Cherish your Christmas memories!!

A fine good Morning to all my Prim friends....only four days till Santa comes ...where did this year go?
As I sat reading everyones Bloggs this morning as I woke up to face my day... I felt all of the stress coming out in getting ready for all the celebrating we all do at Christmas...
I must have read "I hope I can find the time to get everything done and ready in time....20 times myself included.
Funny isn't it how much we all put on our plate inorder to celebrate the Birth of Christ. We decorate our homes in the perfect splender to suit us, we create Gifts to share and shop, bake and wrap...all the while rushing to make sure we have everything in order come the big day...
It made me think about all the things we take for granite and all the blessings we forget or simply don't notice. What a wonderful time to take a moment to refect on those things as we make ready for all the Christmas celebrating!!
As many of you know Carmen is my daughter..My only child. My only natural Child.. I was a foster parent for all of Carmen's Childhood. Some 23 years and 121 children came and went. Christmas was especially important because many of those kids had never had a real Christmas so I would always find myself going way overboard for them especially for Carmen. I'm sure I found myself stressing too... but I was blessed with so many warm memories of those Christmas past...I don't remember all the stress and kaos.. Thank God.

I no longer have the space to decorate like I used to so I help Carmen decorate her house and get ready for our family get togethers. It's probably the most special time of year for me....spending time with Carmen and her Hubby helping to set the stage for yet another Christmas filled with memories.

I miss decorating like I used to, I miss hearing the kids running around the house and all of the excitement that Chrismas brings... maybe I even miss the stress of those long ago days.

Last year our family was divided and although we did all get together on Christmas Eve, there was no decorating the house and storing that memory together. There was no laughter, no warm fuzzy moments to store away..it was just a painful moment in time that I wish wasn't in my memory bank...

As Carmen, Shane, Tammy and I decorated Carmen's house this year I was reminded that  it isn't all of the decorations, it isn't all of the baking, it isn't all of the gift giving, or that big Christmas dinner we worked hours to serve when everyone arrives..it is being together as a family, loving each other, seeing the sparkle in there eyes when they open a gift they really wanted,it's the laughter and the tears and all of the warm fuzzy memories that you think about when you fall asleep after the big day and somehow you find that all that worry about being ready, or buying the right gift, or wrapping a package just right, or baking enough cookies or serving a perfect dinner or decorating your house was useless because in the end it was all about being with those you love and remembering the reason you got together ...to celebrate Christ Birthday. 

So to all of my Prim friends out there I can't wrap a gift and tuck it under your tree but I can remind you to enjoy all the decorating, even leave it up an extra week as gift to your self to sit back and enjoy, enjoy the baking and while your at it make a box up for yourself to enjoy while you sit back after Christmas and admire your beautiful home and all your decorations, enjoy the shopping and especially the crafting of that special gift..knowing that you are spending time thinking of the people you are buying or creating for and how happy they will be when they open that special package, and while you're at it buy yourself something you deserve it, enjoy cooking that Christmas dinner for family and friends knowing that you will soon sit down as a family together.
You never know when your loved ones might not be there to leave memories in your heart.....so most of all remember to cherish every single moment with those you love this Christmas !!

Christmas Blessings from my house to yours!!
Tonya