Christmas

I am so blessed.  I spent yesterday surrounded by family and friends, and will again today.  I am missing my dad who died this year and my aunt who died a few years ago.  She loved Christmas so much.  She used to watch the newspaper for the holiday TV specials guide and mail it to me when the kids were little (keeping a copy for herself.)  If she had had a DVR, I'm sure she would not have been able to record anything on it all year as it would have been full of Christmas movies and shows.  Her daughter who is my sister-cousin and my mother and sisters and brother all love Christmas, too.  It represents our wonderful family times together.  It will be hard this year on all of us as we celebrate later today at my mom's house.  I feel my father's absence even as the hours of our get together approach.

It's a strange Christmas morning as Ed is working and my big kids are sleeping still.  I'm having coffee and enjoying a pumpkin roll that our friend Jan left in a package at our door. I'm also working on my Christmas mailing list since I don't have my letters mailed yet.  Every year I have to redo or reformat my list, it seems.  Unfortunately, this year I have to remove more names, my Uncle Hugh and Aunt Audrey.  What a happy childhood I had due to the caring relatives I had.  I have many cousins who I am proud to claim as family.

God bless us--every one.  Merry Christmas!