Christmas 2010
(Deep breath).....you may have noticed that I haven't blogged in a little while, I think it's because I knew this next blog would be a difficult to write....sometimes it's hard to find the words.... but if I had to describe this past Christmas in one word....it would be Bittersweet....
While it was important to carry on, try to be mature adults, and spend time with loved ones....it was still really hard knowing that we wouldn't be celebrating with Mom Starr. It almost seemed in a way that the innocence of Christmas was partly gone~because I realize it now..... Mom's Make Christmas.
But, with my angel in heaven (my mother in law) and my angel on earth (my momma) we got through it...somehow. I know with time, creating happy times will hopefully be easier...but this past year, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard.
My Grandparents are really something special... 7 Children, 9 Grandchildren, and as of (this evening, Christmas Eve) 3 Great Grandchildren. Christmas Eve has always equaled Grandpa Jim and Grandpa Jane, I've never known anything different. We always have dinner (usually mexican food), open gifts, take a family photo, and make fun of each other all night ~it's a pretty great tradition. And after a long night of festivities my Grandpa still manages to make it to Midnight Mass to sing.
And here's the gang....well some of them, we're missing 14 people in this photo... you may notice my sweet Justin isn't in the photo, he had left Christmas Eve early that night...he just wasn't feeling it...but I did gain a "Starr" in the photo ~my brother in law...Shannon. Shannon was able to experience a "Casa Grande Christmas Eve".... and he survived.
And although our family keeps getting bigger, somehow our Christmas' keep getting smaller...maybe we can all be together this year at Easter, or perhaps plan a family reunion this summer, or maybe come up with a new way to celebrate Christmas so that everyone can be together.
Christmas Morning at the Norris House:
We always stay over at Mom and Dad's home, and this year so did Shannon. Mom made a lovely breakfast and my Granny Morris and my uncle Gene came down as always, to celebrate with us. It was a busy, crazy kind of morning because we had a flight to catch. Although I know Mom and Dad weren't crazy about us flying out to New York on Christmas day...they were supportive.
Mom always make sure everything is decorated so beautifully and makes her home so warm and cozy.
I was very excited to give my parents their big gift from me and Justin this year. We had all of their old vhs tapes transferred over to discs and put on a hard drive. This was one of my 101s, which I'm so excited I was able to complete. It was a big project, but I love the joy it brings my parents to view all of their most precious memories.
The Morris/Norris crew in all our morning glory....even though we were in a mad scramble....rushing out the door at full speed (as Justin, Shannon, and I had a plane to catch) I made everyone stop and smile, perhaps it's not a family shot that we will ever hang on the wall, but it sure was a moment.
Christmas Night with the Starrs:
We had decided this year, in an effort to try and make things less sad, that we would go away on a trip this year. So me and "the boys"...Shannon, Trevor, and Justin spent Christmas in New York City. We knew that although this year would be dramatically different, it was important to be together as the family even though we didn't do any of our regular "traditions".
We enjoyed our "Christmas" dinner at the famous Stage Deli, where the sandwiches were a mile high and there we famous autographed head shots all over the wall of people who had dined there before.
Followed by a Horse Drawn Carriage ride through Times Square ~ it was freezing, it was crazy and although it wasn't easy...it will surely be a Christmas that we always remember.
