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fredericksburg parent & family PRODUCTION PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Leanne Dalton Justin, Steven & Rebeka's mom OFFICE MANAGER Nancy Massanat Emily & Kyle's Mom OPERATIONS & MARKETING Heidi DiEugenio, President, HD Solutions Duke & Dane's mom EDITOR Elizabeth Jones Jordan, Quincy & Hayden's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter, President, Carter Creations Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom WEBMASTER Karen Charney Joshua & Spencer's mom CALENDAR EDITOR Leigha Pecher Jake & Luke's mom ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Kathy Vaughan; Becca & Sarah's mom Michele Amaya; Hayley, Alayna, Levi & Nathaly's mom CIRCULATION Krista Starosta Nick, Andrew, Kaylin & Kensington's mom COMMUNITY BLOG Mary Becelia Katherine Laura & Robert Joseph's mom FACEBOOK COMMUNITY Elizabeth Jones: Jordan, Quincy & Hayden's mom Pamela Quinones: Corinn, Michael, Isabella & Dalton EVENT PLANNING Stephanie Maldonado Julia, Tyler & Aiden's mom SCIENCE SATURDAYS Victoria McCollum Ian & Malcolm's mom ADVERTISING 540/374-1495 lcdalton@fredericksburgparent.net adsales@fredericksburgparent.net PHONE E-MAIL E-MAIL E-MAIL E-MAIL CALENDAR & RESOURCE REQUESTS calendar@fredericksburgparent.net resources@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL 540/374-1495 • FAX 540/374-1672 E-MAIL editor@fredericksburgparent.net publisher@fredericksburgparent.net SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, Fred'bg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net PHONE The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's standards. 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 contained herein, however, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are subject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2013 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER Entrepreneur of the Year 8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • December 2013 LETTER TO READERS Holidays Past and Present BY PAMELA DALTON QUINONES E ach year when the holiday season comes around, I find myself elated at the prospects of the coming months. My mind is filled with visions of making new memories and continuing old family traditions. Warm memories and traditions that my children will treasure for a lifetime and eventually pass along to their children. We learn from our past and so it only makes sense to nurture our children's present so that they will have a strong foundation to look back upon in hopes that they will pass along what they have learned. As a parent, the holidays have so much more meaning to me now than ever before. In the past, I found joy in frosty evenings spent at an ice skating rink listening to carolers and enjoying hot cocoa, or choosing the perfect holiday decorating theme and visiting the sights and sounds of a lighted Christmas village with friends. I would spend hours leisurely shopping for the perfect gifts for the important people in my life. I always made it a priority to attend the beautiful and very meaningful church services being sure to keep in mind the reason for the season and spending time with family was always a top priority. But I must say parenthood definitely brings a newer, deeper perspective to this special time of the year. I am the mother of four beautiful children and with this comes an immense responsibility to teach them well and set them on the right path. So with this in mind, each year I seek to take a deeper look at how my children view the holidays and what they mean to them. I strive to continue our valued family traditions of the past while mingling in new opportunities for us to grow closer as a family and for them to grow individually. This holiday season, we will be focusing more on community outreach. Visiting those who need visitors, giving to those who have less, and really learning what it means to be a part of a community. The holidays bring people together and bring out a special closeness that isn't always as prevalent as it should be year round. What better time than now to show our children shining examples of love and community so that when they look back, they are filled with that warmth so that they will be moved to carry on such traditions in the future. Pamela Quinones is FredParent's Facebook Community Manager, and mom to four fun & energetic kiddos ages 15, 13, 4 and 2.