I can't find a title for this one!

We didn't have Christmas plans this year.

My mother in law was very ill.

Cancer.

George travelled to Portugal two weeks ago and two days after he arrived his mother passed away. I got a last minute flight to attend the funeral and to be with him and with his family and to help as much as I could.

2016 is a year to forget. The Christmas spirit was gone. We cried and helped each other very much, especially clearing out the whole house, sorting out her personal belongings, her closet...  giving away her clothes and Ikea bags full of medication, months and months of medication... recovering pictures and diaries...

I can't describe you how hard this task turned out to be. Every jacket, scarf, every bag and shirt had a memory attached to them. Not to mention her lovely smell as well...

...

On Wednesday I flew back to London. Work commitments were waiting for me. George stayed with his family a little longer. His mum's ashes will be taken to Switzerland according to her wishes.

The Christmas Eve was spent on my own. I worked during the day and I cooked a traditional Portuguese recipe when I got home so I could have my dinner in front of the telly watching Christmas movies while talking to my family over the phone as well. I fell asleep really early.

On Sunday, I wrapped some presents to give to the Staib's Family - a family, friend of ours, who invited me to spend the 25th with them. They literally adopted me for Christmas:) Andy cooked the lovely and yummy traditional Turkey, we played games the whole evening between cheese and wine.

I hope you all spent a wonderful time with your family or together with those you love the most. Families have their own dynamic. Sometimes everything flows smoothly, sometimes the family picture is far from being a happy Christmas card. I hope we all learn to let go our differences and we all learn to forgive in the end. Sometimes, the only solution is to let your sense of humor win. I think that's an important thing I learned from my mother in law. She taught me not to take myself and my life so seriously, to develop a sense of humor as a surviving skill!:)

Merry Christmas Everyone.

Love,

Lili