Santa and his Elf

The holidays are upon us! This is how we're celebrating Christmas this year:

• Instead of big gifts for each other, Alvin and I want to donate to charities in behalf of each other. The Global Impact Fund and La Leche League International are potential recipients. Can you guess who chose which?
• We'll spend Christmas Eve sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace eating cheese, dates, and flatbread for our traditional "Jerusalem Supper."
• I can't wait for my parents' choir concert, especially because the audience gets to join in singing some of the songs. Singing Christmas hymns (accompanied by a real live pipe organ!) is my favorite way to celebrate Jesus' birth. I love "Once in Royal David's City."
• Alvin's mom babysat while we went to the TerraTek Christmas party at the Hilton hotel in Salt Lake City. I wore wild black tights and high heels, and Alvin spontaneously pulled out some amazing dance moves.
• Don't tell him, but I made Miles a book for his Christmas present. It's a photo album of him, and all the pictures have simple words, like "feet," or "Daddy," or "hike." It was so fun for me to go through all our photos of Miles and see how he has grown. He is almost 10 months old, and he has changed so much! I keep thinking about the raising-a-baby advice my midwife gave me: Don't blink. It goes by so fast! It's true. I sure love Miles, and I love being a mommy.