Bring On The Joy! Bring On The Cheer!
My family and I love spending time together for the holidays. Our favorite Christmas tradition is gathering at my house and watching a Christmas movie, while drinking hot chocolate before we open up gifts from each other. Decorating for Christmas is also one of my favorite activities around the holidays because it just makes my house more cheery and bright. I’ve put together some holiday pictures that represent what the holidays mean to me.
The Retzer family, from left to right: (back row) Clint (my father), Caleb (my brother), Danielle (brother’s fiancé), Emily (me), Chico (my dog), Jake (my boyfriend); (middle) Becca (my sister); (front) Richie (sister’s husband), Lola and Bear (sister’s dogs). Photo courtesy of Jen Maas (my dad’s fiancé), Christmas of 2021
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- This is a picture of younger Emily, I believe I am about 8 years old in the picture, and I remember decorating this ornament, excited to give it to my father. Photo by Emily Retzer
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- My beautiful Christmas tree fully decorated in cherished ornaments, with our stockings hanging above the fireplace. Photo by Emily Retzer
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- My father loves doing the outdoor decorations. Every year he puts up his life-sized nativity scene and colorful lights on the roof and around the windows. Photo by Emily Retzer
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- One thing I love about having a chihuahua is being able to dress him up however I like. My dog, Chico, is pictured with a Santa hat and a Christmas sweater to match. Photo by Emily Retzer
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- Spending time with my family while watching a Christmas movie and drinking hot chocolate by the fire is one of my favorite traditions on Christmas Day. Photo by Emily Retzer
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- This picture was taken last year (2021) of all the gifts we exchanged with each other. It was a super fun time watching everyone unwrap each other’s gifts. Photo by Emily Retzer.
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- My birthday is Dec. 22 and when I was 7 years old, I received this pink tree as a birthday present. I was super excited and to this day I still put it up every year in my room. Photo by Emily Retzer
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- My dog Chico sporting a very festive Christmas hoodie. You can tell by his face that he loves it. Photo by Emily Retzer
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- Left to right: (back row) Jake Neuner, Justyn Taylor-Ricketts, Eddy Neuner; (front row) Emily Retzer and Amanda Wilt at the Botanical Garden Christmas lights in 2021. Photo courtesy of Susan Neuner.
Tags: "White Christmas", Bear, Becca Van Gronigen, Caleb Retzer, Candy Canes, Chico, Chihuahua, Christmas, Christmas Day, Christmas Music, Clint Retzer, Danielle Corgan, decorations, Dogs, Emily Retzer, family time, gifts, Holly jolly Christmas, hot chocolate, Jake Neuner, lights, Lola, Madison Square Garden, MBU, MBUTimeline, movies, music, Nativity Scene, Ornaments, Photo Gallery, Pink Tree, Richie Van Gronigen, Santa hat, snow, snowflakes, stockings, White tree, wrapping
