As the holiday music flowed today at the office, I had a moment of reflection. As a firm we have grown larger in the last few years, and we've learned a few things along the way. One lesson - sometimes each office has to take on a project that is close to them, rather than one big project for all the offices. Here is just a little bit of some of the activities each office is participating in this holiday season. In our Plymouth and Holderness offices they are hosting the "Love Light Trees" . The "Love Light" trees are at 13 local businesses, including our two offices. These trees are a fundraising effort for the Hospice Program at Pemi-Baker Community Health. Each tree is decorated with red lights, and when you make a $5 donation in memory of a loved one, the red light is replaced with a white one and a card with the name of your loved one is placed on the tree. It's a mix of emotions when you watch the trees turn to all white lights. If you are so inclined, please feel free to stop by either of our offices in Plymouth or Holderness and make a donation. In Franconia, the agents and staff there have spent the week toiling away in the evenings on decorations to decorate their "Christmas Tree" that is standing outside at the Franconia Town Hall. Each participant can decorate a tree, and then they will be auctioned off with any proceeds benefitting the Franconia Recreation Department & the Franconia Area Chamber of Commerce . The festivities include caroling, cocoa and more! After the auction, the trees can remain on display outside at the Franconia Town Hall or they can be moved to anywhere the winner wants to take them. And if you have called our Littleton office this week between 5-7 pm, chances are you've been greeted with "Ho, Ho, Ho"! Santa has been spending evenings at our office, taking phone calls from area children. For the last 40+ years, the Littleton Lions Club and Littleton Rotary Club have teamed up to work the Santa Phone, and schedule Christmas Eve visits from Santa to area children. This is the first year our office has been a satellite North Pole call center, and we've been so happy to help. We've enjoyed seeing the volunteers come in, as they have their bells ready to ring, and their note taking skills ready as they talk to the children. Last night, the phones rang off the hook! If you are interested in calling, the phone runs all next week, 12/16-12/20 from 5-7 pm at 603-444-1294. And while Bretton Woods may be our smallest office in terms of agents and staff, they don't sit back and watch everyone else! Terry & Michele again this year participated in The Giving Tree through their neighbor, the Omni Mt. Washington Hotel. Together they picked names off the tree, and are helping to provide much needed items to area children in need. Michele and I were chatting about this the other day – years ago you had the pleasure of buying fun toys for the kids that they asked for, and feeling like "Santa". In the last five years, we've noticed an increase in children who needs the basics – warm hats, warm coats, boots and warm clothes. It seems we've seen less of the "Barbie's, Legos" and the like. However, as I'm sure Michele did, she got the items on the Caring Tree card, and then some…to help make Christmas a little brighter for a little one. And a child won't wake up on Christmas morning and wonder why Santa forgot them. As I reflected this morning, I smiled thinking about the generosity of our agents, staff and company. We live and work in wonderful communities, surrounded by friends and family and we help those that may decide to make this their new community. We are blessed to be a part of it. So in this season of giving, thank you to all of our clients and customers for all you do in your communities. Happy Holidays to you and yours, from all of us.