Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  I hope everyone is enjoying special time with their family and friends.  We are in Colorado this Christmas enjoying a white Christmas with my family.  We had a wonderful Christmas Eve that started with a family breakfast at my dad's favorite restaurant Marie Calendars followed by a trip to the cemetery to visit Grandma and Grandpa Gerken.  We placed a wreath on their headstone and sang some Jingle Bells.  Of course as we exited the interstate to the cemetery Silent Night came on the radio which started a flow of tears for everyone.  It was a beautiful Saturday morning with blue skies and a blanket of white snow on the ground.  This Christmas is bitter sweet as it's Grandpa and Grandma's first Christmas together in 11 years, but our first Christmas without Grandma here.  She is missed greatly, but I know they are singing, dancing and enjoying the holiday season together!
We finished off Christmas Eve with Mass and then our traditional lobster tail dinner!  Everyone opened one gift (SPECIAL CHRISTMAS MATCHING PJ's...pictures to follow later) and then listened to The Night Before Christmas on tape followed by an interesting reading of the Polar Express by my Dad.  This years Polar Express was much different than I remember it growing up, but I guess the book must change a little as we have all "grown up!"  Good thing Kayleigh is not old enough to understand the book yet because she would think it was a train going to the North Pole and everyone having a flask on the train?!  Not to mention I think the boys might have had a few Manhattans (maybe a few too many) before the book started!
We have enjoyed EACH and EVERY moment of our WHITE COLORADO CHRISTMAS this year.  We are blessed with a wonderful family who I am so happy to spend this joyous holiday season with.  There will be many pictures to follow, but I did not bring my computer to Colorado.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!