy that I held as a baby, picked up and held my daughter.

Cody and Sarah

Then, there was Luke. Gone is the shy little boy. In his place, there is a bright, vibrant kid. We had a lot of fun taking walks and playing with Sarah together. He loves his Grandpa's tractor, his Grandpa's chickens, and going fishing with Grandpa. Do you see a theme here? He loves his Grandpa. He spent most of his days outfitted with a holster, spurs, and of course his Sheriff badge. Sarah could not keep her eyes off of him.

Luke in disguise.

The rest of the holiday was spent visiting with family, friends and neighbors. It was such a whirlwind of people. I'm always surprised when I go back just how busy my mom's house is. There seems to be a constant stream of people coming through her door. The telephone starts ringing at an early hour and doesn't quit until the evening.

Sarah handled all of this extremely well. She was passed from relative, to neighbor, to friend without a peep. In fact, the comment most often made was "What a good baby. Does she ever cry?".

So, Christmas was nice. Having Sarah spend time with the people that mean so much to me and who love her so much was wonderful. Golondrinas is such a special place to me. I want to make it a special place for her too.

Here are a few more photos from the trip.