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6 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • Winter 2019 PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom EDITOR Chris Jones Quincy, Hayden & Olive's dad MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Megan Walsh: Mia, Noelle, and Adelaide's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter, President, Carter Creations Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom WEBMASTER Karen Charney Joshua & Spencer's mom SOCIAL MEDIA Brenda Sapanghila Archer, Maddox & Oliver's mom CALENDAR & COOL THINGS TO DO ELETTER Leigha Pecher: Jake and Luke's mom EDUCATION AND INFANT ELETTERS Debra Caffrey Aidan's mom parent fredericksburg & family Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & SOCIAL MEDIA E-MAIL webmaster@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540-429-3572 E-MAIL fredparenteditor@gmail.com SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, F'burg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's stan- dards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information con- tained herein, however, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are sub- ject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2018 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. LIKE facebook.com/ FredericksburgParent SIGN UP www.FredParent.net TWEET twitter.com/fredparent PIN www.pinterest.com/ fredparent FOLLOW @fredparentmagazine As a child, I loved decorating for Christmas. The day after Thanksgiving, I would beg my parents to go up into the attic to pull down the Christmas decorations. I'd then ask my dad when we could cut down a tree because in the 80s, everybody had real trees. We would venture into our wooded backyard to chop down a pine or drive to someone's farm and cut down a tree there. With a tree in hand, my grandfather would bring the tree into the living room along with a 5-gallon bucket he would cover with wrapping paper and, after center- ing the tree in the bucket, pack with dirt. That's how Christmas went in rural Virginia. We didn't have stands or tree skirts. We made do with the objects at our disposal. My grandmother and I and whoever else was available at home that day would decorate the tree. My grandfather would back out of the process at that point, retreating to the kitchen table for a cigarette and a snack, or out of sight all together. That was the extent of his Christmas spirit as I remember. I didn't think much of it as a child, but as a working adult man with a family, I get it now. My dad would often say, "Christmas is another day." I always thought he was succumbing to his inner Ebenezer Scrooge, but not so much anymore. He worked hard to provide for all of us, plus his income took care of extended fam- ily members. As a father who has children and expenses, I see why December was difficult for him. It's difficult for me most years. Feeling fes- tive is hard when you have a tight budget and the demands of gift giving spell overtime to cre- ate more income to put smiles on faces. It can make Christmas into another day, and one you don't receive well. That said, I'm challenging my thinking this year. I will be intentional about enjoying the season. This means more Christmas music playing in my office, more holiday- themed movies streaming on my television, and accepting more party invitations. I'll enjoy Christmastime this year with the same spirit 8-year-old me did and feel more privileged to give than burdened by it. It's a spec ial time of the year and Christmas is more than just another day. WRITTEN BY CHRIS JONES letter to readers Christmas Reclaiming the Spirit I will be intentional about enjoying the season... Christmas is more than just another day.