"There's No Place Like Home..." by Suzanne Rossi

Hi everyone.

Wow, what a wonderful Christmas! My oldest son and his family came down to Memphis from Rockford, Illinois, to join us and my youngest son with his family for the holiday. It was the first time since 2000 that the boys had been together to celebrate.

We all got together on Christmas Eve to open gifts. The squeals of delight from our seven grandchildren as they opened presents was music to my ears. And listening to my sons trade good-natured insults took me back more years than I can remember. My youngest, Brendan, is a certified chef. He split his time between his in-laws and us to make Christmas dinner--Shepherd's Pie. It was fabulous. Also upon request from my Rockford daughter-in-law was Creme Brulee for dessert. It was killer. I think I'm still on a sugar high.

I'm not usually big on nostalgia, but I couldn't help tearing up when son, Kevin, showed off the ornaments he'd made in school through the years to his sons. Each and every one brought back memories of when my boys so proudly gave me their works of art to hang on the tree. Since Brendan had helped us set up the tree, he'd already had his moment of fun when seeing the tree totally decorated with memories special to him.

The grandchildren saw the gifts under the tree and the chorus of, "Can we open them now?" chimed in seven different voices. The answer was "No." We tortured them with anticipation for a few more hours. My youngest granddaughter, Sarah, was particularly aggrieved. The biggest one was for her. And my youngest grandson, Ryan, (2-1/2 years old) found out how to turn on the musical centerpiece on my coffee table. To save all of us our sanity, his mother eventually put it up on shelf in the hall closet. That didn't deter Ryan,  however. He also figured out that a music-making ornament would sing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" when he touched it. It found it's way to the top portion of the tree. Kid's too smart for that age. LOL.

It's all quiet here now. Kevin and his family left for home this morning. The silence is deafening, although I won't miss having to listen to Sponge Bob for hours on end. I do, however, miss them already. This is what Christmas is all about--family, friends, and good times. I believe that is as much as part of the holiday as the birth of Christ. After all, it is a celebration.

I hope all of you had as wonderful a Christmas as I did. May the looming new year of 2017 bring all of you joy, happiness, lively spirits, and good health.

Until next month.

Suzanne