Journeys›Photograph

A Quiet Christmas and Birthday at Home, 2012

·Walnut Creek, California·#winter#bay area#christmas#family#birthday
A child wearing a floral shirt and a feathery headband looks down at a brown guinea pig in their lap.

Christmas back in 2012 was a quiet, at-home affair in the Bay Area. The days around the holiday were calm, with the kids spending a lot of time with our guinea pig, just sitting together in the patches of sunlight on the couch. It's funny how a small pet can be the center of their universe for a little while.

Then came the main event. We gathered by the brick fireplace, still in our pajamas, to open gifts. The big hit this year was clearly the purple stuffed dog. The excitement of unwrapping it was so genuine and fun to watch. The rest of the morning was a happy blur of toys and wrapping paper spread out on the living room floor.

The celebration also doubled as a birthday. After the main unwrapping was done, we tried to get a few group photos to mark the occasion. Getting everyone to look at the camera at the same time is always a challenge, but we managed a few good shots. The new purple dog, which I see from the tag was named Violet, made it into every picture, of course. Just a simple, cozy holiday spent with family.

A child in a pink shirt holds a guinea pig while sitting on a couch, with sunlight streaming in.A person and a child sit on a carpet, the child holding a purple stuffed animal, with a fireplace in the background.A person with long brown hair holds a smiling child with blonde hair, who is holding a purple stuffed animal, in front of a fireplace.A young child in a horse-patterned shirt holds shiny toys, with two teddy bears and scattered clothes in the background.A child in a unicorn shirt looks down at a colorful spinning toy, with a white stuffed animal and room in the background.An adult with glasses smiles with two children, one holding a purple plush dog.An adult with glasses is close with two children, one holding a purple stuffed animal, near a brick wall.A smiling adult person embraces two smiling children, one holding a purple stuffed animal, in front of a brick fireplace.

More Entries