Merry Christmas !!!!

I will be writing this post on Christmas Eve... and posting it early Christmas day...
As I have said... We are preparing for a very busy day tomorrow.
What I didn't prepare for was how sad Christmas Eve would be..

Maria set out early.... to be with her boyfriend's family for most of the day... I busied myself with setting the table, last minute picking up.. preparing for the early morning onslaught of family.

I was fine until the mail lady came to the door.... she had two packages ... one from a dear friend who lives in Tennessee... ( She is so sweet.. although I am madder then heck at her... we were NOT to exchange gifts !!!! Ugh )
The other package was from my Son and M...

That one... just about killed me.

Inside were gifts for the little ones.. (Their own gift cards... won't they feel like big shots !!!!! ) but there was also another card for us... a Beautiful Christmas card with special window slots for pictures...
The pictures were of M2 and M at a lovely spot they had discovered during the summer.
Some were of M2 fishing and then one, a close up with both of them smiling, A beautiful waterfall in the background.
It was THAT picture that was the Karate chop to my throat... along with the high kick to the gut... I know because it brought tears to my eyes.. It was really true... they were not going to be here... and that realization slapped me hard..
Receiving the beautiful flowers they sent the other day was rough... but paled in comparison to the feelings that welled up in me with these images in front of me...

I closed my eyes TIGHT to stop the on coming deluge of tears... bit my lip and went about looking for something to keep my mind occupied...
I only glanced at the photos now up on the frig about 150 times...

But in the words of the Great Disco Diva...Donna Summers..... "I will survive"
I am so happy I have a superb sense of humor... otherwise I feel I might just sometime say....
Chuck It....( and I am being polite here )

I think it didn't help that as I was preparing dinner,I looked out the kitchen window and saw the next door neighbor's grown daughter,husband and year old grand baby approaching their porch.. on it my neighbors had set up a virtual wonderland with giant lollipops, a huge Elmo, big boxes covered in paper to look like gifts and even a 8ft inflatable Santa out on the lawn...
Now mind you... normally I would have said... yikes!!! but the look on that little boy's face as they walked up to his grandparents house....was priceless.
My neighbors.... were beaming as they took him from his Mamma's arms, showing him all the splendor that was their porch... next thing you know... I am blowing my nose into a bounty paper towel... ( it's the quicker picker upper..don't cha know! )

I refuse to be a Total Debbie Downer... I am OK now. I have picked my self up by my bootstraps and found things that need to be done.. You know.... important things like shining the butter dish.
Really though........I AM looking forward to the day.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.
I said it before.. but I will say it again....
THANK YOU GOD !!!!
I love my friends... I love my family...
From our house to yours...
Merry Merry Christmas.