Christmas Time is here!

Do you know what I love about Lindberg Field? Free Wifi! Why don’t all airports have this? It is nearly 2012 for goodness sakes! DFW doesn’t have it, which is bizarre since it is a gigantic airport! I think I might have to write a strongly worded letter to the powers that be. At any rate, at least I am set up here, on the first leg of my Christmas journey. For the next couple of hours I can browse the World Wide Web rather than buying an overpriced magazine to pass the time. 

I am so excited to be going to Fort Worth, Texas to see my family for Christmas. Tim and Malee live there and since they just had Isla two months ago we are traveling to them rather than our usual rendezvous up in Idaho which is where my mom and dad and Tony and Jenn are. Every other year we do Christmas together. The off years, my siblings go see their in-laws and I crash some random friend’s Christmas Day. It ends up being kind of lame for me. No offense to my wonderful hosts! I have spent time at Brooke and Charley’s house and at Ben and Tricia’s house, and they have all been wonderful! I am so thankful for friends who care enough about me to take me in. So, while I am not home alone moping those years or anything I have to admit, the “family year” is by far superior! 

Over the years we have done some pretty fun things for Christmas. The year that Tony and Jenn got married (today is their anniversary by the way - 10 years!) we all went on a Sleigh Ride with real Clydesdales and sipped hot cocoa, the sleigh took us to a dinner theater that featured Prime Rib and Christmas Carolers, the backdrop was picturesque - snow covered Rocky Mountains. It was the most Christmassy of Christmas things to do! Another year, we had a gingerbread house decorating competition with adults and the kids which was tons of fun, we have some good pictures from that. Food is also a big part of the Holidays for us. Jenn went to culinary school, mom baked for restaurants and Malee and I just love to be in the kitchen. So when we all get together it gets a little out of hand. I think we all go home about 10 pounds heavier than we arrived. Every year we try to pace ourselves and scale back a bit, but it never works. Somehow we end up surrounded by delicious treats! I am sure this year will be no different. I am already thinking of cinnamon rolls for breakfast and eggnog cheesecake for dessert, and mom has already said “oooh, doesn’t this look good?” about more than one recipe that she wants to try! I think our love language is feeding people!

As much as I love spending Christmas with my family, I have to say, I am particularly looking forward to this trip. I feel like it will be the Christmas we missed two year ago. Two years ago, we all had tickets to go to Fort Worth and in October, my dad was diagnosed with throat cancer. He underwent several weeks of radiation. So instead of flying to Tim and Malee’s house, we flew home to Idaho since my dad was too sick to travel. Over Christmas, my dad was in the middle of his treatment. It was horrible. He was thin and weak and sick and we were scared. As much as we wanted to be with him at this time, I have to say, seeing him like that was the hardest thing I have ever gone through. In fact, I am totally tearing up right now thinking back to that whole ordeal. It ended up being the un-Christmas. I think we were all kind of trying to enjoy the holiday but it just fell short and we were just appreciating the fact that we were together, but that’s about it. 

Fast forward two years. My dad no longer has his own voice box BUT he is cancer free and back to his normal self. So this year will be the Christmas we should have had! It will be even better though. My niece, Ashton is four, which is a fun age for presents and other Christmas festivities. She is old enough to really be making memories which is great! I am sure Tony and Jenn have been talking this trip up to her because I am totally on her radar right now. She has called me four times in the last three days - just to talk. (Which is kind of awesome!) So I am looking forward to sleepovers and fun bonding time with her. I also get to meet my new baby niece, Isla. I CAN’T WAIT to hold the little squishy! All the pictures I have seen are so cute I can hardly stand it! 

So anyway, now that you have sat with me through my nostalgic ramblings about my family and the holidays (it’s my blog and I will talk about what I want to!) I am going to shut my laptop and board a plane. Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!!!