Janet came back! She arrived Christmas Day.  Everyone in the Sheppard clan was excited to see her. I can’t believe how much I missed her. I call her every day, but it’s not quite the same as being there.   After a Sheppard family Christmas, we drove down to NJ to see Jim & Autumn.   Jim’s not much for holidays, but he’s learning what it means to be a part of a family.  We took them to the seashore for a nice stroll on the boardwalk. Afterwards we stopped at Home Depot to pick up  a small Christmas tree for the house. I’m so glad we came, Autumn and Janet haven’t seen each other since the wedding.

The trip home included a stop in New York for a day of Christmas sightseeing. I mapped out a walk around 5th Ave to see the department store windows including Blomingdale’s, Bergdorff’s, Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, Saks 5th Ave, Lord & Taylor’s, and Macy’s. Our feet were tired, but I believe we’ve started a tradition I’d like to continue each year we’re here. Our day ended with Beautiful, The Carol King Story.  I feel like we have a whole new life as this was just a stop on the way home.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller