I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas & I Got It-Sort of-What a Joyful Holiday Season...

Hello, it's December 19th, and I am still here at my Grandma Elizabeth's & Henry's house-what an absolutely lovely and joyful time this has been! I honestly think this is turning out to be the BEST Christmas since 1999-when I turned 16. This coming Friday, Dec. 23rd, I'll turn 22 and I am finally embracing it. 22 is still quite young and I still have a lot to do, see, learn and love-life is perfect for me right now-and I can honestly say that I've never been happier! Mama and I drove up here to Fernley (about 40mins. East of Reno-my hometown) on Friday the 16th and we've just had the best time! I love being here at Grandma's-with her and Henry, and their absolutely beautiful home-it's all decorated for Christmas-the loads and loads and loads and loads of food-we could feed the whole neighborhood-but hey, that's how grandparents are and it's WONDERFUL! Grandma made biscotti, pitzels, chocolate chip cookies, Italian Wedding Cookies, Apple Walnut Pie (my favorite pie), Mincemeat Pie for my mom (I say, gross!), and some almond type of cookies that I don't know the name of but are really yummy! That's not even mentioning the fresh cream cheese, homemade bread, Italian Christmas Dinner and God only knows what else. It's not just the food-this house is beautiful and big and filled with lot and lots and lots of love! I feel like my family is my greatest gift this year-and every year for that matter. On Saturday the 17th I was able to go into town and see my friends-Donnie and Karen. Karen and I have been friends since High School-almost six years-she's beautiful too and although we didn't get much time together-it was great to see her! Donnie is my "cousin," technically, he's not-but his mother, Patti, watched me when I was 4 months old-and Donnie and I have kept in touch. He's still one of best buds-he's havin' a rough time right now-but his girlfriend is lovely and I know he'll get through it-he always does. So, it was nice seeing my old n' loyal friends-always a pleasure! Yesterday, on Sunday the 18th, my Uncle Bob & Aunt Rosemary came down from Tahoe (a two hour drive now) and brought their lovely company and a few nice gifts. We (mom and I) ended up giving them (Bob & Rosie) a calendar, a candle, and a collage picture frame with pictures of all of us already in it. They liked it! We (again, mom and I) gave Grandma & Henry these really neat little clocks; sewing theme for Grandma and woodworking/tool theme for Henry-they LOVED them-you could just tell; Henry, a man of few words, just kept saying "wow, this is neat-so unique," very cool! We also got G&H a martini set (cuz they both love their evening cocktail) and also a collage picture frame with pictures already in it. I think everyone really loved their gifts-mom and I got wooden trinket boxes from G&H that they personally made-mine's in the shape of a dolphin (cuz I adore them) and mom got a little laced wood jewerly box-so incredibly pretty-and SO much work involved. Grandma also made mom and I our our lace bowls-to look like flowers-with pretty little scented soaps and stuff in them-so precious-my grandmother is just ungodly talented with her hands-she could take dog doo and make it into art-I swear! Anyway, the Christmas tree was all decorated, as well as the fireplace mantle (the fireplace is gas so you just flip a switch and it comes on-it's so awesome), and then...last week I kept praying for snow-I said "Dear God, please let me have a White Christmas up in Reno/Fernley with my family. But, please, time it right so that mama and I can get to them and get back home safely-that'd be just great!" Well, guess what? God answered my prayer-as He usually does (although unanswered prayers can be blessings sometimes too)-I woke up yesterday to 3 inches of snow on the ground-I haven't had a White Christmas since I was 5 years old in 1988-how incredibly wonderful is that! It was awesome-all that fresh, clean, bright white snow-so COOL! I bundled up and went outside and played in it like I WAS 5 years old-LOL, it was SO much fun-brought back a lot of great memories and really made it feel like Christmas! Granted, it wasn't actuallyChristmas, but it was OUR Christmas-and a great one at that! My friend asked "is there ever a day where you don't re-live your chlidhood?" I said, "No, why?" See, I don't think re-living your childhood-playing, running, skipping, laughing at nothing-that's NOT a bad thing-I mean, it can't be-life is short and precious and we're meant to grab our happiness where/when we can-I'm supposed to enjoy this life-it's hard enough as it is. Anyway, it was great! The whole day was fabulous! Mom, grandma and I were all completely exhausted last night-but mom and grama did most of the work-I was lucky enough to be able to record them on video with my camera while they were cooking dinner in the kitchen-that's precious you know. The two ladies whom I love and admire most (with maye the exception of my baby sisters) in the kicthen-makin' Christmas dinner-and I'm almost 22, at a point where I can appreciate that and enjoy it-what a signficant memory for me! Just awesome! I also got pictures/video of Henry, Uncle & Aunt and they all sang me Happy Birthday (a little early) too! It was wonderful! Today, we went back into town to see the new RV that G&H bought and I saw a friend again too! I got to talk on the phone to my good friend, Claudia, my former nurse in the Bay Area-her husband just has major surgery and he's doing well-thank God! She's doing great and I just love talking to her! Oh, Grandma also bought me a Mandolin today-you know, the kitchen slicer kinds-I've ALWAYS wanted on, and now that I'm vegetarian, I need one-so cool! Thanks Grama! I do kind of want to go home-you know, to see my Nellie and shower in my shower and have my birthday-but I also don't, you know! I kinda want to just freeze this moment-like right here, right now; where all of us are alive and healthy and happy and well-and all is just right with the world-or, our world at least! This has been the PERFECT December so far, and mom and I get to go home and celebrate yet AGAIN-with my fancy smancy birthday dinner on Friday night (mom doesn't have to work the next day either so we can stay out late-well, with my mom, late is midnight but that works for me-she has three days off now-which means we share the house on the weekends, but it's nice-I've NEVER had my mama home on the weekends-EVER!), and have our own little Christmas monring celebration this coming Sunday on the REAL Christmas day! What I'm saying is, this is turning out to be a perfectly magical and wonderful, joyful holiday season and I'm trying so hard to just soak it up, remember it, track it and record it-cuz just like everything else great-it'll all be over too soon-and if I hear ONE more person say they can't wait for the holidays to be over UI'm gonna scream-granted, not everyone's holidays are going as well as mine-and I've been known to have some crappy Christmas's myself-but COME ON, it's in your heart people, not your checkbook! Christmas is about familiy and memories-new and old-and traditions and counting our blessings-and this year, more than ever, for me and family, it really has been the most wonderful time of the year! I think my mama even got in on the holiday spirit this year-and she really isn't a huge fan of this time of year normally, but when I came in the bedroom yesterday morning she was crying-she said "I'm just so happy to be here and so blessed, Sarah, to have you and my mom and Henry, and a job-I'm just so blessed." THAT is where I get my positive attitude from-being my mothers' daughter, and my grandmother's grandaughter-those are probably the greatest gifts I'll ever receive! Thank you God, from the bottom of my heart; for my family and friends and multiple homes and ALL of my man blessings-as I said the other night, please bless others like you have so generously and graciously blessed ME!!! My life is just perfectly awesome right now, and although it's winter outside, it feels like my own personal SPRING!!!! I gotta go now, but I just wanted to write and say what a lovely trip this has been and how much I have truly enjoyed it! Thanks for listening! Merry Christmas Everyone, and a very Happy New Year too!!! May this Christmas be the 1st of many, many, many more magical, perfect ones to come!

Many Blessings,
-SL