This will be the first Christmas without any of my children at home. Brian who is my oldest (28) finally flew the nest back in April of this year (2021). Brian and I haven't been apart for the holiday since he was born in 1993. I wish I had more pictures pre-2010 of the holidays.
1990s
1993
2003
I have pictures from 2004 - 2010 but they weren't the most memorible moments as it was the years after my youngest daughter, Christina Nicole had passed at the tender age of 11 1/2 months in 2004. Brian and I muddled our way through the days. Our little family slowly crumbled between the year 2004 and 2007 when Christina's father and I divorced. We continued to have our ups and downs not only did we lose our little family I lost my best friend, Cameo to a barn fire in 2007. Brian and I continued to pick up our lives day by day never forgetting Christina and being there for each other as only a mother and son can do. March 2010 happened, I meet Tracy and Whitney (10 at the time). We just clicked right a way. Before we knew it we were engaged in Spring of 2010 and married in October of 2011. We started to build a family that each separate unit so desperately needed in our lives. Christmas was a time for celebration again and not just the motions. From 2010 to 2019 our celebrations began to grew in complete happiness.
Our First Christmas
2010
Years 2011 - 2013 didn't have any photos worth sharing as we hadn't truly gaged the need to document the moments.
Fifth Christmas 2014
Sixth Christmas 2015
Seventh Christmas 2016
Eighth Christmas 2017
Ninth Christmas 2018
(Brian had to work.)
10th Christmas 2019
Our last with all of us together. Whitney moved out February 2020.
11th Christmas 2020
Brian had to work so this would be our last Christmas with any of the children at home. Our twelth Christmas together has been us creating new traditions although it has been difficult with Tracy working the swing/night shift.
This is us in Brunswick, OH visiting our friends Joe and Cat.
Us at Dinner in our Ugly Christmas Sweaters.
Me in my reindeer onesie.
Me in another Ugly Christmas Sweater
Me at work outside the Misfit Maintainers door.
I would love to see our kids surprise us for Christmas this year and come to see us unannounced but that is highly unlikely. I hope to contiune to make good memories even without the children at home. Please remember no matter where your family is whether in heaven, Illinois, or Indiana they were always be in your heart for an eternity.
