When Daddy and Mommy go home to Seattle for the holidays, there are tongue-in-cheek custody “negotiations” every year: Gumms’ or Brewers’ first? when to switch? car transportation responsibilities? etc. This year, as in the last two when we were able to go home for two weeks, we made the move from the Gumm’s downstairs guest room to the Brewers’ downstairs bedroom (formerly Daddy’s old bedroom) on Christmas Eve day so that we could give the working pastor and pastor’s wife fewer responsibilities at a busy time, and be in place for Brewer Christmas breakfast and stockings the next morning.

We took you to your first ever Christmas Eve service at UPC, the church where Mommy and Daddy were married. We arrived early to get seats (as you will learn, being early is a Brewer tradition), sang carols by candlelight and listened to readings, then Daddy took you to show you off to people he knew from working at UPC as a sound tech. Then home again for the difficult task of falling asleep before Christmas morning. (You don’t even know what you have to look forward to yet Christmas Day and already you don’t want to sleep!)

We rejoice in our Christmas gifts from God: the birth of our Savior and your presence with us these last 6 months.