Wrapping it Up with Better Days

It seems almost pointless to write about our Christmas Day as it’s like…so last year. And yet I still find myself starring at a blank computer screen trying to find the perfect words to express my feelings.

I can’t find them.

It has been an unusually hard year. I can’t remember a time when I’ve had such constant raw emotion, and as the year rapidly rushed to an end, it all built up too quickly and I broke down.

I miss my family. I miss the warmth that came at Christmas dinner when we all gathered around the table, passing dishes of vegetables and helpings of Christmas ham. I miss the stories that were shared and the laughter that always followed. I miss everyone gathering around the tree to open presents, one by one. I miss the energy, the enthusiasm, the happiness that ignited when we all came together. I took these moments for granted growing up, and as an adult I see the importance in embracing one another and creating traditions. While I have a little family of my own and strive to follow in such family traditions passed down from the great ones before me, geography creates an issue. Geography creates a hole-- a 2,000 mile wide hole.

And with the days leading up to Christmas, I mustered up all the Christmas spirit I could get my hands on and took my family to see the lights in Bricktown. The town was gorgeous with every tree adorned with hundreds of twinkling lights.

Just seeing their eyes shine as bright as the lights themselves as we walked down the canal made the loneliness subside. Because no matter how far apart we are from family, we’re never alone. I carried Nana with me that night. I imagined myself pointing at the lights and the festive decorations saying, “Nana, look at that one! Isn’t that pretty?!” And she would say, “Oh yes, that’s beautiful Darling!”

Krysta said, “Mom, it’s like thousands of fairies!”

It’s moments like these that make bundling up your babies and strolling out in below freezing weather totally worthwhile.

Strolling down the brick lanes of Bricktown is defiantly going to be a yearly tradition while we’re stationed at Tinker AFB.

She constantly gives him all kinds of lovings… and William wants nothing to do with smooches.

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Some friends of ours gave us the heads up on another festive outing, so there was no hesitation to throw the kids in their jammies and caravan through a drive-thru light show.

Ron and I were digging the patriotic themed light displays.

And the Great Debate of the night: Is this a reindeer or a bunny? And is this reindeer/bunny taking a poo?

You be the judge.

I love these spontaneous family outings. It’s all about embracing the little things and living in the moment, all while sharing it with the ones you love, even if they can’t physically be with you, tuck them inside the pouch in your heart --you know, the sparkly one that’s always expanding, the one that always has room for more, the one that’s never too small or cramped--  so they stay with you always.

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William’s two year old molars decided to give him few problems on Christmas morning; he was so miserable that he wanted nothing to do with partaking in the gift giving. In fact, it took him two days to unwrap his gifts.

Krysta on the other hand ripped through her gifts like there was no tomorrow. She was on Cloud9!

There’s nothing more soul satisfying than seeing your babies 100% content, full of excitement and anticipation.

It’s a new year with a blank slate, a book of blank pages with chapters begging to be written. As we start 2012, I wish everyone a year of adventure and bliss that fills your book from cover to cover. We can’t wait to see what this year brings us— to fill in our life’s next chapter. It’s going to be awesome.

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive- to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love-then make that day count!”
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free


Much Love,
Em