“We ARE going to ENJOY Christmas this year!” That was a demand from my sister at the beginning of October! “We are going to order all the presents early and we are NOT going to be wrapping the day before Christmas. We’re going to bake cookies with the kids and we’re going to enjoy them and one another!” Ahhhhh! It’s as if I felt myself breath for a moment, and I felt as if a ton of weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was “all in,” while having no idea how I’d climb the Mount Everest she’d just laid in front of me. I decided to hand catalogs to my kids to make it easier on myself. So far I have three catalogs with an average of four treasures circled on each page, courtesy of my seven year-old princess!

November and December — how can these two months bring equal amounts of excitement and dread? We all know Thanksgiving and Christmas will be wonderful, but all the blood (well, maybe not), sweat (yes, we live in Texas) and tears (yep!) that lead up to these two holidays will ultimately bring us closer to those we love the most.

Family! That’s what it’s all about, right? Strip everything else away and at the end of the day, if we have those we love around us, that is enough. If there was ever an example of a strong family unit, it’s our cover “tribe,” the Turturro family. You can’t go a week without seeing them around the neighborhood… together. Whether it be on the driving range, the pool or the patio of The Clubhouse, they are five people perfectly fit together in one very loving family.

So let’s resolve that we ARE going to ENJOY the holidays… really enjoy them with our loved ones. I’m sure we’ve all wished “to be a kid again” at some point in adulthood. Here’s our chance! Approach the holiday season with joy, love, the baby Jesus and presents under the tree — just like a child would. I suppose the adult version might be a stomach full of turkey, a gift or two, a full heart, a solid nap and a certain football victory! I know it’s easier said than done, but really making the time to enjoy the holidays with each other, and finding HIM is the best way to enjoy the holidays.

It’s the beginning of November and we’ve got two months to make the most of 2016. 2017 is certainly uncertain! But I AM certain we live in one of the best town’s in America and I KNOW we drive into a strong community each day.

I pray for many, many blessings to you and yours this holiday season. See you in 2017!

Sara Hill

Director of Advertising

Cordillera Ranch Living