Holiday moments to remember

Welcome all to 2009! The end of last year (boy, does that feel weird saying!) was a wild roller coaster that I'm still recovering from.

We braved the weather & traveled to have a fun Christmas Eve with Hubby's relatives;

Then Christmas morning we opened presents & had a breakfast casserole (prepared by Hubby this year) at our house (when immediate family is invited to join each year to share Christmas morning with us).

That was followed by massive amounts of presents & a delicious dinner at my parent's with my family.

I've never met anyone who does Christmas like my parents, especially for ten people including kids, grandchildren, my great-aunt & grandmother. Check out the fifteen stockings hung from the fireplace. Santa had his work cut out for him!

Surprisingly three of my siblings (plus a few significant others), almost all the grandchildren, a few of my uncles, & my grandma even joined us.

Let me say as the oldest of five, that it is no easy feat to get three or more of my siblings & I (plus significant others & kids) in the same place at once (especially with two siblings out-of-state). Unfortunately that's common these days with a large family.

There was a moment between my youngest sister & Grandma where they were both laughing so hard. Looking back, remembering my Grandma so happy, makes me especially thankful for the wonderful last memory of her. Little did I know it would be our last one with her.

We then went to my oldest brother's for the weekend (where most of the family met us there) to celebrate Christmas there with them as well since they couldn't make it up.

The kids had a fabulous time together, especially when everyone played hide-and-seek with them in very unique spots!

A few days after Christmas, Hubby & I went to a Broadway show with my sister-in-law & her Hubby, compliments of in-laws. What a great Christmas present! The show & music was amazing.

The night before New Years Eve, we were getting ready for the big night when a cannonball dropped on us. My mother called about midnight with news that my Grandma had passed away that evening in her in her sleep at 82 years old. I was devastated (as were other family members) & fell apart. Yes, she lived a long life & went peacefully & I'm thankful for that; but her health was improving so much that nobody expected it. Then again I guess nobody really does. How were we supposed to celebrate the new year at a party? I tried to block it out temporarily but thoughts of her kept me crying all night & throughout the day as we got ready for the party (which we already paid tickets for). The next morning my eyes were so puffy that they it looked like I was getting silicon implants in my eyelids! Did you know it is easier to apply eyeliner when you're eyelids are swollen? Oh yes!!!

After we dropped Son & Daughter off at my folks (who welcomed the distraction) on New Years Eve day, we drove to the city with my youngest brother & his girlfriend where we met my sister-in-law, her Hubby & their friends. There I managed to forget for a while, dance & enjoyed a fun evening out. That was until after the midnight toast when I made the mistakes of having three shots of tequila, all within 30 minutes! For the third or fourth time in my life, the last few hours were a blur. Definitely not the smartest thing I've done, so obviously I won't be repeating anytime soon. All in all though, it was a great night laughing & dancing with family & friends.