Christmas Eve

Our family has always exchanged presents on Christmas Eve after a family feast which of course included our Norwegian Christmas bread (that the boys didn't eat because of the raisins) and Christmas cookies. It won't seem right tonight without either of our sons here, but we will be able to talk with and email Peter Anthony at least.

It's our second Christmas Eve without Leif in our lives, since 1975. We will miss him.

This photo was taken on Christmas Eve when we were living in Hawaii. Leif got his first "boom box," and he was delighted. Although it wasn't more than a few years later that he had a large component system, this boom box remained among his things for many years, long into adulthood, though I don't know if he ever used it at that point. He had passed beyond the technology of cassette tapes. But at the time, it was pretty cool, and he had quite a collection of music even then. Leif always loved music and I wish he had continued to play his guitars and sing throughout his life.

Tonight I will remember the good times of him opening his presents and finding something to delight him, eat a cookie in his memory and try not to focus on the fact that he is not there.