A Bay Area Family Christmas, December 2011

Christmas back in 2011. The girls were so little, posing for photos by the tree in their holiday sweaters, with the presents slowly accumulating. I remember getting them up on our shoulders for the requisite family picture, everyone smiling in front of the lit-up tree.

The house was always so quiet on Christmas Eve after the kids were finally asleep. We'd put out the plate of decorated cookies and the wooden nativity set next to the fireplace, the colored lights from the tree reflecting on everything. It felt like a moment of calm before the chaos of the next morning.

And Christmas morning was definitely chaos, in the best way. A storm of torn wrapping paper and kids in their pajamas, all gathered on the floor by the fire. Everyone was focused on opening gifts, pulling out new toys and clothes. It was just a simple, cozy holiday spent together at home.