Christmas 2011. Part 1.

After so much back and forth travel from Phoenix to Temecula we were (are) so tuckered out.  So when our invitation to celebrate Christmas at our home was warmly accepted by the whole family we were so relieved to not be packing our suitcases and schlepping a restless toddler 500+ miles.  Also, hosting gave me the momentum to really get some boxes unpacked and a few decorations up.  It was simple but festive.  Since we know have a guest room, it was extra special to have our families stay with us.  Between 11 days of family and 2 celebrations we had one bustling holiday.  It really made our place feel like home...oh how we miss them now that they are gone.

This year was different, momentously.  I was excited to host, it felt very "adult" to be pulling together menus, grocery shopping for big family style meals and preparing our place for visitors.  At our seaside place the only place to crash was the sleeper sofa.  So I hope this felt extra luxurious that our family would now also have their own room and bathroom.  Oohlala!  I hadn't posted our holiday photos yet, but for documentations sake I thought I would.  The memories were warm but I can't help but can't stop the feeling that something major is missing when I look through all the photos.

The only was I could describe it was that this Christmas felt thick with memories of holidays past.  I reminisced a lot about childhood Christmas'.  I fondly looked back on last Christmas but was sad when I realized it was my/our last one with my mom.  I tried to remember all the traditions we had.  I kept a few going...new Christmas jammies for Chloe to wear on the eve.  There is nothing like waking up in new cozy pj's to sit around the tree.  And we popped our tradition holiday crackers.  Does anyone else do these? They are so festive!  Next year I vow to make my mom's traditional prune cakes and Mock Toffee, truly the best, flaky, gooey, chocolate deliciousness you've ever had.  I just couldn't do it this year.  (Although, my dear friend Jolynn mailed me a batch, it totally warmed my heart.)

The strange thing about losing someone so dear, is that out of nowhere memories come flooding in...you relive the past with such vivid memory, the good and the bad.  It is a rollercoaster.  I can't decide if I want off or if the best way to grieve is to roll through it, one day at a time.  What I can say for sure is, we are truly blessed with a wonderful family.  Having them with us and showering Chloe with attention was something I always cherish.

So, here we all are, a few weeks back.  Enjoy the tons of photos. 

Hangin' with Foxy.

Oh, these two are so sweet!

Our little bloom, on her second Christmas.

My sister cooked us up an amazing feast.

One of these days, we will get ourselves a bigger dining table.  It was cozy.

Kisses from Tia.

 

  

AJ busted out his classic Route 66 shirt, that he now wears for every holiday.