Merry Christmas!

After I was told that my sweet grandpa had passed away on the 20th, I was not sure how I could truly enjoy this holiday season. First off this will be the first Christmas holiday away from my family and now my grammy is not doing very well (not a surprise considering she just lost her husband of 73 years and she also recently fell and fractured her pelvis). My mom flew up to be with her yesterday and she will be staying up there for who knows how long. Now there is no real plan for my family to get together post Christmas as previously planned. I must say that if I was not so blessed with a supportive husband and amazing in-laws I would probably be a complete mope right now. They always make me feel at home with them. My brother was also so great on the phone reminding me of all the funny memories we have had with our grandpa. My grandpa always wanted to be cremated and so it has been planned to wait and have an official joint funeral for them together after my grammy passes...whenever that may be. It only seems appropriate that we celebrate them together as they even planned to be kept in the same crypt together after passing away. They were like one person- yet each so special in their own ways. Gosh, married for almost 75 years is incredible! When you live to those ages, 97 and 100...there really are not any friends of theirs still alive. In fact, for the past 10 years or so we have joked with my grammy that everyday is her high school reunion...yes it is a bit wrong of us, but she is actually the only one from her high school graduating class still alive- so technically everyday is her reunion ;-) I guess when you get that old and you have seen all of your friends pass on through the years death becomes just another chapter of life that is completely accepted and sometimes welcomed. I feel that with me being still in my 20's, the chapters that feel comfortable to me are more like....getting married, buying a house, getting a pet and having kids, etc...the whole death chapter is a bit far off in my book of life (of course I hope).

So the past few days I have been able to stay cheerful with the Orrick's. Dustin and I went to a Christmas Party (Naughty or Nice- White Elephant) that a friend from high school invited us to and then we also went to see a play downtown at the Alley Theater called the Santaland Diaries. Before heading downtown I got a extra special treat by getting to hang out with my sweet friend Jackie at her house in The Woodlands.

Christmas in Kingwood


Naughty or Nice Party

Alley Theater downtown Houston

Now it is Christmas Eve and I just finished baking some homemade Banana Nut bread...I found this easy recipe online and modified it a bit, but overall I really like it.

2 eggs beaten

3 bananas mashed

1/2 c oil

2 c flour

1 c sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven 350 degrees
Grease loaf pan

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and add in wet ingredients mixing well
Bake 55-60 minutes

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!