Christmas

What is Christmas to you?

Aside from the obvious answer:  Christ.

What does it mean to you?

Family

I love my family.

And I have a lot of family.  

I have blood family, step family, family by marriage and VERY close friends that are like family.

I love each and every one of them.  

I love getting to go to mom's on Christmas Eve to see my Aunt and cousins.

I cannot wait to give people their gifts.  

I only have a few to shop for and that's for gift cards 

(don't hate on me they requested giftcards)

I love getting to shop for presents.

I love doing Black Friday with my mom and sister. 

Then some shopping with Ryan

And finishing up with Jessica.  Though that has not happened this year (yet). 

I love getting to see my nieces and nephews open presents.

I love playing games (the Woltering side is huge on games)

I love the family time.

I love our inside jokes.  

Spilled Milk and Cookie Cutter is funny to no one....except us. 

Say it and we will seriously crack up.  

People probably think we are crazy (and we probably are to an extent...)

I absolutely cannot wait to see my kids open their presents.

Every year we get our kids the bigger, most expensive gift from us.

Why?  

Because not every parent can afford to buy their kids the most expensive item 

and I don't want my kid to be the one to make another child feel bad 

because that kid's parents can't afford to have santa give their kid the most expensive toy.

May sound stupid or over the top but it's the truth.  

Be that kid once...you'd understand.

or be that parent once....and you will understand.  

This weekend starts our family Christmas.  

A week of Christmases.  

5 of them!

Tomorrow we have Naylor Christmas.  

2nd one I have ever had with them.

First one without my dad. 

I have to do it alone.  

well with the kids. 

But without the support of the person I will probably need the most this weekend...

because his work schedule is crazy 

he is working every day of the week 

they are not accepting time off requests. 

I am very thankful he has a job and they are working. 

Just this timing blows.  

I need my husband.  

I am looking forward to Christmas. 

As much as I will miss Dad.  

We have to move forward.  

So instead we will set new traditions and do new things 

and do as much as we can with Dad's family when we can.  

Then Sunday we have Christmas with Connie. 

Which is going to be probably a bigger struggle.  

Wednesday we have Woltering Christmas. 

I am looking forward to this.  

Games. Food and Presents

Then Thursday we have Christmas with my parents and siblings. 

That's the hope anyway.  I cannot wait to see my niece.  

Her first Christmas.  

And my other niece is going to be over the top excited about her gifts I think.  

I know I am.  

Saturday is Christmas with my husband's dad and brothers. 

The last Christmas of the year.

And guess what.....

I get to do that one alone too.  

He has to work til 5.  

Good thing I love my in laws.