A Very Blessed Life

By the time this posts (it is scheduled) all the paper will have been torn from gifts, food consumed, hugs and laughs along with memories shared and new ones made.   But right now it is early morning, just me, the cats, my dog, a hot cup of coffee, Christmas music, Christmas candle burning, and the first toast from my new toaster eaten.  Outside was a glorious sunrise with lots of color, fitting for such a glorious day!

My honey is working until noon, then he will bring his kids home and we’ll open presents with them.  Last night we visited my daughter at her house to exchange gifts with her, my son-in-law (soon to be) and his son, my soon to be new grandson.  We had dinner and enjoyed some laughs, and made the first memories I’ll have in my daughter’s home.  I don’t have adequate words for the feeling in my heart as I watched my daughter cooking dinner in her kitchen with her honey chatting with mine in the living room, her dogs moving about, and just the feeling of seeing before me my baby, all grown up now, a woman with a career and family.  This child I carried within me, I knew her personality before anyone else did, she knew my voice before she knew anyone else’s and the way time has flown from the toddler in diapers crawling across a huge gift to open it.  Seems like just yesterday.

My son will be over later with his beautiful wife, my spunky, 8 year old, red-headed granddaughter and my grandson who turns 1 on the day after this special day.  Again, the memories I have of him, just a little blond toddler, clapping that he got the My Buddy doll he wanted, and how Buddy would go everywhere with us for quite some time after that.  This little boy that I also carried in my body as he grew, I knew his personality as well, and he too knew only my voice for many months, all grown up now.  A husband, dad to the little red-head before having one of his own, yet thanks to himself having a wonderful step-dad to set the bar, she is very much his baby girl.  And again, there are no words to do justice to what it did to my mother’s heart last December 26th when his wife gave birth to their son, and standing there seeing my son holding his son and watching him with his daughter, suddenly I loved that boy more than I ever imagined a mother could love a child.

I sit here at the table, looking around this beautiful home that is now mine, shared lovingly by the man who I love so very much.  A home he purchased with the hope of finding me to share it with one day.  My step-mom tiara is all dusted and shined up, and once again I wear it proudly half of the week when his kids grace this home with their smiles, laughter, and yes bickering as kids do.   This home that welcomed me, and my cats and dog.  A man who teases me and makes me laugh daily, and had no problem at all with my putting up and decorating 2 large Christmas trees.  And then a smaller one his daughter decorated, and the Charlie Brown one on the table.  There isn’t a Scrooge bone in his body, he is like a fun, big kid and enjoys the holidays.  I honestly never thought I’d be able to love again as intensely as I love this man, my Knight, but what a wonderful surprise to find out my heart still had so much more to give.  Even more, to discover what it feels like to truly be loved by someone in return.

Over the weekend my sister and I went shopping, both of us had all of our shopping to do yet.  I miss her and the others in the Diva Den.  We had so much fun and laughed so hard we nearly pee’d our jeans.  Crowds and chaos didn’t phase us one bit, we were too happy and having too much fun to let anything annoy us.  I may not have a lot of money, but I will find things that folks want if I can.  In search of a toilet paper holder, the kind that stands in the bathroom and can hold multiple rolls including one ready for use, and then marching through the stores carrying this item like we were leading a parade.  Hey, it’s what my daughter said they needed.  She spent hours trying to locate a butter dish for me, finding only a hideous ‘french porcelain’ one for $50 before calling me and learning I’d be tickled to have a toaster because I don’t own one.  Her sharing her tales of finding these items cracked me up and made it even more precious to me to have a 2 slice toaster on my counter this morning while I munched peanut butter on toast!  Believe me, I am delighted in life with the little things.

In my quest for the perfect gifts, I bought my honey something I heard him lament not having the money to purchase on several occasions, drum lessons.  He plays well, having both an electric and acoustic set, but he wants to play better.  So, I tucked that into a file drawer in my brain months ago as the perfect idea for Christmas.  Took some mental rummaging as this 50 year old brain has a bit of a messy system up in the old noggin, but I found it and bought them.  But how do you wrap a gift certificate for  man who loves to joke around?  Why in a Snuggie box of course!  See, he has said it a few times he will NEVER own a Snuggie.  Me, I’m a 3x over, card carrying member of that cult so I find it hilarious that he feels this way.  While shopping I came across a prank gift box.  It was too priceless NOT to purchase and use to wrap the certificate in.  I stuffed it full of balled up tissue paper to give it some weight, but the box, oh it is a priceless one.  A family size one, large enough to cover an SUV it says.  The family size Blankeez that is so wide it covers 2 sofas!  Yes that was it!  The look on his face will no doubt have been worth the few bucks to purchase this prank box.

We will head over to my mom’s with the rest of the family later today.  I look forward to this as I have this past year realized my parents won’t be around forever.  Of course I ‘know’ this but it is settling in as I see dad in a nursing home and mom undergoing chemo for the next 5.5 months, and how hard this first few weeks have been on her.  The part I love about Christmas is not all the gifts, but the people.  I love being around my crazy family so much!  Each quirky, unique soul is deeply loved and treasured by me, and any time we spend together is fantastic to me.  I have great memories of childhood with them, and so many more that were made over the years.

Yes, I really do have a wonderfully happy and blessed life.  You cannot buy what I have in a store, there is no return policy or store credit for any of it, and I’d never change a single minute.  The good, the not so good, the joy and pain, it is all part of what makes up this marvelous life I’ve been given.

2014 is so full of surprises and fun, I cannot wait!