Christmas Morning.....

Well I guess you can say this is a continuation of the blog about the Christmas tree. First off, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a big Happy Birthday to Jesus. We were fortunate enough to ear from Trip BRIGHT AND EARLY this morning. Which of course was the inspiration to write this now......You can call this Holland History 104 [I do believe that is where I left off]

Ever since I can remember, we have had a tradition or more-a-less a rule in our house about the procedure of Christmas morning. Basically, BOTH Trip and I have to be awake before we are allowed to step foot in the living room AND it can't be BEFORE 6 am. Once both of us are up, we are to somehow let Mom and Dad know, whether it be via the intercom in the hallway or simply yelling so they knew. The whole point was that we would all do Christmas together, but Trip wouldn't see his gifts before I saw mine and vice versa. Well as the years went on my eagerness to get up so early and open gifts declined, and it bugged the mess out of Trip. Only because he was stuck in the confinement of his room or the "playroom" until I woke up. I remember he and I would get up EARLY, like 4 am some Christmases and literally sit in the hallway and wait for Mom and Dad to give us the all clear. But I think it was my junior year of high school when I decided I was not getting up that early on Christmas morning. Hahaha it makes me laugh thinking about Trip banging on my door saying "Ashlyn get up you lazy bum!" I took personal joy in that, I am not even going to lie. The amusing part to me was that I knew he couldn't look at his presents until I got out of bed. So needless to say I stayed as long as I could, knowing it would drive him crazy. The past couple of years have been similar to that, I have been the last one in bed and he has been waiting on me.......but of course there was no banging on my door this morning. Then again it is just now 6 am, but still the fact remains that Trip won't be knocking on my door this Christmas morning begging me to get out of bed to open gifts. I guess that is where that emptiness comes in again. Something is definitely missing from this Christmas, and I am pretty sure it's Trip.

But like I said, we heard from Trip this morning, he called around 5:30. I was so glad that we all got to at least hear his voice. It's amazing how he is halfway across the world and still managed to get me up BEFORE 6 am on Christmas morning. But I would give anything for him to be here right now. I would even be ok with him banging on my door telling me to get up. I guess you don't realize what you have until it is gone. I most definitely have missed my little brother this during the holidays and I am especially sad that he isn't here to aggravate me this Christmas morning. But it all goes back to what I said before, I trust that God has him where he needs to be right now, even if that means he can't be here with us today. And even though that still stands true, I guess a little part of me will still be waiting for him to come knocking on my door......

To Trip:
I love you turd! Christmas really isn't the same without you here. I miss you and like I have said before, I can't wait for you to be home. Have a Merry Christmas and know that I would rather have you home pestering me about presents right now more than anything :)