Can you believe it is December? Man, where did this year go? I came home from work sick today, but brought work home with me. I am loving this new technology (well, new for me) I can log in to my work computer from my laptop and still get stuff accomplished while in my sweats on my couch. Kinda defeats the purpose of sick time, but at least I don’t get as stressed thinking I am getting behind at work. Back to my original thought. December. I have not done any Christmas shopping (well, I went once but only found stuff for me), I do not have my tree up, and haven’t done any holiday baking. I am not even singing in the cantata at church this year, so I have no excuses. Where does the time go? I love to bake and take homemade goods to friends, but we have my husband’s work dinner this weekend, he is also in the church drama the following weekend and then we have the weekend before Christmas which is when my brother will be here. Whew. Baking may have to take a backseat this year. What are your Christmas traditions? Baking, caroling, family time, church. You will find as your children get older that you have to be flexible to those traditions. When I first married we had it all down pat. My grandmother’s and my parents on Christmas Eve, our house and his mom’s on Christmas day, his grandmother on the 26th for supper. Now we try to go with the flow……..our grandparents are now gone……..my brother now has a small child and they go back to Missouri before Christmas day……my daughter has her husband’s family to work in…..traditions become less important than time together. I treasure the time together. Well, maybe “traditions” is not the right word, maybe routine is what I mean. We still know that Jesus IS the reason and are thankful for Him, that is our tradition. Our routines must change.
Here is what my tree will look like if I ever get to that part
Maybe I could just print this picture and hang it in my living room!!
You know, after my mom passed away, all of our traditions just went south. I mean, we pretty much stopped doing anything. We always had my Dad’s family on Christmas Eve; when mom died, we stopped doing that. We had my Mom’s family on Christmas day; when mom died, we stopped doing that. After Barry and I got married, we started doing Christmas at my house because it was to hard to go to Dad’s, go to Barry’s Dad’s and have time with his kids at our house.
Dad did have Thanksgiving dinner on Friday this year, which was a first from when Mom died. We were talking about Christmas and he told me that it meant nothing to him anymore, other than being significant with Christ’s birth. It made me so sad, but it is so true. Things have changed so much without her. I am trying to start new traditions, but new traditions can never replace old ones, no matter how hard I try. Christmas is my favorite holiday, but it always brings a sense of loneliness for me too, if that makes any sense at all.
On another note, I hope you feel better soon! LY!
It does get so busy this time of year! We have so many places to go at Christmas because everyone wants to see the kids. We always had Christmas Eve with mom’s family, but the family has gotten so large that we usually have to get together on the weekend before Christmas so everyone can come. There are about 30 or more of us, so it’s a pretty big shindig! We always went to my dad’s parents’ house on Christmas Day, but since my grandmother got sick and later passed away, we have had Christmas at my house. About 20 of us here, but it’s nice that I don’t have to drag the kids away from their Christmas toys to go anywhere until the evening. We go to mom and dad’s house and have Christmas with them, my brother and SIL, my uncle, aunt, and baby cousin on Christmas night. Dan’s family isn’t as close since his dad died, but we try to get together at some point around the holidays. It’s tough to do it all, isn’t it?
Hey girl, lets figure out a way to do a virtual Christmas tree! I have mine up, just the tree, no lights, no ornaments, just the tree. I sure hope I get farther along before Christmas!
graceisenough said, “he told me that it meant nothing to him anymore, other than being significant with Christ’s birth. It made me so sad, but it is so true.”
perhaps that is not so sad at all…
a lot of our traditions are changing, too, especially last year, and this…but we are just trying to work it all out and keep the joy. Seeing how my Mom did it last year with her husband gone gives me a game plan for this year. So…I try!