Merry Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas, everybody! I hope you are all having a wonderful morning filled with love and laughter!

This Christmas I am reminded of how blessed I am. I'm surrounded by people I love and we are eating such delicious food! It truly is great having a day relaxing with my family and getting to spend some quality time with them.

My family is pretty big on traditions. Since before I can remember, we have done the same thing every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving is spent with my mom's side of the family and Christmas is spent with my dad's. Every Christmas morning, my family wakes up early and all gather in my parents room. My sister and I descend the stairs together so that we can both experience the surprise of all the presents. We sit in the same seats every year around the tree and we always start with the stockings. Stockings consist of makeup, candy and jewelry. We then go around the room exchanging gifts to each other. We sit in anticipation for each gift because each one is always so thought out. There's usually cheering as someone opens an especially exciting gift! 

After all the gifts are open, we put on a fashion show of everything we got. There's lots of Ooooing and Ahhhing. We eat breakfast and get ready for the day. We head to my Grandma Kitt's house for Christmas part 2! The present pile at her house is absolutely massive! We open presents here and spend the day relaxing with family and end the day with a feast!

I love Christmas. I love our traditions. I love my family.

This year's Christmas is a little different for us. 

It is the first Christmas since we lost my grandma. It has almost been a year since she passed. I still miss her just as much as I did then. I miss her everyday but especially today. There is a hole in our Christmas without her. I miss her laugh and her smile as we would open presents from her. I miss her stubbornness when we would try to get her to sit down and stop working in the kitchen. I miss her hugs. I miss her stories. I miss her influence in my life. 

Christmas is different this year without her. Our traditions are all thrown out the window. This family is going to have to find new traditions. I pray our new normal is as good as our old normal. 

As for today, I'm going to love on my family and be thankful for everything I have! I'm also going to wear a super cute outfit I know Grandma Kitt would be proud of.

God Bless you all! Merry Christmas!

(Photos from tumblr.com)