I flew into the Kansas City airport at night and drove back to Branson with my Mom and Dad. Getting time with just my Mom and Dad is such a special event and gave us time to catch up and share exciting news with each other. I'm so thankful for parents who love me unconditionally and will listen to me talk even if all I talk about is working out and clean eating, haha.
When I arrived it was so late it was early and Alexis was waking up for the day but I was just going to bed. After sleeping off my jet lag for most of the day I woke up and hung out with the family. I always love seeing my family's Christmas decorations up from when I was a kid. In fact, I found an ornament on the Christmas tree that I made as a 9 year old. It's quite possibly the most hideous gingerbread ornament you've ever seen but it just melted my heart that my Mom keeps all the little crafts I made over the years, even if it is not the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
While I was home again, Autumn and I worked out together at the Recplex and on the days it was closed for the holidays I did home workouts. It was adorable to see my youngest siblings want to join in on the fun and workout with me. I am so thankful that we could do that together. Samuel is especially keen on proving how strong he is and lifting a lot of weight. I'm sure when he is in High School he is going to be so big and I will look tiny compared to him. Until then, I like showing him exercises and encouraging him.
A day or so before Christmas, Olivia, Makayla, and I went with my mom into town and helped her go shopping for some of her last minute gifts. Of course anytime with my teenage sisters and mom is always fun! We went to HuHots Mongolian Grill after shopping which is always a good decision. Mmm mmm! After that we made one last stop at Target and since there was a Starbucks attached, my typical white girl, teenage sisters insisted I had to try their favorite Frappuccino drinks. Vanilla bean with drizzled caramel on top. I have been craving it ever since and have to resist the urge every time I'm shopping in Target not to cheat during the week, haha.
Perhaps one of the best things about family are the traditions that are established in each home. Some families have similar traditions while others have different ones, but they are all special! Every Christmas Eve the family tradition our mom established is eating hors d'oeuvres followed by reading Luke 2 and talking about the true meaning of Christmas. My mom cooks up so many good things to eat and always has all of our favorites! All of us sisters got dressed up to take pictures together which was fun. Samuel thought we were so lame for taking pictures when he just wanted to eat, haha. We were able to snag a picture of the boys too though thankfully. Here are some pictures of us on Christmas Eve:
My favorite picture of the night :) Just missing our big sister Tasha
After we ate and read the story of Christ's birth in Luke 2 we talked about what makes us happy and what we were thankful for that year. I am truly happy to have a wonderful family and friends who love me. That was the greatest gift I could ask for in 2013! After the youngest kids went to bed Makayla and I made sure to bake Santa some cookies and of course eat a few too, haha
However, Christmas was the next morning and I couldn't deny that I was excited. Most of my enthusiasm for Christmas generates from seeing the joy and excitement that my younger siblings experience. They literally couldn't sleep and probably woke up at 5 am or earlier. My older sister and I had them wake us up shortly thereafter so we could join in on their childhood excitement. Although I have many younger siblings only two of them still believe in Santa Claus, but our Christmas tradition is that "Santa" leaves out unwrapped presents next to our stockings. I'm pretty sure even at 24 years old I still love and appreciate this tradition. My siblings were playing with their new toys and riding their bikes around the living, just having a great time! Their excitement made my whole Christmas morning!
I was also extremely happy to see my gifts, one of which consisted of new Nike + shoes that are black, pink, and leopard! I about died of excitement and my other gift was generous and made me cry. I'm so thankful for my parents and their generosity and kindness. I would've been happy without any gifts, I can honestly say. My family is the greatest source of happiness aside from my relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but I was extremely happy with my gifts too.
After we oohhed and awwwed over our "Santa gifts" we made breakfast, which is our tradition and tried to prolong Christmas morning as long as we could. We ate breakfast together and then started opening presents, from youngest to oldest, which is another one of our traditions. It was so fun to see my siblings open gifts from family members and myself. I truly love giving more than getting and seeing the excitement on their faces! I walked away with a plethora of amazing gifts and I felt absolutely spoiled for the first time in a long time.
Over the course of Christmas break, we had plenty of fun together, and because there are so many of us there is never a quite or dull moment. I love my BIG family and having soooo many siblings. It's so fun to watch them grow up, relish in their achievements, listen to them when they need someone, laugh together, cause mischief, and drive our parents crazy! I love you all soooo much!!! My life is always worth living and trying to improve myself because of these beautiful people I call my siblings and parents. Nothing brings me greater joy in life than to be with these amazing people. Here are some funny pictures Kassidy took of us, one night while we overtook Makayla's bedroom and forced her to take pictures with us, lol:
Our food was amazing and although I ordered simple food like macaroni and cheese and tomato basil soup, they were the best ones I've had in my life. Nothing beats simple food done gourmet, mmm mmm! So glad Brandon recommended this place and took the time to see me. I love you so much Brandon and cherish our memories and friendship! Thanks for always making me feel special and making me laugh!!
The day before I left was the day before my 25th birthday, so in true Mahoney fashion I asked for clothes as my gifts and went shopping for new workout clothes. I am literally in LOVE with shopping for any new fitness gear, clothes, shoes, etc. My sisters went with me as I tried on shirt after shirt and shorts after shorts and gave me their opinions. I walked out with some fabulous new workout gear and a new mixer cup, which made me that much more excited to go back to my regular gym and get use out of my gifts. Oddly enough we went to Andy's for our last taste of ice cream before the trip was over, after all my purchases of new workout clothes, haha.
The next morning I woke up feeling terrible. I caught some sort of sickness and woke up on my birthday barely able to swallow :( and would be flying back to Utah that day. My spirits were quickly brightened though as my Mom made me breakfast in bed, which is a Birthday tradition in our home. My whole family came in singing Happy Birthday to me in bed which made me feel so special. Even sweeter than this, was the fact that my mom made my eggs with egg whites and all healthified and supportive of my attempt to live a healthy lifestyle. My youngest sister drew me the sweetest picture of her and I and it melted my heart.
After breakfast I got ready, packed my bags, and said goodbye to my family. It is always so hard to say goodbye to my family and tears are always drawn. Before I left, Kassidy and I made up a funny "family cheer" though which helped me leave laughing instead of thinking how long it would be before I saw my family again. The drive to the airport with my parents and youngest brother was great though. They walked me in, paid for my bag, waited with me in line, and then waived goodbye to me as I made my way to my gate. The Kansas City airport has a glass wall so you can see people waiting and coming off of flights which I love. It doesn't matter how old I am, every time I fly in and see my parents waiving through that glass my heart starts beating so fast. Sadly, no matter how old I am every time they waive goodbye I try my hardest not to tear up, but I do every time. I really try hard not to make a fool of myself in public, but I love my family and have no shame in crying as I wait for my flight. A big thanks to my parents and siblings for having me out and making this the best Christmas and birthday I have had in years!
I landed later that night and almost went straight to the gym even though it was nearly 10 pm. I figured it was too late to do much of anything and since it was "my day" I wanted to do something I loved. Anyway, I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas break. Hope you all had a great Christmas too.
Love,
Calissa
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