All I want for Christmas...

24 hours in Canada is my DREAM Christmas present right now.

I miss my family SO MUCH.

I miss Christmas baking with my mum...I miss hearing her sing "The Little Drummer Boy" and giggling to herself when she gets to the "rooty-toot-toot" part...even though none of us are eight years old anymore and we're all too mature to laugh uproariously at the word "toot"...(haha riiiight...who am I kidding? We still laugh)

I miss being the only Starr child who ACTUALLY does any shovelling, while my sister takes up her usual semi-prone position on the couch and my brother somehow gets my mum or dad to make him a bowl of cereal (did I mention he's 16?!? Although I've been hearing that lately he's gotten more adept at making himself basic meals...I'm impressed Mike)



I can't believe I'm going to miss the Goad family Christmas Eve and all the craziness that will be going on at 416 Blue Heron. And that I'm going to be missing the first Christmas for Anna and Adelaide!

Just a typical Goad family Christmas: 14 (or is it 15 now?) grandchildren, 7 sisters and brothers and their spouses, numerous refrains of "don't mind the box!", lots of laughter,
a keg...and a partridge in a pear tree.

The kids and their "chocolate frog" drinks

I miss my Nanny and Poppa and Gramma and Grampa. I miss Nanny's amazing shortbread with the chocolate on top that's been in the freezer and Gramma's lemon meringue pie!

My dad and my three aunts

I miss seeing ten billion stockings hanging up at my Nanny and Poppa's.

I miss going through old photos of us sitting on Santa's lap and laughing at our 90s-era clothing, our terrified faces, my bizarre grin-grimace that I used to do as a kid in pictures, and of course at our bunny rabbit, Jack, who resembles nothing more than an angry squirrel squirming in Santa's arms.

I miss the smell of gingerbread, my sister eating literally a ton of cheese on Christmas Eve in her attempt to fall asleep sooner (she believes cheese makes you sleepy), and all of us scarfing down shrimp after shrimp!

My adorable goddaughter, Beth, opening up part
of her Christmas present from me

I miss my early morning Christmas run around my neighbourhood, when I usually see this one other guy, a fellow crazy runner, and we smile and wish each other Merry Christmas. Everything else is SO quiet and peaceful and white and serene...it is usually my favourite run of the year.

My sister and Dad on Christmas morning last year; Dad with
his Rolos

I miss the late night walk my mum and I do on Christmas night, after coming back from our relatives.

Ok this is a HORRIBLE picture of me (I blame it on me not
getting my required ten hours of beauty sleep). But getting
tickets to "The Sound of Music" made the early morning wake-up
definitely worth it! :)

I am so, so homesick. I miss you - Mum, Dad, Jacqueline, Michael, and all my amazing family members - so much and even though I can't be with you in person, know that I'm thinking about you and loving you and hoping you are all having a joyous and happy Christmas. Eat a few shrimp for me, sing along loudly to Celine Dion's "The Magic of Christmas," and God Bless and Merry Christmas!