Twas the Night before Christmas…

Usually we’d be at Disneyland on the Christmas Eve…which is a tradition that Yosh and I created 9 years ago when we first started dating (and can read more about by clicking on the red text). The holiday season is hard for me…brings back the most memories of my brother and being a happy family with my parents…but things have changed oh so much. Since Owen has arrived our holiday festivities are a bit easier than before…but we all still find it hard to not think about and miss our Paul!

This year we got to be included in the Irish Christmas Eve tradition….which is meeting up in my Grandma’s house to have all the younger kids open presents. We were here in 2007 for x-mas and got to partake in this event…but this year was different…so many kids have been brought into the family in 4 years! Its weird because the “younger kids” used to be me and my cousins…then was the youngest cousins came along Caoimhe and Caolan…and is now the youngest cousins AND the babies (my grandma’s great grandchildren!!) Mom and her 3 sisters…their spouses, kids and grandkids. Its a whole lotta people in a VERY small house, but its nice!! Its not an all night affair…the older people have to get to the 9pm mass service (Thankfully we were allowed to skip out on that this year…too late for Owen! Darn! haha)  Mom told me later that the mass was amazing…it was done in candlelight and was gorgeous…so I kinda regret not getting to see it now!

 

 

The youngest and the oldest family members…lil Addison who is JUST shy of 6 months and Nanny Molloy…81 years old!  Lovely ladies in navy on this magical evening!

I love seeing the happiness on everyone’s face…makes me smile!! Togetherness can make people happy and has a way to mask the sadness that some of us are feeling during these holiday celebrations.  Some of us are missing parents, some missing siblings, and others missing children…those that have passed on and are forever missed. And some just not able to make the journey to be with us this year; Derek, Carmel & kids in Philly and Jason in Australia.

But whether we are in California or Ireland…I’m grateful for my boys…Merry Christmas Eve!