Best Holidays Yet!

So if you know me very well, you know that I LOVE the holidays. They are my favorite time of the year and I can hardly wait for them to come. I  love decorating, cooking, baking, shopping, eating, hosting parties, giving presents....just the whole ordeal.  I wish that we could have the holidays all the time.  I love the spirit that is in the air as people seem to be nicer to each other and more kind.  I love the fact that Christ is talked about so much and that we are given the chance to sing praise to him. Nothing beats a Christmas song.  If I still had my own car to drive, I would play Christmas music year round.  The absolute best part of the holidays though is family. I will gladly give up holiday pay at work to be able to spend the holiday with my family.  Nothing beats it and this year was no different. 

I think as we get older that we tend to value the  relationships we have with our families more.  We value the time we can spend with our parents as their age is starting to affect their frail bodies and health concerns abound.  It is hard to only see them every so often and realize that they are getting more frail each day.  I cherish the times I can spend with our parents. I love the father's blessings I can get from my dad.  I love talking to my mom about recipes and laughing at her funny comments.  However, the thought comes to my mind every time we pull away about whether I will see them again.  I wish so bad we were close enough to help them more and take care of them.  I am afraid by the time we finally get there, they might not be around anymore.  So, I value parent time. 

As my children have gotten older and have moved away, I miss them in my home so much.  I know that they have their own lives to live but I wish they were closer.  I am thankful beyond belief for technology that allows me to talk to them everyday.  They all call to say good night every night and that makes me feel a part of them.  I wish I could be there to tuck them in.  Many nights I sneak into Skyler's room after he is asleep to pull the covers up tighter to to kiss his head.  I don't have much longer to be able to do that either as he will be leaving my home this summer.  It breaks my heart but I am so proud of all of them.  How grateful I am that we are able to bring them home for the holidays and have our home full again.  We were so lucky to have them all here this past year and I value it so much. 

Rob and I were talking after Christmas about how this seemed to be one of the best holidays ever.  I can not pin point a reason why but it just was.  I love the noise in  my home  - from the teasing to the laughter to the tears.  I love the excitement in the air as my "old" children still plan ways to get us out of bed on Christmas morning to pen gifts.  They are just like little children.  We had a great Christmas this year as always and the kids seem to be more thankful now that they are older.  They appreciate the sacrifice a little bit more.  They might not, but I would give up all the gifts if I had too just to be able to have them in my home.   To me, Christmas is not about the gifts but about what I can give - to my family, our friends and to our Savior.  It is all worth it in the end to sacrifice so much. 

It was harder this year to tell them all good bye as we have seen each other so much the past few months.  There are no plans on the horizon until June to see each other again although I am sure we will.  I need my fix before then. I think the hardest one was putting Cortnie on the plane all alone to head back to Florida - all alone.  She does not have the luxury of going to see her sister or brother whenever she wants or to hang out with cousins. It was hard too cause at that time she did not know her future.  Her plans for Disney were falling apart and she was not offered a job at the end of her internship.  She really had nothing to go back for but to finish her one week of her internship.  She has since landed a temporary only job which hopefully will turn into full time but that also means she has lost her privileges to go to the parks for free and to get us in.  She goes to work then home to an empty apartment every night.  My heart breaks for her as she tries to understand Heavenly Father's plan for her.  She is applying for graduate schools now which is the last thing she wants to do but feels like she is supposed too.  Many times I have thought about how I would have given up but she continues to press on and to have faith. What an example she is to me. 

I was lucky to get to spend an entire weekend with her in Florida before Christmas.  We had so much fun even though we were dead beat tired.  I am hoping to do it again if she is still there.  I have had and will have some valuable alone time with each of my children this year and it is the best. I feel like my relationships with each of them has grown stronger and stronger.  How grateful I am for that.  I am so thankful for family.  For the best friend I could have ever asked for to be by my side as we make this journey together.  I am grateful that it will last forever and ever and one day we can have our own dream world and mansion.  Many changes are coming our way in the next couple of years if things work out as we would like. I believe we are going to have to draw closer together and work harder together to make it all happen.  I am just so glad  I get to do it with him. 

Cherish each day. Cherish each phone call and laughter and smile and hug.  That is what I have learned as I have grown older.  I am excited for the future and pray that I get to be here for many more years. I still have weddings to plan and grandbabies to hold.  I can't wait!!