Tis the Season...

To feel all alone!

I know, i shouldn't feel like that. and truly, i'm not alone at all, but Christmas is a time wtih Family, and My family lives to far away for me to be able to visit. it involves taking time off work and affording a plane ticket to get over there, and making sure someone can pick me up and take me back to the airport, from the crazy mountains of Idaho. I wish it were easier to visit my family. I miss them SO MUCH!! I haven't seen them since my brothers graduationin May, and that's SO LONG ago!! before this economy tanked, I was able to visit them 3-4 times a year.. and now, i'm lucky if I make it over there once!

Christmas is a holdiay i LOVED when I lived at home. every year, I would always pull a small branch from the tree, usually one of the one's my step-dad cut off, and I would put it in my room. I would add tinsel, and a lil tree skirt around it, and i had my own personal christmas tree. around 15 years old, I got a 12" fake tree from Michaels crafts and some mini ornaments and set it up in my room for the whole Christmas season!!

My brother would sleep in my room and in the morning when we woke up, it would still be dark outside and we would race out into the living room, so excited to see the tree FILLED with presents!! my parents never even put out their presents to us until christmas night, so it was always a beautiful sight to see!! One year, my brother and I even found a small present for each of us, under the tiny tree in my room!! the rule in our house, and still is the rule, is that you can open your stocking, but absolutely NO presents until mom and dad are both up, and awake and have their coffee!! that year, there was a note saying we could open the lil presents before they were awake, and boy was my little brother thrilled!!

I still remember the first christmas after I went away to college. I came home from college for a month at Christmas time. My lil sister was about 2 and a half, and all three of us kids piled together in one room to sleep for the night. Caleb and I woke up first, of course, and like usual, it was still super dark outside, but morning time nonetheless. We peeked out the bedroom down the hall and could see the lights from the tree reflected off the walls in the living room. I remember Caleb trying to be quite, but wake Marra up at the same time. and all three of us ran out to the living room! the look on my little sisters face was amazing!! it was innocent and precious!! just the way it should be!!

the last few years, not being home for christmas, have been extremely rough. I miss my family, I miss seeing my brother and sister, I miss the tree, the breakfast, the wrapping paper everywhere.. most of all, I miss the super quite time I got to spend in the dark part of the morning with my brother and sister, opening our stockings and just hanging together!

This year, i'm trying to make the most of what I have!! I have a fantastic boyfriend and will be spending the day with him and his family. Christmas eve, we are having our second annual Christmas Party, and i'm super excited to spend the time with friends and just relax for the holidays!! it will be an awesome time, and I will enjoy every minute of it. at the end of the day, i will still miss my family, but I will see them soon!!

That's all for today...
Peace and Good JuJu to You,
Holly