Don't Let The Kids Near The Gum Drop Tree....

So, Christmas is over and New Years is almost here. I cannot believe another year has come and gone.IT blows my mind to think back on this one year and how far it's taken me. So much has happened. God has molded me SO MUCH! But, I will leave that for another blog in time. lol.

IF there were one thing/place I would want to be and have near me it would be anywhere really, as long as it were with all of my family. I am reminded frequently of the Sara Groves song that says,"I wish that all those I loved the most could gather in one place. And know each other and love each other well." I think as I get older I realize more and more how little time I think I really have with those I love. WE are all spread apart, living our own lives. And it makes me sad to think about all the phases of each persons life I miss out on seeing. I don't get to watch those I love grow up, grow old, or just mature in other ways. I wish I could do that. I wish all of my family were always together. THat would be nice. I got a glimpse of what that would be like this Christmas break. It was a good feeling! I really enjoyed it. This was the first time it has REALLY felt like Christmas in a while. And, well, it was a special Christmas in my heart. I am not really sure why. But, I pray I have many more just like it. And that God blesses me with all of my family being together again like He did this year. It went by too fast.

I love Christmas. I love the many things you can grow to expect around this time of year. My Gran always breaks out the gum drop tree, the santa that plays symbols, the red bird tree, etc...I have seen all of these things in her house since I was little. And it wouldn't be Christmas without them!!! I love how on Christmas Eve my Grandaddy always tells the lamest jokes, like,"I think I hear jingle bells, we better all go to bed or Santa won't stop here. He won't stop unless we are asleep". Haha. My Grandaddy still tells that joke. Even though we are all old and know Santa is not real.He even got out the little Strawberry Short Cake telephone this year and rang Santa up and turned to me and goes,"Santa says you have been bad this year..." haha. I love it!WE all gather around the piano and sing Christmas carols. We read the Christmas story. Christmas Eve we all sleep in pallets on the floor in the dining room. ANd the doors are all shut. My brother usually for some reason thinks it is funny to roll over us and squish us. We are always pretty hyper and we talk and laugh. I like change sometimes. But, I love routine. Especially on holidays. I love being able to look forward to certain things. I love thinking of Christmas and going,"Oh, I can't wait until my Grandaddy tells his lame joke." Or,"I can't wait to eat the coffee cake Gran makes ever Christmas Day morning." Yeah, I guess I am cheesy like that.

The picture above is of all of us sleeping on our pallets on Christmas Eve. It is a tradition. I got to see my brand new baby cousin Cooper. I also got to see Cousin Rachel for the second time. I hadn't seen her since she was four months old. She was so adorable!She is busy.And, she has the cutest smile. I included picture of my cousins and my family. I will explain this: My dad got some "bling" from my Uncle Jay (his brother). And, So, he put it on and I took a picture. I told him to make his "bling face" though. haha.

I miss my family already. I wish I were back there hanging out and enjoying their company. I am afriad it won't be long before things just won't be like this anymore. ANd that is a relization you have to come to as you get older. But one that is hard to accept!