Christmas Trees, Candles, and Nostalgia

I love Christmas. One of my favorite memories as a kid is of driving down Roxas Blvd on Christmas Eve and "ohhhing" and "ahhhing" at all the pretty lights. (...while Mom and Dad were thankful they didn't have to pay for the electric bills!) So it comes as no surprise that I LOVE attending the Christmas tree lighting at my alma mater every year. There is this huge pine tree in front of the music building (my second home for three and a half years) and every year on the first Friday of December the student body, alumni, and surrounding neighborhoods come together and listen to Luke's account of Christ's birth, sing traditional carols, light candles, and light the enormous tree.
So this year we all bundled up (as much as necessary for SoCal) and sang to our hearts' content. While there we ran into our beloved retired chaplain, Ron Hafer and took this shot...just for you, Mom!