34 Christmases

For 33 straight Christmases, I woke up in my mother's house. We'd wake up, have our picture taken on the stairs and run into the living room to see what Santa brought us. Even as a grown adult, Santa came every year. This year, SnowpocalypseDC and the resulting 2 feet of snow got in the way of Christmas #34.

It didn't seem like 'Mas at first. We got a tree and some decorations a few days before 'Mas, and I started to get in the mood. I took the entire week of 'Mas off from work, and the time off was much needed. During that week, my sister and I figured out how to use Google's video chat. 'Mas morning we slept in. We made a big breakfast with mimosas -- a 'Mas morning tradition in our house growing up. Then, we got the computer hooked up and I got to see my family and talk to them. It wasn't the same, but it was nice.

Later in the day, as my sister and the rest of the family made their way through the relatives, the laptop went too, and I got to talk to my grandparents and other family. In between, I took a nap -- a Christmas miracle that's never happened before!

Hubby and I hung out with the BoyBoy, opened gifts and relaxed. It was possibly the nicest Christmas I've ever spent. I've been told though, by my mother, it better not happen again, we'd better be home next Christmas!