I think it’s safe to say my children start counting down till Christmas all year long. Me brothers and sisters all travel home each year to my parent’s home in St. Louis so we can spend a few wonderful chaotic days all under one roof for the best day of the year. The best moments are kept in good memory with no need for camera captures, but here are is just a glimpse of the days that carry me through the new year and till the time we all can meet again…

Christmas Eve carols with a bossy 3 year old choir director.^^

Baking Rocky Road Fudge with Aunt Gianna ^^

My sister Angela is Gabriel’s godmother. She always knows just what to get him:)

He didn’t quite make it through Christmas Eve Vigil Mass…

Dreaming of sugar plums;) My little Gabriel and the rest of his cousins were fighting the flu on Christmas Eve. Quite tragic. He actually kept dreaming of Christmas morning gone wrong poor thing..

Christmas Eve late night elves. ^^

Our tradition of singing happy birthday to baby Jesus before we all run to the tree Christmas morning. ^^

Gabriel worked up enough adrenaline to see if his dream of a Polar express train came true:) Priceless to watch.^^

She named her new baby “Hahn.” Your guess is as good as mine.

Pajamas and movies and It’s a Wonderful Life..

The whole gang. Sure am lucky to have each of them in my life. ^^

7 of the 8 sisters:)^^

The kind of wonderful scene I look forward to every year;) Christmas morning with my mom, dad, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews.

The marvel of the nativity scene to an eager, chubby little one year old.^^

We managed somehow to stick with our slow December resolution. It was a quite and peaceful advent, and helped me get back to re-charge. Although once we arrived to St. Louis some of the little ones got struck with the flu. It was so sad to see so many of them down and out. Overall, Somehow, most of us escaped it and had such a good time just being together. Many stories and side splitting laughter. You can’t pick your family, but pretty sure I would have hand picked some of these goons if I could have.

I realized this year that Christmas can change us for the better if we allow it to. There is no other time of the year that the whole world presses pause to come together and celebrate the birth of a Messiah. And no matter the religion, the whole world comes together to celebrate the GOOD we have in each other. The slow weeks really shook me in the right ways and allowed me to prepare for a new year and embrace the good and the bad and make it into new.

I hope you all had a very bright Christmas, and look forward to keeping up with you in the new year!
Anna