Back
At Larson Design Group, the end of the year isn’t just about wrapping up projects and planning ahead – it’s also a time to enjoy moments that bring us comfort, connection, and joy. From classic holiday cookies and nostalgic movies to giving back within our communities, our team has no shortage of meaningful traditions that make this season special.
We asked a few LDG employee-owners to share the memories, routines, and small joys that make the holidays feel complete. Here’s a look at how they celebrate – both inside and outside the office.
Holiday Traditions & Memories
What’s one holiday tradition you look forward to every year?
Teah Murray, WPIT, Environmental Specialist: Growing up, my mom always made a ton of Christmas cookies and made sure she had a plate to share everywhere we went during the holiday season. This is one of my favorite traditions to get in the holiday spirit!
Isaac Ludwig, Transportation Technical Manager: Eating more food than I can responsibly handle and then playing competitive board games afterward to gather strength for the next assault on the table. UNO is better with custom house rules.
Justin Bradley, CAD Manager: We stopped doing traditional gift exchanges years ago. Now we get communal gifts and play games to determine who gets what. We play gift pong – which is exactly what it sounds like: throw a ping-pong ball into a gift bag and you get what’s in it. We play a game similar to (but legally distinct from) Plinko that we built ourselves. I hide a glass pickle ornament somewhere (not always on the tree), and the person who finds it gets something special. Many other games come and go; last year we did “worst ornament” – whoever brought the worst ornament won all the bad ornaments. For dinner, we usually have a soup-cuterie with several different soups and a variety of bread. Like a charcuterie, but with soup. I really look forward to our unique take on the holidays and what everyone contributes.
Gary Sheets, Operations Manager: Since our kids were young, Santa (aka me) would leave a holiday-themed cover of a hit song from that year. Before anyone could open gifts, someone had to sing the song. Now that the kids are grown, they make their families and friends join in! Some of the most memorable tunes include “You’re Gonna See,” a spin on The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” and “The Real Kris Kringle,” the holiday version of Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady.”
Devon Yochum, Associate Human Resource Business Partner: Every year for the holidays, my parents put a tablecloth on the dining room table that is adorned in messages, drawings, and inside jokes that we’ve written on it over the years. Each year, we add to it, creating a beautiful tapestry of memories and moments that we can look back on, laugh at, and cherish.
Matthew Pierzchala, Senior Architect: Decorating! If it were up to me, our holiday decorations would be up by October, but my wife has made it very clear that would be grounds for divorce. So, we compromise: the second that our Thanksgiving meal is over, it’s officially decorating season in our house. We start the day with the Macy’s Parade and lots of cooking, then enjoy a late (and very carb-heavy—my family’s vegan!) Thanksgiving lunch. Once we finish eating and cleaning up, it’s go-time. Boxes out, music on, and the holiday magic begins.
Is there a holiday movie or song that you must experience to feel like it’s truly the season?
Melissa Colbaugh, Marketing Events Coordinator: “It’s timeeeee” – insert Mariah Carey voice. You must listen to “All I Want for Christmas Is You” to get into the holiday season.
Isaac Ludwig: A Christmas Story. The older I get, the more I understand and sympathize with Ralphie’s parents. One day I hope to win a sleek major award in the mail myself.
Marie Dubois, Administrative Coordinator: The Nutcracker Suite instantly helps me feel that the season has finally arrived. It isn’t just a collection of songs to me, but an entirely sensory experience. From the first notes, I can close my eyes and see Clara’s excitement as the guests arrive, the children’s wonder as the toys appear, the Sugar Plum Fairy drifting across the stage, the Russian dancers bursting with energy, and the Waltz of the Flowers unfolding in full color. The music carries its own enchantment, transporting me to a far-off winter wonderland – and as an added bonus, I can slip into that world anytime of the year.
Justin Bradley: Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
Stewardship
How do you like to give back during the holidays, either through time, donations, or acts of kindness?
Teah Murray: I love gifting and putting time and thought into the perfect items to spread joy during the holidays. I always participate in the Families United Network Gifts for Foster Kids through our Williamsport Office to make their holiday season a little brighter!
Isaac Ludwig: My neighborhood checks in on each other for those needing help frequently, and over the holidays we are extra involved in sharing support.
Matthew Pierzchala: Around this time of year, I make a conscious effort to keep a little cash on hand so I can support people in our community who are struggling. Sometimes that’s donating to the Salvation Army collectors outside the store, other times it’s offering a few dollars or something to eat to someone experiencing homelessness. It’s a small way for me to give back and show care when I’m able.
Has your office or team ever celebrated the holidays in a way that involved helping others?
Melissa Colbaugh: In past years, we’ve “adopted a family” where we would be assigned a family who had a single parent or grandparent raising multiple children in one household. The team would break into teams and focus on buying for each child to give them a great Christmas. We always kept that parent or grandparent in mind too and made a self-care basket to give them because they deserve it!
Devon Yochum: Each year for Christmas, I collaborate with the Families United Network (FUN) to gather gifts for foster children to fulfill their wish lists. FUN drops off about 30 tags, each representing a child and their list, that employees can choose from to essentially sponsor them. This allows the children to experience the magic of the holidays and the kindness of humanity, as every child deserves. Our tradition is always successful and wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of my colleagues in the Williamsport office.
Is there a charitable organization you’re passionate about during the holiday season?
Isaac Ludwig: I enjoy volunteering at our local Meals-On-Wheels facility for early morning food preparation.
Justin Bradley: Four Diamonds has a personal place with my family. Our neighbor passed away from Leukemia when he was 12 years old. That had a big impact on our lives. We donate to Four Diamonds and Thon in his memory every year.
Gary Sheets: There are so many, but Big Brothers and Big Sisters and Twelve Loaves Soup Kitchen are exceptionally meaningful to us during the holiday season.
Work/Life Balance
What’s your favorite way to decompress after a busy project as the year wraps up?
Teah Murray: Spending time with family and relaxing at home is my favorite way to decompress. I love clearing my mind by channeling my creativity into holiday decorating and crafts.
Isaac Ludwig: I enjoy taking the week between Christmas and New Years Day off. It’s a great reset.
Devon Yochum: The winter/holiday season to me is symbolic of rest, reflection, and renewal. Just as nature winds down, conserves energy, and turns inward in preparation for new growth and regeneration come spring, I try to incorporate the same into my personal life and practices. I enjoy writing, drawing, watching movies, and listening to music to decompress and reflect inward.
Matthew Pierzchala: Two words: spa day. It might sound a little cliché, but there’s nothing quite like giving yourself permission to slow down at the end of the year. I always try to plan my project schedules and workload so I can take the week off between the December holidays and New Year—whether that time ends up being for travel, visiting family, or just a chill stay-cation. My wife and I both have birthdays over the holidays, so instead of exchanging gifts, we usually plan some kind of shared experience. Last year, we chose a spa day, and it was incredible. If you’ve never gone before, all I’ll say is: don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!
Do you have a “holiday productivity hack” that helps you stay focused at work?
Isaac Ludwig: Online gift shopping saves a lot of time and stress in preparation for the holiday; this allows a smoother approach to work-life balance during December.
Gary Sheets: Create a single combined “Holiday To-Do + Work To-Do” list. This helps balance project deadlines and gift shopping and holiday events without feeling overwhelmed.
LDG Culture & Employee Ownership
What’s one thing you appreciate most about your team as we wrap up the year?
Teah Murray: I appreciate our ability to laugh together and have friendship both in and out of the office.
Melissa Colbaugh: Starting a new job is never easy and I can honestly say that I’ve felt really welcomed by not only my team but the whole Pittsburgh office since joining LDG last January. That is something that has stood out to me since day one and I’m grateful for that.
Isaac Ludwig: The whole group is relentless in meeting goals and deadlines by end of year. We also stay connected and support each other as needs arise.
Justin Bradley: We’re constantly looking forward. As we look back on the year, we see how far we have come and how much we’ve improved the processes and procedures for both staff and clients. It really makes next year something to look forward to.
Gary Sheets: As we wrap up the year and head into the holidays, I’m grateful for our team’s strong sense of community and family.
Devon Yochum: If I had to pick one (which is hard because there are many things that I appreciate), it would be their genuine care and support of every individual on our team. Not just professionally, but personally. They would do anything for anyone, and it’s comforting to be surrounded by kind humans.
Matthew Pierzchala: I’m lucky enough to be part of two LDG teams, the K12 Studio, which is mostly based in Oklahoma, and the Orlando office. I absolutely love the energy and festivity of the Orlando team. No matter the holiday, the office decorations are always top-notch. With people from so many different departments, disciplines, backgrounds, and specialties, we’re a diverse group, but the office does an amazing job of creating a real sense of togetherness. And with the K12 Studio, the camaraderie is just incredible. Before Thanksgiving, we did a team-building escape room in OKC and had an absolute blast. We split into two groups and raced to see who could escape first, then wrapped up the night with dinner together. I’d highly recommend it to any other team in the firm. And truly, the passion in the studio is something special—we may be a smaller group, but we’re definitely a mighty one.
Just for Fun
If you could spend the holidays anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Melissa Colbaugh: If we could go back in time, I would love to spend another Christmas at my grandma’s house in the early 2000’s. There was nothing like cramming 20+ people into a small house that your grandma raised five kids in. It was always pure chaos with all my cousins packed into one room opening their secret Santa gifts with the “Christmas Story” movie playing in the background on repeat, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Isaac Ludwig: The South Pacific Islands. I’ve always wanted to go someday, so why not when it’s cold in Pennsylvania? I’m certain a strand of Christmas lights in a palm tree on the beach would make me merry and bright.
Justin Bradley: A cabin in the woods/mountains. I think I would enjoy the quiet being surrounded by nature with a shocking amount of snow. A fire to sit by and a HUGE tree to decorate. That sounds like heaven to me. There is something about the quiet of snow that I find very peaceful and relaxing.
Gary Sheets: Anywhere that doesn’t require a snow shovel—as long as I’m surrounded by family and friends, that’s my perfect holiday spot!
Matthew Pierzchala: Being a born-and-raised Ohioan, I’ll always believe the Midwest does the holidays best. Don’t get me wrong—the weather in Orlando this time of year is amazing, and there are multiple holiday festivals every single weekend from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. But no matter how nice it is, shorts, sunglasses, and flip-flops just don’t feel like December to me! We all know the winter “gray” can be a bit much, but you really don’t appreciate the magic of snow until you no longer have it. That’s why we take the family back to Ohio each year—I can’t have my Florida kids growing up without knowing the joy of sledding or snow-fort building!
You can only pick one: holiday party, snow day at home, or a paid “zero-emails” day off?
Teah Murray: Snow day at home! We live in a little log cabin and there’s nothing I love more than a snow day with the wood stove burning, baking, and playing with our yellow lab Charlie.
Isaac Ludwig: Snow days at home are prime time for outside fun. Over the years we’ve achieved a fun-to-urgent-care visit ratio of 20:1.
Gary Sheets: Holiday Party!
Devon Yochum: A paid “zero emails” day off, obviously.
Whether it’s supporting local families, baking treats to share, decorating at home, or reflecting with coworkers who’ve become friends, the spirit of the season shines through our people. Our team’s stories are a reminder that what truly matters isn’t the hustle of the holidays – it’s the moments that bring us together.
From our LDG family to yours, wishing you a cheerful, meaningful, and memory-filled holiday season!
ABOUT LDG
Founded in 1986, LDG is an award-winning, employee-owned architecture, engineering, and consulting firm offering full-service capabilities and a national reach. For nearly 40 years, we have been providing an extraordinary breadth and depth of value-driven solutions to our diverse client base and investing in the sustainable business practices and innovative technologies that allow us to pursue our shared vision: creatively shaping our world. For more information, visit About – Larson Design Group.