maybe next year will be better than the last

This Christmas was sad and magical all at the same time. A long weekend away from real life. Filled with family and friends and wonderful stories. It's finally over and I just got everything out of my car and put in its place dropped on the floor of the entryway.

I'll start where I left off.

Friday night my family got together for early Christmas dinner. We got a little surprise, that really only surprised my parents. My sister, sister-in-law and I had suspected.

We were right, I'm going to be an auntie again. My mom and dad were so excited. As were we all with the confirmation of the good news.

Dinner was fantastic, and the low-key night with family was just what I needed after a long week at work and a snowy, white-knuckle drive down to my brother's.

The snow and wind continued as we kept warm inside. Playing with my nieces. Opening thoughtful gifts. Watching the puppies annoy the older dogs.

Everyone else bundled up, packed up, and drove over my brother's landscaping in their attempt to find the driveway in the snow drifts.

I made myself at home with TheDog in one of their spare bedrooms and slept like a log.

I awoke to a beautiful, crisp, sunny morning. TheDog anxious to go play in the snow.

The parents-to-be and I enjoyed our leisurely coffee and Cinnamon rolls. Talking about their upcoming trip to her parents' house. About the new little one. About how wonderful the low-key dinner was the night before.

Then, after my brother found the driveway for me with the snowblower, they opened one last gift from me. The one they couldn't open the night before, since everyone would be getting one. They were even more excited about it than I imagined they would be.

The giving is almost always better than the getting. A wonderful beginning to a wonderful Christmas weekend.