Season’s greetings from all of us on the First Prime Realty Group team! I hope the holiday season is full of comfort and joy for you and your loved ones. By the time you read this, I’ll be headed up to the Idaho mountains to spend Christmas with my family. As much as I enjoy our warmer winters in Las Vegas, the season never feels the same without pine trees and a healthy dusting of snow.
Probably one of the most jarring things to get used to when I moved to Vegas was just how quickly the Christmas decorations come down after the holidays. Our town is decked out until Dec. 26 then almost all the lights and decorations disappear like clockwork. Growing up in the Intermountain Northwest, folks had a tendency to leave their lights up well into January. That prolonged holiday magic is well worth a little ice and snow, in my opinion.
Of course, Dec. 25 has taken on an added significance for my family. Last year, on Christmas Day, my son Liam was born. My wife, Marites, and I knew that taking care of two babies would be taxing, but thankfully her parents volunteered to come up from the Philippines and give
us a helping hand watching Lily. We were so grateful to have them there; Marites and I don’t have any relatives in Nevada. Their help during that time really underscored the importance of family, especially when Liam, determined to be our Christmas present, came along early.
Now Liam will get to spend his first combined birthday-Christmas with my side of the family in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Our house up their is ready, and we’ll be hosting a get-together to celebrate with my relatives. Not only do Lily and Liam get to see their aunts, uncles, grandmother, and cousins, I get to give them the kind of Christmas I always wanted growing up.
While we didn’t have much when I was a kid, I still have fond memories of this time of year. We always went out and cut down our own Christmas tree, and my siblings and I always had plenty of fun sledding and building snowmen. These seasonal memories are ingrained into my idea of the quintessential Christmas experience, and I’m excited to give Lily and Liam the chance to try these things themselves.
Lily is especially excited. At 3 and a half years old, she has fully grasped the magic of Santa Claus. In fact, she’s been singing “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” since mid-November! She’s been a good girl, and I have a feeling Old Saint Nick will put something great under the tree this year. As for me, I want to give her the gift of experiences.
From going to help pick out a real Christmas tree to watching Santa jet boat around the lake, I’m sure we’ll come away from this trip with plenty of great memories. If I learned anything about the holidays when I was growing up, it’s that more than any gift, these kinds of experiences can give a warm glow to the coldest season of the year.
That’s why I invested in our house in Coeur d’Alene. Beyond the market value of the property, it gives us a chance to spend holidays and birthdays with family and make priceless memories. I’m so glad everything came together on this project. I couldn’t imagine a better place to give Liam his first birthday and Lily a Christmas she’ll never forget.
From our family to yours, happy holidays!