Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope that everyone is spending time with their loved ones and holding them close. I'm going to try my hardest to focus on who I have with me and remember those who I've lost with smiles and stories.

However, as hard as I try, I know that it will be tough. This time last year I was so excited not only for Christmas with my family, but to take a trip to New Brunswick to meet Alex's family for the first time. So much has changed in a year, and remembering last Christmas is especially hard. But, as I said, I'm thinking of all of the cute stories and I find myself smiling at them. I had a nap on Alex's couch and he just sat there and held my hand the entire time. We opened our presents with his family there and it was such a special experience. We went for a two hour walk in the woods and had to resort to "Marco Polo" to find each other (I'm a drifter).

So on one hand, it's an incredibly lonely time of the year for me. But on the other hand, I have all of these memories to keep my heart full. And I have my family (and my family of friends) and his to remind me that there are still reasons to smile.

Once again, Merry Christmas - I hope Santa is good to everyone : )!