Christmas Eve Today, the excitement continues!

I woke up this am at 5:30am, with a knock at the bottom of my bed. There was Laura up and ready for the Christmas season to begin. I love sharing in all of her excitement, she loves it all the music, baking, shoping, wraping, unwraping is "My best". Every year on Christmas Eve all of my family gathers together at my Mom and Dad's house. We just enjoy each others company, there is no big gift exchange. Some of us make gifts for each other, not everyone and not always. When we stopped all the formal gift giving Christmas became a much more relaxed time for us. Of course my parents still feel they need to gift us and we pitch in and usually give them a gift certificate for a special trip. But for me more than anything I just want to spend the day with my big extended family.

I am going to try to list them here, hope I don't forget anyone.

My parents Marilyn and Emanual Aragosa, the oldest and most important part of the family, because without them none of us would even be here! Six children plus a huge extended family! Thanks Mom and Dad!

My oldest sister Anne Marie her children, spouses, grifriends and grandchildren are daughter Heather, husband Robert, son/stepson Issiah and Baby Miles. Anne's son;  Joshua, wife Stefanie and son Hunter, its his first Christmas. Anne' son; Jacob and his girlfriend Brittany, and last but not least Lucas, still single. There Dad Greg, Anne's husband, died in the 90s at the age of 38 of a sudden heart attack. That was the biggest loss our family ever experienced. My sister has a boyfriend named, Tony but he has only attended 2 family events in the 2 years they have been dating, so will he come, who knows?? I believe he has 4 children of his own, maybe someday they will join this extended family, but we have seen no sign of any interest in us.

 Next is my brother Joseph Emmanuel, his wife Annie, son Zachary, Zach's girlfriend Alexis, and there daughter Alicia. We also lost Joe and Annies daughter Paige at birth, she was born with serious birth defects and died a few hours after she was born, I will always miss her. I wish I could have met her, I am sure she would have been a rare beauty!

Next is us Me, Mary Grace, my husband Tom, "his" dog Chyanne, who is definatly staying home and our daughter, Laura PDiddy.

Then we come to my sister Lynn Marie and her husband Mark. No children and the only pets they have acquired are Mark's chickens. So they will be staying home, the chickens that is.

Now we have my brother Micheal Emanueal, his wife Maggie, son Justin, his girlfriend Brianne, daughters Carli, and Jenna, the dog Mc Duff will also stay home.

Last of all is Theresa Marie, her husband Bill and there son Will, Theresa and Bill have an extended family from Bills first marriage but they are all married now with families of there own. Oh yeah there dog Maggie will also stay home.

 This year Heather, Robert, Issiah and baby Miles plan to stay home, away from all the usuall holiday germs. Baby Miles was born December 5th, he is a beautiful baby and we love him very much, Laura is still waiting to meet him. Heather and Robert are just concerned parents, I do not blame them. It always seems at least one person is sick at our annual Christmas celebration, they lost there first baby just about a year ago from a miscarriage. So this baby is special to all of us, last year gave us a hint of how special life is! And how quickly it can be taken away, something I try to always remember. It's not the breath you take, its the times that life take's your breath away, so true! Anyway it looks like 30 people, not sure I am not wrong. But close enough!

Anyway, unfortunatly I have work to do, because a good celbrations must start with chores. I need to make a fruit platter and an antipasto. Wrap the cinnamon rolls and get out of here. So hope you had or will have a very Merry Christmas! Now you know just a little bit more about my big family, enjoy every breath you take, more later.........