Wish.

Each year for Christmas, my family has it's Christmas party...pretty much like every other family in the universe (of course, I'm ignoring all those that don't celebrate Christmas...but, whatevs). Almost everyone I know, talks about how their family Christmas parties are the best...but, they are just plain wrong. You may have lavish games, huge gifts, loads and loads of people...but you're obviously missing one thing: humility. My family celebrates Christmas by appreciating each other. At the end of the day, we don't always walk away with the best gifts, but the best laughter and the best memories. Every year there is one memory that stands out the most. There hasn't been a Christmas yet where I've thought to myself "now wait, what happened last year?" because I always know.

 

This is Mason's first Christmas with us. Can I just say, he totally improved the day :).





This is a tradition that goes back...well, at least 25 years. A friend of the family (who is incredibly sweet and totally aware of all of this) always always ALWAYS gets my grandmother and my aunts dish towels for Christmas. And every year it's a huge deal when they all get together and open to boxes to see just WHAT designs will be on everyone's towels and, for the most part, they are able to trade. You can probably see by the look on Sheena's face (the one on the far right) that this year, all the towels matched and trading will be pointless :).



This is a tradition that isn't nearly as old as the dish towel ceremony but probably more important. My Great Grandfather (Carleton...look for his name in pending babies names :) ) passed away when I was 14. Every year we light a lilac scented candle in his honor, wish him a Merry Christmas and set his picture where he can watch us all open gifts. Each year, a new person lights the candle. This year all of his daughters lit the candle together. From left to right: Kim, Paulette, Nyoka (my grammie!) and Sheena.



Probably the most important thing to remember: we can take nothing seriously. We've been doing this for 11 years now, it's become routine. Great Grampa would love to see us all laughing- especially in his memory. This was the man who gave me my first (and last) chew of tobacco, the man who put whisky on my gums to calm my colic, the man who taught me how to ride a motorcycle and the man who taught us all the 3 most important words in the english language: pull my finger. Merry Christmas Grampa. We love you <3

[caption id="attachment_142" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Time is for dragonflies and angels. The former live too little and the latter live too long."][/caption]

I met this face almost 3 years ago, went straight home and begged my husband for a baby. We started our quest for a face like hers to grace our home 4 months later. Absolutely one of the funniest and sweetest (and probably the cutest!) babies I know :).





This is supposed to be a photo of my cousin Julia...but it's really Nicki holding up her phone. Julia moved to NC this year and was missed terribly at the Christmas party. We are all SO beyond proud of her for taking such a huge, life changing leap and moving away to find a better life for herself! Nicki made a video to send to Julia and I told her I'd take her picture so, here she is!



This, ladies and gentlemen, is the family matriarch. The, queen bee, if you will. This lady is the sauce that holds us all together: my Great Grandmother. There are times when I think about how awesome my life has been, all the things I've seen, all the things I will see...and then I think about her. She lived through the depression. She lived through the 50's (she saw I Love Lucy when it was first on TV!) she was alive when Kennedy was shot, when John Lennon was shot, when Hitler died, when Elvis died and when Marilyn Monroe died. She saw man first walk on the moon, she's seen the computer go to a room sized device, to a hand held device. She watched Shirley Temple movies, Gone With The Wind, and Snow White when they first came out! She was alive during Wood Stock, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the invention of the microwave...oh what a life she's seen. She has so many amazing stories to tell. She's a mainah through and through: she calls her skin "hyde". Our favorite "Mary" quote is "I can't get a purchase on it!" and the woman can cook a MEAN chocolate cream pie ;).



At the end of the eating, exchanging gifts, looking at photos...we always have a yankee swap. By the end of it, I ended up with an electronic dart board and Matt got some martini glasses. I won't lie, the gifts are never extravagant. We have a $10 limit. If we walk away with anything less than laughing till we almost pee ourselves, it wasn't worth it.



 

I wish my family the merriest of Christmas's.

A baby making update tomorrow.