Holiday Presence :: Day Twenty-Nine

This girl has gotten everything that she wanted for Christmas.

Yes. Every little last thing.

*Spending time with my family at my mother's beautifully decorated and festive home...putting my feet up and being silly...enjoying everyone.

*Eating. all. day. long. (including a one pound box of Nuts and Chews from Sees...which isn't gone yet, but we will be enjoying for a bit...it was the year Santa tried to kill the family indeed)

*Gifts...a calendar, a new knit hat and fantastic washcloth, perfume, a subscription to Dwell, fantastic books to stimulate my creativity, vintage holiday candles, part of a vintage Tiffany's desk set, Jewelry and a lot of other different things...really everything I wanted and so many thoughtful surprises.


*Phone calls and texts from so many wonderful family and friends throughout the day.

*Spending time with my sweetie and making new holiday traditions.

*A Rich Charpentier original one of a kind print...just for me.

*And surviving some insane winds and a rain storm outside all day...to the point of when I was driving home at night, I was thinking...good lord, why won't the car go! There's something wrong!?!?! Oh. Perhaps it's because I'm driving into 40 mph+ winds...that could be it.

*Snuggling at home with Ms. Meena and some hot tea...and a feather comforter, relaxing, winding down and remembering and taking it all in...realizing how lucky I am to have so many blessings and so much joy in my life.

And a little observation about my Christmas this year...because of the Holiday Presence Project, I was able to remembered before I went to pick up my grandmother, and then again after I left my mother's house to spend the afternoon and evening with Rich, to remind myself to try to slow down and enjoy each experience I was going to have during the day. I was able then several times to really be present with my celebrations and I felt comfortable and relaxed and happy to be included at each place I went.

What a nice relief.