Well- everyone is gone & we got thru Christmas Eve & Christmas day !! Last night we had a brief visit with my SIL Paula and then we headed to Jersey to visit with my brother in law Tommy, our nieces & their families. Lisa, Kim, Nat & Brian prepared the 7 fishes. {they decided to add sushi this year- & they all knew that their Uncle would have seriously given them a hard time about that !!!}
They all did a wonderful job preparing the food & all I had to do was make the bananna cream pies {I believe I was told I couldn't come if I didn't bring them}.
After we got home we took care of some last minute things & then decided since it was after midnight it was technically Christmas morning & so we opened presents. Considering that I was really not prepared to do our usual Christmas morning routine without Carm.....this was a good thing & it allowed us to sleep in a bit.
So this morning I was awakened by my dear KD calling & when she realized she woke us....she hung up on me !! {still love her though} so I got up & called her back ! Later on my brother & his family came down for lunch. {I cheated & bought Wawa hoagies & chips}. We had a very nice visit & some hearty laughs. As they were getting ready to leave my parents arrived.
We were having a lovely visit when my cousin Debbie Magee called & asked if we were going to be home? I told her yes & the surprise was that Kevin Bluzard was going to come suprise the girls with a visit on his Harley. So I left the front door open....so when he arrived they heard the rumble of the bike & ran to the door to see what the noise was- talk about two happy girls !! He brought Melissa with him & so we all had a nice visit.
But to make things even sweeter......he was wearing the special leather riding jacket that belonged to Carmen !!! My heart melts when I see him in this coat- he wears it well !!!!
He couldn't have known that many years ago- before children- my beloved Carmen took me for a nighttime Christmas ride on his motorcycle- the cold crisp air blowing on our faces......the silence of the night......and the freedom of the open road. As I got on the back of the bike.....the memory was so vivid !! As he took off & the road turns and twisted I felt the leather jacket & saw the flag on the back of the coat & my heart melted remembering that ride so long ago !!! As he reached an open part of the road he opened it up & I looked over his shoulder to feel that cold air & started crying......as we came back my heart calmed and we arrived home I gave him a hug to thank him for this most precious gift....a wonderful memory !!!
We came in & they said their goodbyes to us and my parents. We managed to sit down and eat dinner {nothing fancy.....alfredo penne & garlic bread} afterwards my mother was treated by the girls to a hand & foot massage. Meanwhile....my father & I worked on the puzzle left by our secret elf. {side note if anyone knows the elf....ask them to check their house......we are def missing a piece to the puzzle- aagghhh !!}
So now the fire is dying down......and the day is done......and we managed to get thru it all. Thank you for your prayers, calls & encouraging notes. Thank you once again to our secret elf.....you made the days approaching Christmas fun & gave us something to look forward to.
Thank you to some other folks who made sure that the girls knew they were being thought of & that others were thinking about Carmen & us today. I am truly blessed to have you in our lives and for this I will forever be grateful and I pray that the Lord blesses each & every one of you more than you can imagine because you have taken the time & energy to come alongside us during our journey without our Beloved Carmen {daddy}.
With a heart that is still sad....but SO full of love for you all......~Crystal <3 <3 <3 <3
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