*

Slept in til noon, went for a nice long run in California “cold” that was just refreshing enough when I worked up a sweat. Shopped with the mother, dinner with the sisters, sipped some peppermint tea. No place like home for the holidays.

I wrote the fam’s christmas card letter this year. Here it is:

For the Brown family, 2009 was a lovely year much like the others, only slightly different.

2009 was the year Brooke (22) became a real live college graduate and a real live writer (at Deseret News in Salt Lake City), and learned about real-world subjects like commute traffic and middle-aged journalist humor.

It was the year Kelli (20) got adventurous, and decided to make a quick trip to Africa, make a decision about her major, and make an announcement she was going to serve a mission — followed by another change in major, and a change in mind about that mission thing.

It was the year Paige (18) became the third Brown girl to leave the nest, and witness her first real live winter in Rexburg, Idaho while learning about collegiate BYU-I topics she’s still not sure how to define, like sociology and communications.

It was the year Courtney (16) became a legitimate California driver, cruising to In N’ Out Burger with her buds or to dominate on the volleyball court on her club and high school team.

It was the year Bailey (13) suddenly turned all-things-teen, having girl talk with her girlfriends via her newly-acquired and very active Facebook account, where she uploaded lots and lots of pictures, and developed a photography hobby.

As for Shelley and Aaron, 2009 was the year they got better at texting and picture messaging, but worse at eyesight. And so, Aaron got glasses, and Shelley started holding paper farther away from her face.

Aaron ran more, and Shelley loved her cocker spaniel Macey more. Aaron started a fishing-related blog, and Shelley read lots of married woman blogs related to nothing of the sort.

Aaron and Shelley also took all but one African safari-bound daughter to see the previously unknown world of the East Coast, USA, where they gawked at men dressed like mermaids on the subway in New York, bonded with the Amish over homemade pretzels in Pennsylvania, and developed a true love for Abraham Lincoln in Washington D.C.

In 2009, the Browns met new people, learned new facts and tried new things. They got a little older, and a little wiser too. And for that, 2009 was so very good.

Hoping the same for you and yours.

Merry christmas and all the best in 2010.

Love,

The Brown Family

*This year-in-review was written by Daughter No. 1, Brooke.

Song of the day: No Place Like Home For the Holidays: Perry Como.