'Tis the Season!

So, Maverick and I, spent Christmas morning together. We decided to take a walk down to the local Starbucks, making frequent stops along the way, if you catch my drift. Christmas was 'different' in many ways that one this year. First off, Dad wasn't around. To fill you in, he's been stationed in Iraq with the US Army, working as a linguist. We chat often online, and get phone calls and emails quite a bit, which is a blessing. Edwin was working for APT, the paramedic company he is now employed with in Los Angeles County, and wasn't off his shift until 8pm. Mom, had decided to take Nana to church for morning mass, while Edwin and I decided to attending the evening mass on Christmas eve. So, all in all, there was an emptiness. My guy, Steve, had also left town to visit his family in Holstein, Iowa for the holidays, which I'm so happy he decided on. He's having a blast!

Later Christmas day, our guests arrived. My cousin Robert, his wife, Susie and their three amazing kids, Jelina, Sofie and Joey, warmed up the house immediately. The night began with tearing open presents and grubbing on some kabobs, my famous chipotle chicken and some hummus. Having kids around really helped fill that emptiness I was experiencing. Just seeing the excitement in their eyes, and managing to get them to stop touching things, was enough to get my mind off of other things. I couldn't thank my cousin and his family enough for filling our home with love and laughter.