December 21, 2025: The Christmas Countdown (Day 9)

I woke up holding a shotgun.

Well, not exactly. But early this morning, Luke, Jake, and I met Will and his dad deep in the woods. The crisp air carried the scents of pine and damp earth.

And using shotguns, we aimed at skeet, shattering the clay targets in the sky like fireworks.

Luke and Jake were natural shots. Will and his dad displayed the skills of seasoned pros. And I… perfected the art of the near miss.

But that’s okay, because after grabbing lunch, we enjoyed our annual Bake Day with Mia and Papa.

As NFL games played, our Christmas Elves (Jess, Mia, McKenzie, and Kate) baked amazing treats, filling the house with chocolate and sugar.

After ordering pizza, we tore into presents, then had the kind of wonderful talks that jump from topic to topic and somehow last for hours.

The day started loud and ended just right.