"As per Christmas day tradition, we will be exchanging gifts, and then eating breakfast as a family. And might I add that it's an honor that Alice chose to join us this Christmas, we missed you," Mom announced when everyone came downstairs to the living room after she went around knocking on doors.

She and Dad begin passing out the gifts to the respective person whose name is on it, and once they're all distributed, Mom tells us we can begin opening them.

It's not a shock to see my pile of two boxes is smaller than all of theirs.

I read the labels and notice one is from Mom and Dad and the other is from Alex and Daniel. They didn't even bother to get separate gifts.

With a sigh, I open the one from my sister and her husband first. When I do, I see a white sweatshirt with the words Columbia University written in light blue. Shockingly, it isn't one that I have, so that's good. I pull it out and see another box that was placed under it with a note signed by Alex that says 'save me for later'.

I thank them for the gift and place the sweatshirt back in the box so I can take it upstairs when I'm done.

I move onto the gift from my parents and open it to reveal a neatly folded outfit. I pull it out to see a cozy gray cardigan accompanied by a pair of jean shorts with a floral embroidery around the hem and a white t-shirt. Under the outfit lies a set of paintbrushes still in their package and a small black box. I take it out and open it to reveal a pair of sunflower earrings that match the embroidery sunflowers on the shorts.

Just like before I left, clothes and jewelry every year, with the occasional painting or sketching supplies.

I sit there and wait for everyone else to finish, and when they finally do, we all clean up the wrapping paper and boxes.

I quickly take mine upstairs to my room and decide to open the box inside with the note on it.

When I open it, I'm shocked to see what's inside, along with another note.

It says that she saw this store in Germany that could turn moments into jewelry when she was shopping and thought it would be perfect for me. It's a gold necklace with what I'm assuming is a homemade piece on it. It's a diamond shaped mini replica of my favorite painting that I ever did.

When I was sixteen, we went to Costa Rica, and there was this one sunrise that I was able to get a picture of on the beach. It was the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen and I painted it on a square canvas that I turned so it was diamond shaped. It's currently hanging up in my bedroom in New York.

She must've taken a picture of it after I painted it.

Before I can tear up from how much it means to me, I'm called down to breakfast and on my way down, I'm overwhelmed with the smell of Christmas morning waffles. I haven't had these in so long.

And they're just as delicious as I remember.