Bronte’s Ohio Christmas

Coming home for the holidays is one of our favorite things to do. It means possible snow, it means walking the Perin ranch in mud boots, Debbie’s sugar cookies, pie making with Grandma Marcia, Christmas shows, light show at Clifton Mills, and Matt and Julia’s recliners as National Lampoon is on the TV. But this time, it was Bronte’s first time experiencing it all with us.

For my birthday, we had a wonderful brunch with Aunt Julie and Uncle Jeff, Grandma Marcia, Debbie and Bill. From them, Bronte got cute clothes and I got a bag of candy - a great way to start the day. In the evening, Matt played bagpipes at Dublin Pub, the McCarty Aunts came, as well as a slew of cousins and friends! Even Bronte and Leo made a short appearance, and we enjoyed the potato soup and Guinness all night.

For Bronte, there was a lot of Grandma and Grandpa time everywhere she went. She was showered with snuggles, kisses, and gifts (including a white BMW toy car, that we funnily enough were able to fit in a suitcase for our return home). Great Grandma Marcia made her giggle as she tickled her feet and, as Bronte drifted to sleep by her fireplace, she read her a poem she had written. Cousins Conor and Colin helped make footprint crafts, and Aunt Megan, Uncle John, Aunt Brandy, Emma and Jonny joined us for the Cincinnati Zoo lights, where we met the real Fiona!

Christmas Eve morning was spent with Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Bill, baking monkey bread and unwrapping gifts amid joyful chaos while the cousins wrestled around the tree. That evening, Bronte was dazzled with the McCarty’s annual Christmas Eve party. She was passed from loving arms to arms, and played on Joel’s bongos. We enjoyed Great Grandpa McCarty’s famous chicken and dumplings recreated by Aunt Beth, Emma, and Megyn.

On Christmas morning, we woke up at Grandma and Grandpa Perin's house in matching pajamas and hurried downstairs to see the tree and gifts. Bronte was fascinated by the little train circling under the tree and even napped peacefully among the scattered wrapping paper.

Returning to San Francisco turned out to be a little less smooth than the rest of the trip. Bronte developed Croup, and after many phone calls to family, doctors, and nurses, we took her to the ER five hours before we needed to be at the airport. She got a steroid and chest X-rays (which show the most adorable tiny lungs ever), and after 3hrs in the ER, we got home 30min before we had to leave for the airport. Bronte was amazing, and even though she was at the hospital between midnight and 3am, she was smiling and giggling with all the providers. Once we finally got home, we had our own little Christmas as a family of three, soaking in the quiet magic of it all. Bronte’s first Christmas was everything we hoped for — full of love, laughter, and wonder.