Yes, I know I have been practically nonexistent the past couple of months - working 2 jobs and being a full-time grad student is very . . . time consuming.

However, lest you forget I am still here, I thought I’d bombard your feedreader in celebration of my third blogiversary. Yes, Suspension of Disbelief is 3 years old today. Quite a bit has happened to me since I started my blog. I’ve graduated from college and started graduate school - twice. I’ve gotten my first AND second non-summer jobs, I’ve lost both of my grandmothers, I’ve adopted kittens . . . and so much more!

Thanks for sticking with me, even if I’m not consistent AT ALL. It still makes me feel appreciated to know that you are here when I do have the time to blog. And I promise, at some point, things will settle down enough so that I can get back to a bit more regular blogging routine. Thanks for your support!

My mother’s mom had been sick for a very long time. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about 12 years ago, and had steadily (but slowly) declined since then. She lived in her own home all this time and was fortunate to be able to have around the clock nursing care in her own home.

The past year had been more difficult for her. While her mind had been gone for some time, her physical health hadn’t been too bad until recently. Her episodes of low blood pressure and breathing problems became more frequent, and we knew that her body was beginning to shut down.

This evening around 8:45pm, Nana passed away in her home. My mother and her sisters were there by her side. I will be leaving in about 4 hours to drive with my brother to Georgia to be with our family. While I am sad that she is gone, I am more relieved that she can finally be at rest. This is a difficult and awful disease, and I know that she tried her hardest as long as she could.

Please pray for my family as we travel to be together to honor her. She lived a very full and successful life, and I have great respect for all that she accomplished.

For me, Christmas starts when Santa goes across the screen at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The holidays are officially here!

TiVo, in a rare moment unreliability, decided to delete the parade before I got a chance to watch it. Grrr . . .

So I started Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. Mama and I went and bought a very real(istic fake) tree for my apartment. My first Christmas tree! I brought up all my Christmas decorations from Florida the last time I was home, so I put out all my Nutcrackers and my nativity set, and then left the tree for another day (since I wasn’t feeling well).

Last night I got the tree all set up - AJ helped me by putting it together and helping me fluff out all the limbs (he’s pretty good at it, LOL)! I then sorted through all my ornaments. There was a bag that I set aside that would be great for a little girl (but are a little too young and pink for me), and the rest I put on the tree. Drumroll please . . .

This is my lovely decorated apartment !

My first Christmas tree!

And a little close up of some ornaments:

Some of the ornaments are newer, like the little Cavalier King Charles Spaniels that look just like Ella and Olive and the little Moravian star to remind me of Winston-Salem, NC (where I attended both undergraduate school at Wake Forest University and graduate school at North Carolina School of the Arts). Others are very old, like the pink sand dollar with a Nutcracker (this was given to me when I danced in the Nutcracker for the first time) and the blue and yellow angels (these hung on my mother’s Christmas tree when she was a girl)!

As I have mentioned, I have a Nutcracker collection, so here is a look at it:

Hmm, let’s get a little closer! Here are Steinbach wisemen . . .

And Steinbach Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare!

And a few more that I have on a bookcase near the kitchen (the short one on the left was my mother’s first nutcracker from before I was born - it’s the first in my collection)!

And my nativity set - I just got this last year and LOVE it!

The only thing I’m missing is an Advent wreath for my table, but that may have to wait until next year.

So, now I’m ready for Christmas for the first time in my adult apartment. Ahhh! I’m so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A video for all you mothers out there to see!

Hat Tip: MamaVision