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only 10 more day!
UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!
YaY! I still have to figure out 2 more gifts, which I'm not having any luck with.
We get together w/ Don's family on Christmas Eve since that's when they exchange gifts...they do secret santa's too. I really hope one of Don's Aunt's is either a no show or keeps her distance from me. She has tried to create so much drama for Don and me that it's rediculous...the whole family knows what she's done and keeps telling her to get over herself. I'm afraid that if she tried to start up again and she pulls me aside that I'm going to say some not so nice words and I've warned Don about it - I won't be held accountable for what comes out of my mouth! Both Don and his Dad are going to keep an eye on me and her that night to make sure that his aunt keeps her distance. UGH - such family drama!
After we finish up w/ Don's family we're driving up to my Mom's to spend Christmas day w/ her and her fiance. I'm going to make Christmas breakfast for us all before opening gifts. Then my Mom makes a big meal that night which lately it's been a repeat of Thanksgiving which is fine by me!
So, what's everyone's plans for Christmas?
Re: only 10 more day!
Christmas Eve we'll go see MFD's sister, husband and kids. Then we meet my dad and stepmom, their friends, MFD's parents and friends and our friends at the bar from 2-6 for lunch and drinks. We're having an ugly sweater contest this year. Yay!
After that we'll hit two of my uncle's houses and possibly two of our friends' houses.
Christmas Day we'll visit my dad & carol and my inlaws in the morning, then home to shower and relax, then off to my Mom's for dinner.
We're having an open house for our friends from 6 p.m. on on Christmas day.
Christmas is always really busy for us.
On the 23rd we get together with DH's parents, sisters and their husbands and kids, to exchange secret santa gifts. There is always lots of food and alcohol involved
Christmas eve were with DH's family again for dinner and gift exchange... this includes cousins, grandparents, etc. So about 25 people.
Christmas morning we head to my mom and step-dad's house to exchange gifts with them, my brother, step-sisters and their families.
After that, DH and I get the rest of the day to our selves before another christmas dinner with my grandparents and aunts and uncles on the 26th.
I love Christmas, but it's exhausting!
call me crazy, but i do not get super psyched for christmas anymore. that sh*t stopped when i was 18. i hate the excitement of one christian holiday that takes over an entire month. sure, i like christmas just fine. i enjoy the tree and SOME of the music. i even enjoy the minimal family i spend time with that day. i am glad my friends are coming home from all across the country to visit. i like seeing my friends and families faces when i give them a gift. but i hate that an entire month is dedicated to the commercializing of this holiday. it drives me crazy. its like this big christian holiday is throwing up all over this country and it is forced down everyones throats.
my favorite part of the holiday is going to church on christmas eve and hearing the story and singing the songs. and having a day off from work. and serving a free christmas meal every year at the homeless shelter.
an no, im not a grinch. i just hate that people only care this much about one stupid holiday, and not all the others. or maybe instead of spending the day doing all of this "fun perfect holiday" crap and celebrating their lives and year and the holiday, people could donate their time and money to a homeless shelter, a food shelter, etc.
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Shauni, I totally get where you're coming from. I love Christmas and what it's supposed to be about, but it's definitely turned into a monster.
H and I are going to NC from 12/23 - 12/26. His brother lives there and it will be our niece's first Christmas! It's kind of annoying because we're only planning on taking a carry on, so we're going to have to do a lot of shopping on the 23/24. H's parents are driving down, so his mom volunteered to take any larger gifts that we get and drive them up to us when she visits in Jan.
Of course, my mother nearly had a nervous breakdown because I won't be around on Christmas Eve and went all "My family is falling apart!!!!!!!!!". Yes, because our decision to go to NC was all about her.
My side of the family is coming up to celebrate Christmas on Jan 1. That should be interesting, having all those people in our house with one TV. I might have to put in the splitter and put cable on the "exercise TV" downstairs so all the kids can watch Spongebob or Hannah Montana or whatever kids watch nowadays.
The Princess of Anything is Coming!
Had a dream I was queen.
Woke up. Still queen.
I like Christmas, but I don't really start getting excited until a couple of days before. And more b/c I live so far from my family and friends and get a chance to visit with them than anything else.
Christmas is one of my favorite holidays because I get to spend it with family. I love going to Midnight Mass and singing the songs and hear the story all over again. It's great and then waking up on Chritmas morning to see that "Santa" has come!
This year we're spending Christmas Eve and day with my parents and family. It's my nephew's first Christmas and it'll also be the day he gets some real food. Then we're going down to Jeremy's grandma's house the 26th to do the SS thing with his family. We'll visit his dad before we leave. I have no idea about his mom bc she boycotted Thanksgiving so who knows what kind of drama she'll do...
I agree with you Shauni (and the others) that Christmas has become too materialized and with that being said, they've taken the christian part out of the real meaning behind it. We give and donate and do as much as we can to help the charities and churches around us.
The Hubby and I both have to work on the 23rd, SO on Christmas Eve we go to his grandparents for dinner with them, his mom, and sisters' families. WHOO. I hope there is no drama.
On the day, Hubby and I will open at our house in the morning, then probably head to my grandparents for dinner with that side.
It's looking like I will have to have some kind of gathering for my dad and sisters on the 26th... We always have fun and enjoy ourselves for the most part, but there is a lot of drama everywhere this year so I have a feeling we'll be really glad when it is over.
I feel ya on the commercialism, I LOVE the speech Linus gives in Charlie Brown's Christmas... it really sums it up.
We did this 2 years ago - except we restricted it to ugly Christmas sweaters. It was wonderfully horrible. I think there are even pics that I wasn't able to destroy...
Saturday before Christmas we have a big shindig with my mom's side of the family. Lots of food, alcohol & games (Spoons gets pretty cutthroat at this party). Christmas eve & day this year are spent with my family, grandparents, cousins, etc. Thinking we'll do K's family the day after Christmas, although they can't plan ahead for anything so we'll likely get a call on Christmas day to make the plans.
For me Christmas is definately about family. It's the one time of year that all of the crazy family members get along and people get over their petty little differences.
On Christmas Eve I will be making dinner at my aunt's house. The menu will consist primarily of Alton Brown recipes (aged rib roast, sweet corn bread pudding, baked mac and cheese and red velvet cupcakes for dessert). I promise not to drink too much this year. Last year I was mixing vodka with cranberry juice and when we ran out of cranberry juice we mixed it with the cranberry Sierra Mist. Ugh..I was SOOOO hungover Christmas Day.
On Christmas day I will be making tamale's at my dad's. I'm looking forward to making chile verde and jalapeno and cheese tamales. I love making them but oh lordy, they are so time consuming to make.
Day after Christmas Richard and I will be going to the Raider game. Yup, will be watching them play the Colts. I
Payton, but quite frankly I'm getting tired of all of his commercials.
The Day after the Day after Christmas (27th) is my cousin's B-Day so we're going to take him to Chevy's for Karaokee.
Yup, this will be one busy couple of days.
We're taking a train to NJ (where Jeff's family lives) on Christmas Eve, and coming home on the 27th. Then we'll go to my aunt and uncle's here in MD and do a small gift exchange and spend time with my nearly-4-year-old cousin. NYE is with friends in State College, PA.
Jeff's family generally does a big Italian feast for Christmas. Some of the food is fine (though some of it makes me want to puke), but it always bums me out because it's just not 'Christmas' to me. Also, it's at his aunt's house and we stay WAY too long, so it gets awkward and uncomfortable. I do like his family, but not for 9-hour stretches with nothing to do but stare at each other. Christmas Eve is when we exchange presents with his immediate family, and that night is more like what I'm used to, and gives me the warm fuzzies.
I mailed off all of our gifts (that needed to be mailed) yesterday, and everything else is wrapped and ready to go. I'm already sick of Christmas music (mostly thanks to my co-worker), but I like the cheesy Christmas movies that come on ABC Family.