Christmas

                                                                   
It sure did take me awhile to get into the Christmas spirit....and to be honest, I'm not sure I ever really was that into it this year. I guess it was the lack of snowy, cold weather or maybe that time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed to go by entirely too fast. The things that I enjoyed most about the holiday though was of course spending time with my family and seeing Christmas through Emme's eyes.  She was ecstatic about all of the Christmas talk, seeing all of the "Frosty s'  and "Ho Ho's" in the store, the ceremony tradition she had with her PawPaw Drake of turning on the Christmas lights and especially her love of  listening to Christmas music. Her favorite song is not considered a classic and many people don't even know of it but Dominick the Donkey was played over and over at our house. The Jersey Shore crew would be proud.

Our first pre-Christmas event was the Holiday party hosted by the company Greg works for.  It was a great time and gave me and Greg a chance to get all dressed up.  Lucky for me, one of my closest friends is a hair stylist and she took care of giving me a fabulous 'do for the party.  After getting my hair done, we went to the hotel room we rented and got ready for the party.  It was masquerade themed so we had to look the part (See below)  We ate, drank, danced and had a fantastic time all the way around although I am not going to disclose which of us had a hangover the next morning.

Christmas for us really seemed to start a week beforehand when my Dad, Stepmom and sister came to visit us.  We went out to eat at Chuy's and then headed over to the Galt House to look at the Kalightoscope Christmas display.  Emme was in awe of the lights but nearly had a meltdown when she came face to face with the WDRB Snow Fox.  After touring Kalightoscope we went back to our  house and exchanged gifts.  Emme was thrilled that among other things, MaMaw and PaPaw got her a princess dress up kit.  She prances around the house on a daily basis donning her tiara, high heels and bangle bracelets stacked up her arm.  That child is without a doubt, the most girliest girl.

                                            (this is my family at the Kalightoscope entrance)

On Christmas Eve, we started our day by baking Oatmeal cookies for Santa.  With the help of Momma and Daddy, Emme had a yummy batch that Santa seemed to really enjoy.  Later that evening, we went to spend time with our Drake Family.  Emme's standard gift to everyone this year was Oreos and everyone seemed pleased with that.  After all, who doesn't like an Oreo?  When we opened gifts, Emme became overwhelmed but genuinely happy that she had so much loot to take home.  There were too many gifts for a single one to named a favorite but she does seem particularly fond of her easel and she also now sleeps with Lady every night (from Lady and the Tramp.)  She calls Lady "Wadey" since she has trouble pronouncing her L's.

                                                       (presenting Oreos to Uncle Dan)

 Santa surely did bring lots of surprises for Emme.  So many that she became tired of opening gifts on Christmas morning and she saved some of them for several more days.  She really held on to Christmas.  Of all the gifts Santa brought her, she seemed most excited about her "wipstick" (lipstick...told you those "L's give her trouble) and her eyeshadow.  She spent a good portion of the morning admiring herself in the mirror.

The last event of Christmas for us was spent with my Mom.  We had a wonderful dinner with her (and lucky for us, plenty of leftovers to bring home) and Emme was so excited that Santa brought her a brand new kitchen (the upgrade would be equivalent to her now having granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances) Christmas with my Mom has always been something I look forward to every year (and not only because she gives GREAT gifts)  It doesn't matter that we are celebrating in a different city than years past, it only matters that we are together.

                                                                (Three Generations)

So, to sum it up it took me awhile to get into the giddy feeling of Christmas but when the holiday was actually here, we built great memories.  Once it was over though, I was ready to take down the decorations and I started disassembling the tree at 8:15 a.m. on 12/26.  Bah Humbug!

MaMaw Webb

The past few weeks have been emotional.  I visited my Mamaw Webb last weekend in the Hospice House and whispered  I love you to her for the very last time.  She passed away January 5th.  She was my last living grandparent.

When I loaded up the car last weekend to go visit, I was so sad.  I was nervous too.  Nervous because I wasn't sure what I was walking in to and nervous because perhaps I wouldn't know the right words to say to my Dad and my aunts whose hearts were breaking. What I didn't know until I got there was that I didn't really need to say anything.  Offering a hug and just being there with my Dad meant more than any words I could say and although they were tough memories to build, I am so grateful that I could be there and hold my Dad's hand. I left Louisville that weekend being nervous about what to say and yet, I talked more to him about life, emotions and feelings that I think I ever have in years past. I left there that weekend feeling a renewed bond with him.  It's odd how under the very worst circumstances, tragedy brings families closer together and it makes you take stock of what you have....who really matters to you.

 I wasn't around Mamaw as much as the other grandkids were and unfortunately, that meant I didn't have as close of a relationship with her as the others did.  I am so envious of my cousins for this and of course in hindsight, I wish I would have made more of an effort to know her better.  I could spend time beating myself up for this but instead, I am choosing to continue to pray for peace in my heart and I am praying that I am given guidance from above on how to hold those people that mean so much to me a little closer. I want to appreciate who I have now and not when it's too late.

On Monday of this week, Greg, Emme and I headed back to Ohio to see Mamaw one last time.  We walked into the funeral home and one of the first people I seen was my Dad.  I immediately felt the tears welling up in my eyes. Feeling his embrace comforted me and I hope mine comforted him as well.  Making it through the viewing and the funeral was so hard but again, I felt peace when I seen the pictures displayed from happier times.  One of those pictures was one one of my Papaw when he was probably in his late 20's.  He looked so handsome.  What makes that picture even more priceless is that on the back of it were lipstick stains where my Mamaw had held it to her lips when she was falling in love with him and she had kissed it over and over.  They were married for 56 years and were a couple that was truly meant to be.

I have spent time thinking about how Mamaw and Papaw never traveled much...they didn't go on fancy trips or buy the most luxurious cars and furniture, they didn't eat out at the most expensive restaurants.  Their lives were made up of far more valuable things than you could ever put a price tag on.  I looked around at my Dad, his brother Kenneth, his sisters, Rita, Naomi and Freda and all of their spouses and the grandchildren and I thought about how Mamaw and Papaw spent their lives raising an amazing family and teaching about God, the right way to live, working hard and treating people right.  They raised kids that anyone would be so proud of. They raised kids who were heartbroken to lose their parents but could be peaceful in knowing that they had parents who raised them to be close knit and help each other through the sad times.

There were some moments during Mamaw's funeral service that I will forever be grateful.  One is the moment when my Dad held both me and my sister in his arms at the same time as we cried together.  We were all feeling the same pain and it helped to be able to comfort one another.  Another moment was when I was standing next to Mamaw's casket and my Dad was with me.  I commented that I wish I could have been as close to her as the other kids were and he told me that it was just different for me because I didn't grow up in her backyard like the others did but that didn't mean she loved me any less.  I believe his words were true.  Lastly, I was so honored that they asked Greg to be a pall bearer.  It meant so much to me to see him as part of the family.

Mamaw was a beautiful person.  It's true that I didn't get to spend as much time with her as the rest of my family did but I will always remember going down to the well with her to get water and her letting me sip the cold, cold drink out of her ladle.  I'll remember her smile and that she loved it when I would bring her sugar free candy from Angie's Candies in Proctorville.  I remember that she didn't care too much for dogs, that she looked beautiful in pink, that she had the kindest eyes and most of all I will always remember that when I lost Peyton it was the first time I had ever seen my Mamaw cry. I felt her love as she shared my pain.  I hope that she also felt my love in her final weeks as I grieved the loss of her.

                                                (My Dad and my Mamaw--October 2011)

Eucalyptus and Spearmint

Two of my favorite scents is the combination of eucalyptus and spearmint.  Recently, I discovered that Bath & Body Works has a collection of Aromatherapy and this is one of the scents in that line.  It is called Stress Relief (we could probably all use a little of that, huh?)

My new nighttime routine includes showering and bathing with the Stress Relief scrub and then lathering on the lotion and finally, spraying a bit of the body spray.  I have come to the conclusion that the reason I love these scents so much is because each night as I complete my new ritual the smell takes me back to May of 2009 when Greg and I were on our honeymoon.  We stayed a fabulous 7 nights in Negril, Jamaica at the Couples Swept Away Resort and we were fortunate enough to have booked the trip at a time when a promotion was going on that included a $500 spa credit for our stay.  This already wonderful trip of all inclusive fancy dinners, turn down service, pristine beaches and total relaxation became all the more luxurious when we were able to use the spa credit every other day for couples massages.

Eucalyptus and Spearmint is the exact same aroma of the Couples Swept Away Spa and when Bath & Body Works advertised this line as Stress Relief, they weren't kidding!  Until I can vacation again at Couples and get back to their spa, I guess I'll be keeping myself stocked up on the next best thing.

Here are some pictures from our honeymoon.  I'll always cherish the memories of that trip and my very first week as wife to my soul mate.

(Us sharing a hammock)

(Lunch Date)

(Jamaica has some of the most beautiful sunsets)

(The view from our balcony)