Merry Christmas!!!

Well, the most wonderful time of the year is now. I feel like I blinked and 2016 just blew by. It's crazy to think that it is Christmas Eve. My dad and I got back from Disney World a few hours ago, and I can't wait to make a blog post of my Facts about Disney Blog. Hopefully, I will have that post up soon.

For me, this Christmas is very strange. It's my first Christmas in over 10 years that I'm not living in my childhood home. Also, my mother isn't here. It's so weird to think this is the third Christmas she will not be here for. I miss her making Hot Cocoa and singing to Mariah Carey's Christmas Cds. She just made Christmas, Christmas for both my father and I. Thinking about her, I would like to imagine she is celebrating Christmas in Heaven. Though, I'm jealous she is there and not here. I know she is in a much better place.

Looking over my bible, I like to read the story of Jesus' birth ever Christmas. My favorite is in the book of Luke. As I read it, I am grateful for the sacrifices God made for us.

Overall I am grateful for another amazing Christmas I get to celebrate with my family and friends!

Make sure to go to bed because Santa is on his way!

Stephanie xxx

Well First Semester happened....

Well... That went by fast! It feels like yesterday I was tossing and turning in my bed because I was so anxious what is awaiting me the next morning. And now here I am, sitting on in the same bed wondering where the time went.

The first semester of college was honestly the hardest/most amazing experience of my whole life. A lot happened! Good and bad. But as they say, "It's not where you are, it's who you're with." This is very right. I have amazing friends who have become family to me. That's probably why the transition for me was so easy because I have a family at college now. I already miss them all so much, and I'm sad I won't see them for almost a month.

 It's been so nice to share this amazing experience with these amazing people. I believe that God has a plan for your like. Like it says in Jeremiah 29:11! And the last few years I have felt like I didn't have one. Though I still am very confused about what I want to do in life; I have a good support system to help me figure it out. 

Something that I don't like out Illinois is the cold and snow! IT'S WORSE THAN THEY EVER COULD HAVE TRIED TO EXPLAIN!!!!!!!!!!!! The picture above was from a recent trip we took to Chicago! Yea, I'm in leggings, jeans, two long sleeves, a sweatshirt, my heavy coat, A scarf (I borrowed from my friend Lauren), gloves, winter headband, two pairs of fuzzy socks, and sorrell boots. I was still cold. And guys..... It's just going to get worse! I better cherish the time I have in the 40s and 30s in Nashville while I can. 

Well, I want to say more, but I have two suitcases to unpack and its midnight! I just want to thank everyone in my life who has made this past semester happen! I love you all and will keep you up to date on how my break goes! 

Stephanie xxx

How I Deal with Missing my Mom during the Holidays...

Hey guys,

I just want to thank you for your loving comments and Instagram messages from my video about losing my mother to ALS. I got a message recently from someone who recently lost a parent and wants advice to go into the holiday season. I thought it would be a great blog post and hopefully help someone else who is suffering from the same thing.

This will be my third Holiday season without my mom, and I'm just going, to be honest, it just as hard as the first. The holidays were my mother's favorite time of the year. She loved to have people over on Thanksgiving and making me and my father hot chocolate while we put the outside Christmas decorations up.

What I do to make the holidays less sad because she isn't here is to put up her ornaments on our Chrismas tree. She loved the Peanuts, so basically, our tree is cover with Snoopy and Charlie Brown right now. I also still put her stocking up every year. For some people, that is hard, and they refuse to do it. For me, it is something I need to do. Because even though she isn't here physically, she will always be with us.

I also try not to get sad if we do something that she wouldn't want to do, or if we forget a tradition. My dad and I try to do everything that we did when my mom was alive, but obviously its not going to happen the same. My mom would get my Christmas PJs that I would open on Christmas Eve, so I had them when I opened presents in the morning. My dad has been such a kind to keep that tradition up.

Something we try to do is to make new traditions. Like last year, my dad said he wanted to watch the I Love Lucy Christmas Special every Christmas season. At first, I was a little upset because he wanted to start a tradition without my mom. But after I stepped back and thought about it, itis good to have a new tradition to look forward to every year.

I guess my biggest advice is to wrap yourself up with family. That is what gets me through every holiday season is my family and friends. It is the most wonderful time of the year, and I know that my mother would want me to be enjoying it and not sitting around missing her.

Everyone deals with grief differently, and this is just how I deal with it during the holidays. I hope that this was helpful for some of you and maybe make your Christmas a bit more enjoyable. Just remember that whoever you lost will always be with you.

I love you all so much and hope you have a wonderful holiday season!!!

Love Stephanie xxx