Stream of Consciousness

I think I'm about ready to leave. The van is pretty much packed and barring troubles in the night, we plan to leave at o'dark-thirty in the morning. I'm so excited! I get to go "home" for Christmas this year. Last year I didn't get to go since I was having a Christmas (Eve) baby. I got to spend Christmas Eve and Day in the hospital. Strange experience. I still need to write Abby's birth story. I intended to do so by her first birthday but that is not going to happen. I just have too much going on and I haven't taken the time to sit down and do it. I'm feeling a little bit sad as her first birthday approaches. I have felt this way with every baby. Right now I can still say, "A year ago I was pregnant with Abby." A couple more days and I can't say that anymore. I don't know why I care about that but I do. I'm a marker of time. It's been a month since... It's been a year since... It's been a decade since... I just had a filling replaced that was over 20 years old. That made me feel a bit old. I had a filling that was 20+ years! Whoa. While I'm in Oregon this next week I get to go out to dinner with a friend that I've had since I was 8. She and I have been friends for 29 years. I'll wait while you do the math... I'm so blessed to have a life-long friend like her. I never knew when we were kids what a rare friendship we had. I also get to see another life-long friend of mine. My sister, Junelle. She has been a part of my life for 35 years. I never knew what a blessing she was either when I was a kid. I'm glad I grew up! I will also get to see my brother, his wife, and girls, June's husband and boys, two grandmas, and an aunt and uncle. I'm wishing my other sister, Jaymarie, and her family could be there but they have already traveled to Oregon twice from Wisconsin this year so they are having Chirstmas there this year. I'll get to eat my mom's corn chowder (Christmas eve tradition), pies, peanut butter fudge, and almond roca. I'll get to stay up late playing games, talking, and laughing with people I know and love who know me and love me. People who share traditions and a history with me. People with whom I can pick up where I left off. People that don't need a lot of explanation to know where I'm coming from. People that I know. My people. I'm looking forward to my time in Oregon, can you tell? I got online to post that I'm leaving town and will be very busy with family and so I don't expect I'll be blogging. I don't know where all that rambling came from. Maybe just my Christmas spirit bubbling up now that I'm done rushing to get ready.

Have a very Merry Christmas and God bless us everyone.