A Legacy Christmas: The Home We Carry With Us

Christmas morning always has a way of quieting the world. The streets feel still, the sky feels softer, and even the air feels different—calmer, kinder, full of meaning. Whether you're surrounded by family, celebrating quietly at home, or simply reflecting on the year behind you, Christmas has a way of bringing us back to what matters most.

Home. People. Legacy. Love.

And that's what I want to share with you today, from my heart to yours.

What "Home" Really Means at Christmas

Homes hold our stories. They cradle our memories. They shelter the people we love—those here with us now, and those we carry in our hearts forever.

Some of my sweetest Christmas memories were made long before I became a realtor. Before I ever owned a home. Long before Legacy Realty Advisors existed. I've learned over the years that a house is built with lumber and nails, but a home is built with moments—the kind that make you laugh until your stomach hurts, make you cry tears you didn't know you were holding, make you feel connected to something bigger than yourself.

My parents have been married for 51 years. That's 51 Christmases together. Fifty-one opportunities to create memories, to build a life, to show their children what love looks like when it's lived out day after day, year after year. And man, they have done such an amazing job. For that, I am forever grateful.

This season always reminds me how precious those moments truly are.

The Moments That Build Us

I think of Tyler and me going on our Christmas Day adventures because Hadlee always spent the day with her dad. Those times were ours alone, and they mattered.

I think of Leon and his joyful little heart, the way everything is such a big deal to him. That wonder, that excitement—it's contagious, and it reminds me to see the world through fresh eyes.

I think of Hadlee, growing into the woman and mother she's meant to be. I watch her with such pride, such gratitude that she is here, that she is mine.

I think of the families I've helped this year—turning over keys, turning over pages, turning corners into fresh starts and new chapters.

And I think of you.

Because if you're reading this, you're part of my legacy, too. Readers are leaders, and that's what I strive to be. I am so glad you do too.

The Gift of a Home-Filled Year

Every Thursday, I get to share "Another Beautiful Legacy Listing." But today isn't about granite countertops, square footage, workshops, wraparound porches, or open-concept kitchens.

Today is about something more sacred.

Today is about the homes within us:

The place where we feel safe. The memories that shape who we are. The people who steady us when the ground feels unsteady. The stories that build our character, brick by brick. The hope that carries us into a brand new year, even when we're not sure what it holds.

If Christmas reminds us of anything, it's that home is never just a structure with four walls and a roof. It's the legacy we build every single day, in every small choice, in every act of love, in every moment of presence.

A Tulsa Christmas: Things Open Today (Because Life Happens!)

Whether you forgot the butter for your mashed potatoes, need a last-minute gift, crave a warm cup of coffee, or simply want to get out for some fresh air—these Tulsa spots are open on Christmas Day and ready to serve you.

Open on Christmas Day

• QuikTrip (open 24/7) - quiktrip.com

• Walgreens (many locations open with limited hours) - walgreens.com

• CVS (varies by store) - cvs.com

• IHOP (most locations) - ihop.com

• Denny's (always open on Christmas) - dennys.com

• Tulsa Parks Trails - open for peaceful Christmas walks - gatheringplace.org

• Local Movie Theaters (many open today) - AMC Southroads

• Rhema Lights - open nightly, including Christmas Day - rhemalights.org

Because sometimes the most thoughtful gift is simply help. Support. A reminder that someone is thinking of you. And I want you to always feel supported, even on days when everything else is closed.

The Empty Chair

There's something about Christmas that makes the empty chair feel louder. The absence feels brighter somehow. The missing feels heavier, more real than it does on ordinary days.

This is my seventh Christmas without my son Tyler, and honestly, I can't even believe I'm writing that. Seven. How? It still feels impossible. Some days the pain hits like the first year—sharp, sudden, taking my breath away. Other days it sits quietly in the corner of the room, a soft ache that never fully disappears.

Damn, I miss him.

I miss him in ways I don't always have words for. I miss him in the moments that sneak up on me when I'm not expecting it. I miss him in the laughter. In the quiet. In the traditions we used to share. In the in-between moments that no one else would even notice.

When Grief Joins the Celebration

Grief doesn't follow a calendar. It doesn't soften on command. And it doesn't care whether it's your first, seventh, or twenty-fifth Christmas without someone you never intended to do life without.

But here's what grief does do, if we let it—it reminds us, painfully and beautifully, that we once loved someone with our whole heart. And that love mattered. Still matters. Always will.

So if you're reading this and there's an empty chair at your table today, I see you. I feel you. I'm with you in this.

And I hope you'll pause, even for just a moment, and let gratitude wash over the years you did get. The laughter you shared. The memories you built together. The pieces of them you still carry everywhere you go.

Gratitude doesn't erase the grief—I won't pretend it does. But sometimes, just sometimes, it makes the weight a little more bearable.

This Christmas, may the love you had light the space that feels empty. May the memories be a gift you unwrap slowly, gently, when you're ready. And may you feel a quiet reassurance that those we love never really leave our story. They're woven into who we are.

A Christmas Wish From My Heart to Yours

If today is joyful, I celebrate that with you. If today is tender, I sit with you in that, too. If today is complicated, I hope you feel held. And if today feels quiet, may it also feel peaceful.

My Christmas wish for you is simple:

May this day remind you that you matter. May your home, whatever it looks like, feel warm. May your heart feel full of love, gratitude, and hope. And may you walk into 2025 believing with everything in you that the best is yet to come.

Thank you for being part of my legacy. Thank you for trusting me with your stories, your homes, and your hearts. It is an honor I never take lightly.

Moving Forward: Building Your Legacy in the New Year

As we close this chapter and prepare to step into a new year, I want to remind you that every day is an opportunity to build the legacy you want to leave behind. Every conversation. Every act of kindness. Every moment of presence with the people you love.

Whether you're thinking about finding a new place to build those memories, selling a home that's held your story, or simply dreaming about what's next, I'm here. Not just as your realtor, but as someone who understands that a home is so much more than a transaction—it's where your life unfolds.

If you're ready to take the next step in your real estate journey, or if you simply want to talk about what home means to you, I'd love to hear from you. Reach out anytime. Let's build something beautiful together.

Because at the end of the day, we're not just building houses. We're building legacies. We're building homes. We're building the spaces where love lives.

And that's the most important work any of us will ever do.

Merry Christmas, and here's to the legacy you're building, one beautiful moment at a time.