grammysapronrecipesreflections.com: The Day After

Blessings to you all!

I hope this fine "day after Christmas" holds many wonderful memories of yesterday's activities. It seems I'm always a little nostalgic on this day, remembering times with my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins...growing up in an Italian family! It was a wonderful childhood, how I wish we all could have that experience...or at least, create it for our own families.

I try to make special memories for my family on the holidays or any time we come
together to celebrate a special occasion. This year was no different, I decided to make a Hot Cocoa Bar. My granddaughter made the cutest sign, we made creative stirring spoons out of peppermint & chocolate, and we had all kinds of goodies to go with it. It was a good plan! Well, the weather in North Carolina didn't want to cooperate, and we were all a little too warm to crave a nice hot cup of cocoa. But, the bar looked really cute! Ha!

My daughter, her husband, Mike, my granddaughter & her hubby, Matt all decided, a few years ago, that they wanted to have one big sleepover on Christmas Eve at our house. That's become our latest tradition and makes that night so much more fun for all.

But, when we moved to NC, we left precious family members up north. Two of my children, with their own families, still haven't moved here and are holding my grandkids hostage in New Jersey. (wink) It's a good thing we don't have to pay for each long-distance phone call we make anymore (yes, there was a time...) or I would have to take out a loan to pay for calls made & received by a certain grandchild who just gave birth to my first great-grandbaby! And, by the way, ask me how much I love Facetime! Modern technology can be an awesome thing!

Anyway, just thought I'd include a few pictures from our Christmas that, hopefully, will inspire you to get creative with little things that will make big differences to those special people in your life!

God bless you all!
Angela