They're Gone.....

I woke up this morning all on my own....no thundering of little feet down the wood-floored hallway toward my room accompanied by a voice calling "Grammy, are you awake"?

It's been a wonderful Christmas....different than years past, because I have changed...and that is SUCH a good thing! I'm not saying that I didn't struggle...because I did...and shed tears in mourning what had been in the past.....BUT, in letting go of what had been, I was able to embrace what will be....and my heart is full.

Christmas Eve was difficult.....I wanted to have everyone here with ME....so I cried, and then hightailed it to church for a fabulous candlelight service......to a church new to me, but I had been invited by a fellow (20 year-old) classmate who has the voice of an angel.....and I thought of the angels singing when our Lord was born.....and I sang Him the Happy Birthday song that my Dad and I had sung together on Christmas Eve for so many years....I was so blessed!

Christmas morning began with tears again.....no one was here to share it with me....and I struggled with the waiting until my family arrived.....and it was good.  AND, I decided to go to David's family for dinner that evening....I made Martha Stewart's macaroni & cheese.....they all loved it, and I totally enjoyed myself!  There's something to be said about being a guest rather than a hostess!  I could get used to this...

Boxing Day was fabulous....I had my nearest and dearest here for dinner...and I kept it simple.....good food, good friends, lots of laughs!  I got to have my granddaughters for the next evening and day...along with the 14-week old puppy!  We all piled into my bed for a reading party...puppy included....chaos reigned supreme, but a good time was had by all....

Everyone left yesterday afternoon.....it was a bittersweet moment for me....times have changed....I have changed.....and the time together was ENOUGH....I am older and slower, but also older and wiser.... I am in the process of cleaning up from the debris and detrius left from my family's visit.....AND, I woke up this morning to find two raisins left over from our reading party stuck on the side of my face!