I’m not a fan of Vince Vaughn, but this year we related to the movie starring him and Reece Witherspoon 😂. Travel and family circumstances made it impossible to have one Christmas with everyone present. It was different, but not necessarily bad. Just…different.
🎄Christmas #1: On Christmas Eve morning we had our own Christmas with just the two of us in our temporary Florida home. We felt a little like snowbirds who winter there. We exchanged gifts and had cinnamon rolls for breakfast. This was the first year we were able to return shirts that didn’t fit…on the same day they were opened. It was a little weird not waiting for Christmas Day, but we enjoyed having a quiet Florida Christmas by our little tree decked out in Harley-Davidson ornaments.
We did enjoy a Christmas Eve service, which is part of our tradition. Tim spoke in both services, and the church had a great turnout of over 1,000 people. I believe this is the highest attendance since the split occurred over a year ago. Hearts are starting to heal, and it was a wonderful night of worship. Immediately after the service we headed out for an all-nighter. We drove straight through to our Texas home so we could see our family on Christmas Day. This is the first time I have pulled an all-nighter like that since…I don’t remember when 😆 . We made a bed in the back of the SUV and I slept for several hours. I also drove for a few hours, so Tim could get some shut-eye.
It was a peaceful ride, as the roads and the sky were both clear nearly all the way home. The stars ✨ ⭐️ 🌟 shone through the moonroof, and the hum of the engine provided a nice rhythm while laying horizontal on our makeshift bed in the back. We got home around 10:00 in the morning and I immediately started cooking.
🎄Christmas #2: Our son’s divorce was finalized this year, and the girls were with their mom for Christmas this year. Bryan brought his girlfriend Gabriella (Bree for short), for lunch with us. It was odd not having all the grandkids together, and not seeing him with the girls, but we were so happy they stopped by. And there were presents, of course.
🎄Christmas #3: Out daughter Elizabeth and her family arrived just about the time Bryan and Bree were leaving. For a fleeting moment it felt like old times 😔 . For the next couple of hours we got to focus on Liz, Anthony, and their kids, and of course watch them open 🎁 presents. I think I can get used to the new “normal” for our Christmas; it was less chaotic having two children instead of four opening gifts. Paige started tearing into presents (that were not hers 😂) before it was time to do so. She has definitely gotten the hang of it! An Einstein piano for Paige, and a Little People track for Gabe, along with a few other things. They loved their new toys!
🎄Christmas #4: At the end of the day, Maggie brought the girls over and we enjoyed seeing them open gifts as well. Frozen is the theme of the year, as it is Alison’s favorite. Hannah is the sister, so she gets all things Anna, while Alison gets Elsa. They seem to make it work, and they typically get along well. They know how to open presents 🎁! I love those girls! Maggie had them for Christmas this year, and they will rotate holidays from hereon, so Bryan will have them on Christmas Day next year. We are so glad Maggie has chosen to keep us in her life. We love her; although she is no longer married to our son, we still consider her our “daughter-in-love.”
Whew! That was quite a day! It was fun but I am so glad it is over. It was different because I truly enjoy having the whole family together. Yet, in some ways it is a bit easier to manage as we could focus on one family at a time. I suppose we will get used to this new normal. One thing I would like to try within the next year is to have all the grandkids together for a picture with Nana. I am hopeful we can accomplish this task! Now…time for bed!
Á la prochaine…until next time!