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Today already holds some significance for us. One full year at home. We decided to make the day something happier.
After living through the pandemic for months, we had looked so forward to celebrating our favorite holiday. Then, Avery’s diagnosis came just 9 days before.
It completely shattered us as a family and we didn’t feel much like “celebrating” anything.
Therefore, since Christmas 2020 was not a good one, mostly because we couldn’t physically be with Avery, we decided to have a SECOND Christmas.
So for our second chance at celebrating the holiday, we kicked off the day with my MawMaw’s Chocolate Gravy and homemade biscuits. (This really means Bisquick biscuits, I guess).
We opened more gifts. Played games. Talked… and laughed. A lot. This was definitely something we didn’t do much in December.
At that time, we were scared. Exhausted; both emotionally and physically. We were separated and living between three different places: our house, the hotel, and the hospital.
We decided we needed to not only reclaim the holiday as one of our favorite celebrations, but Avery deserved to be included.
To truly experience her First Christmas. With the family. Out of the confines of four hospital walls.
Since she has been home and well, it was time. The smiles we saw from her throughout the day made the wait well worth it.
To finish off the day, we enjoyed our traditional Christmas dinner: my Mom’s Cheese Enchiladas. (We were grateful for the catered meal we were gifted at the hotel, but, for us, the only appropriate Christmas dinner is enchiladas).
Overall, I think Second Christmas, Avery’s 1st Christmas, was a success.
“Christmas is forever, not for just one day. For loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away.”
– Norman Wesley Brooks
And, yes, we’ve kept all of our Christmas decorations up in anticipation of this day.
This week it’ll be finally be time to take the holiday decor down and start our spring cleaning ritual. Only 8 more months until we get them back out though!
