Sloths on the sofa, overdosing on sweet treats and watching sappy Christmas movies would accurately describe most of our time together during the holidays, but we do occasionally have a “Hallmark moment.” Christmas Dinner is one of those moments. We set a pretty table, make a wonderfully classic Beef Wellington and dress for the occasion. We pose for our annual family photo by the Christmas tree and once in a while I catch a very special moment in the lens of my camera. This year that moment was when my daughter hung the new ornament that she had purchased for me on the dinning room tree.

It is a white owl with little gold flecks.

I like to think that she saw it and thought of it as a symbol of her dear mother’s wisdom, but more than likely she thought it would look pretty with the dozen other ornaments that she has given me in past years. A mother can dream…

But the moment, the one that takes your breath away and fills your heart with joy is the sweet recognition of the little girl who became a beautiful young woman and still loves family traditions.

May simple pleasures and precious moments fill your days during 2018.

We’d like to take this time to thank you for following along during our inaugural year of “Picture Retirement.” It has been a learning experience filled with surprises that have been both challenging and rewarding. We have especially enjoyed interacting with the blogging community – people from all walks of life, living in traditional and non-traditional ways, all over the world. That experience alone is worth the effort to continue. We value your input and appreciate your encouragement as we continue our journey into the new year.