Christmas Eve

Its Christmas Eve morning and my family is still sleeping. I have time to myself before the craziness of this and the next few days, begins. I am sipping coffee and Baileys (shocking, I know) and eating a nanaimo bar. Whatever, its Christmas.
We are taking the time to be grateful this year. To appreciate that all that we have is because we work hard to get it and to keep it this way. We also appreciate that it can all change so quickly. We are taking the time to actually be grateful, not just say that we are. We are surrounding ourselves with the people we love, and being grateful for having them in our lives. I don't usually get sappy about things like this, instead I just go and be with the people I love and be grateful in my heart for having all that I have. This year, I feel the need to talk about it. Maybe its the fact that I saw Myrna yesterday again, and I said good bye for the last time. Her last words to me were bon voyage  with a small wave. I choked back heaving sobs so I could say good bye to everyone else, but when I got in the truck...
Maybe its because its Christmas and I love this time of year. I am all about the season, the visiting and cookies and coffee and wine and food and all the visiting. This is the second year in a row that we will wake up at our own house, just us, on Christmas morning. Last year we talked a lot about what we wanted to make into fun traditions and this year its grown into something more. Just like I imagined it would... by the time Maizey is a grown-up I imagine there will be so many traditions that she won't even know which ones she wants to keep for herself and her own family. We've tried to incorporate some from my family and some from Brians, all while making them our own. Some are non-negotiable, like Eggs Benedict for breakfast, others there is wiggle room. We are getting there. This year we added new plaid p.j's for everyone to wear on Christmas Eve. If nothing else, it makes for cute pictures!
I remember Christmas morning when I was a kid, with a whole lotta warmth in my heart. I remember the one year my parents tried to get away with no Eggs Benny and Tyler losing his shit over it. Us Hickey kids takes our Eggs Benedict very seriously. Its funny now, I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time. I remember Christmas Eves with Ron and Trudy, appies, Clam Chowder, opening one present (always the one from Ron and Trudy) and staying up late. Thanks Mom and Pat for making such fun traditions and memories!
My family is awake now and we have a busy day ahead of us. I always say I am going to be more organized, but again, I wasn't. That means we have wrapping, cleaning, cooking and crafting to do.
Merry Christmas Friends! Wishing you all the best!