The days after...

Hope you all had a terrific Christmas.

Everyone got into the action at my house, even the dog!

From the Christmas Eve candle light service

to the snowy, foggy Christmas Eve goodnights, it made for a wonderful and peaceful holiday at the Balliett homestead.

Jaden literally spent the entire DAY opening presents!

I love having my immediate family around me. Watching my grandson enjoy his Christmas day made me yearn for the times we spent growing up. We would spend Christmas Eve at my Granny’s house and Christmas Day and my Grandma Kay and Grandpa Jr.’s farm. I loved that place and them. I spent a LOT of time there, as child-it was my own Terabithia.

Grandpa was like a dad to me when I was very young, I think of him often. Grandma Kay is spending her last days not recognizing anyone and Gran, well we have the same conversation every week and I’m sure she forgets that I’ve called as soon as she hangs up. During our talks though, there are nano-moments of clarity when she knows everything, including that she doesn’t know anymore.

Everyone’s days of youth disappear, so I believe we should grasp those rare moments of recollection with our future generations every moment we can. And those are the moments, like this Christmas with Jaden that I cherish most. And, I hope you are all able to, somehow, do the same.

We are gearing up for the annual New Year’s celebration now.

Christmas decorations won’t come down until after the first and we pull a wingding of an all-nighter at our house.

Every kid has his or her own bottle of Welch’s sparkling grape juice, white or red, their choice. Plates of hoity-toity appetizers such as lil’ smokey’s, cheese cubes, grapes, pickles, stuff Ivana Trump’s mouth would water for. We play rough and tumble games like Yatzee, Poker, Catch Phrase, Wii, Hand & Foot (you think I’m kidding about the rough and tumble-one hasn’t lived until they’ve survived game night at the Balliett’s-it’s cutthroat). We count down the old and in the new with shouts, fireworks, lots of I love you, hugs and kisses. Yes, we Ballietts do it up right.

It seems we do it so right, that this year, my teenager’s friends have decided that we are the house to be at when they ring in their new year. I love it! Even my recently married daughter and her husband are coming over to celebrate the New Year with their family. Even Meg has a long time friend who has decided to bring her fiancé and spend the evening with us. Who’d have thought the newlyweds would chose to celebrate the New Year’s party at the ‘parents’ house?

You won’t catch me complaining, I’m just grateful.

May your new year be overfilled with blessings!

Love,