They were like this the whole time, and wherever I put them they collectively yelled “cheeeeeeeeese” and then laughed in spite of themselves. They taught me how to say Auntie in Portuguese and when I couldn’t get it right they hugged me and told me it was ok. We moved through different rooms to take various configurations of family pics and the entire group followed along to stand behind me and help make the baby smile. They cooked together and filled the kitchen with warm roasted garlic and teased each other about how the beans should be made. The 14 year old showed the 4 year old a coin trick and a family dog the size of a large bear made himself cozy by blocking all access to the sink with his nap. Before leaving, they insisted on taking MY picture and offered to help carry my gear to the car. As I closed the door behind me, I could still hear them giggling together.

Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.