Unlike my Arizona Grandparents, I saw my Vermont Grandparents much more regularly. I cannot remember a summer vacation that was not spent in Vermont. There was The Big House (located in the middle of town, it was where my grandfather had his medical practice and was the house where my dad grew up), The Little House (located outside of town, it was a small house that my grandmother bought without telling my grandfather!), and of course The Cabin. Along with our summer vacations we would also get to Vermont to celebrate Christmas. I don’t think we went every year, but I know we went often. I can remember many a Christmas that we had an early Santa arrival so all the gifts didn’t have to be lugged in the back of the station wagon up to the Little House. Here we all are (along with our cousins) on Christmas Morning 1962 –

My sisters and I are totally engrossed with something under the tree, poor Kim is totally hidden by the tree, and Wanda and Dewey are the only cooperative subjects. 🙂
We were almost always guaranteed a white Christmas on those Vermont holidays. And although I don’t actually remember this outing, this is one of my favorite shots that came out of my grandmother’s collection of slides –

So from here in the land of giant cacti and mesquite trees I wish you all a very blessed Christmas.
Oh, God….
help us rightly to remember
the birth of Jesus, that we may share
in the songs of the angels, the gladness
of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men.
May Christmas morning make
us happy to be your children.
Robert Louis Stevenson