Christmas 2016

Christmas seemed more like something to get through than to celebrate this year. Our office parties were filled with nervous speculation as to what the coming transition would bring and baked goods. Our annual holiday party devolved into prognosticating whom among our friends and neighbors would suffer most in the coming year (Allen may have been the winner!!!) and sharing escape plans for the inauguration festivities themselves, all while consuming copious amounts of alcohol... and cured salmon. And if all that wasn't enough, the flu hit Capitol Hill culminating in Nora spending her first night of Winter Break alternating between throwing up on herself, her bed, and Allen.

But the beauty about the holidays, and for us in particular this year, is family. This year, Allen's kind of saved us. It's hard to get too worked up about repeal and replace when your kids' brand new Dave the Shark Dirigible is circling the tree. While the dismantling of climate treaties is troubling, helping your son build his own computer is both consuming and rewarding. And really, you can't be too glum about the encroachment of civil rights when there are toddlers and cake.

But really, it's just nice to know that you have a lot of wonderful people in your life that have your back, no matter what the new year brings.

(To see all the Christmas pictures, click here.)