Home Sweet Home

 This year, we spent Christmas back home in Georgia. It was Naysa's first Christmas with family and our first Christmas back home since 2008. It was everything I had hoped it would be. There was laughter, good food, scavenger hunts (yes, for us...a 25, 23 and 21 year old) and best of all...snow! I surprised myself by not feeling sad or angry that Naysa had no idea what was going on. Everyone was gathered watching us open her presents for her and hold them to show her so she could feel and explore the new textures with her hands and try to eat them all. We laughed and smiled at her reactions to her first barbie and the way she immediately went for all of the Elmo's eyes. I wasn't thinking how oblivious she was it was a special day or how children her age are tearing threw paper with excitement. I was in the moment for once, and it was wonderful. Mom wanted to celebrate all of our birthdays since we won't be together for any of them this year and Nay got a ladybug cookie on top of a cupcake while Ben, my brother Jordan and I shared a ice cream cake. We rented a car and drove to North Carolina to visit Ben's family and meet our new little sister, then down to Atlanta to spend time with his oldest brother and finally to Marietta to spend time with his younger brother and his wife. The trip ended too soon and it will be a few months before Naysa and I head back for Jordan's college graduation, Ben will be gone. Now we are back in San Diego, back to reality of appointments and therapy, phone calls and preparing for her upcoming surgery. I hope you all had a great Christmas and happy New Year (Nay and I slept through it.)