Christmas in MS

It's been a year of loss in our family. My Stepmom died in August & then my Grandmother in September. Both not expected, though I'm learning that death usually catches you off guard.

Even when we are as prepared as we can be, I think it can still take our breath away to have lost a person.

I know there's a lot more brewing in my head & in my heart about these things, but I'm not ready to let it out just yet.

We went to Mississippi to see my dad & to celebrate Ch

ristmas with him & our family there. It was awesome & it was lonely & it's strange learning to adjust with someone missing. Especially for one of my most favorite people in the whole wide world - my dad.

He threw a big party & bought out Toys R Us for the kids & there were screams of "THIS IS JUST WHAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED!!!"s throughout the house. And I'm pretty sure they meant it.

But more than the gifts, they just love that man. Their Granddaddy. He's good - so so good with them. He truly loves them & loves being with them.....& the

y know that.

And that means a lot to me.

I wish I could get the words out of me that want to come out. But they aren't quite forming real sentences yet. So to avoid the great risk of embarrassment, I'll try again later.

I'm off to catch up on some much needed sleep so that we can be ready for the next

2 days around here.