Many know that holidays can be depressing. Up until now, I've not experienced that. With a busy family I've been too busy to be depressed. There just seem to be enough time between Thanksgiving and Christmas to get it all done. The cleaning, the decorating, the cooking, the shopping, mailing out Christmas cards etc. Too much to do in a short period of time.
Every year about this time I swear I'm going to do the Christmas cards in June. I never do. For some reason, I write them out the first week of December, and this year is no exception. Well, there was one exception once. One year I just didn't send out cards. To my knowledge nobody noticed. I have so many leftover cards from years past and new acquaintences down here in Florida I might as well send them out.
I spent the weekend taking down all the fall seasonal decorations and putting up the Christmas ones. It took me all day Monday to do this and I still have a ways to go. This year I decided not to do the Christmas Village. What's the point? The kids will not be here this year anyhow and it's alot of work.
My husband even questioned why we were putting up a tree. David has to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in VA. Brian and his little family are staying put in OH. Bobby was going to fly here for Christmas but we told him to save his money and stay put in KY. The reason being he's getting married a week later and we will all be converging on him New Year's Weekend for the wedding anyhow.
So this year our family will be together in KY celebrating in a much smaller way but having alot to celebrate even so. I will be thankful we'll all be together for New Year's and that all of us are healthy and good. We will celebrate the union of Bobby and Courtney as they decided to start the New Year out with a committment to each other in marriage.
We've been very fortunate. Up until last year we've had all the boys home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Last year was the first year when we didn't have all three but still two managed to come. This year there will be no kids to celebrate with us.
Welcome to our Empty Nest.
That's kind of depressing. So we're trying to figure out what we're going to do. I'm thinking maybe going to the movies. Something different. There's alot of good movies coming out. I want to see that "Marley and Me" movie for sure. I also thought maybe of having an open house. That's a distinct possibility. It will involve alot of cooking and stuff but it will keep me busy for sure. We used to do one at New Year's back home until all our friends outgrew the size of our house.
In the meantime I'm stuffing stockings for the three boys and the three girls having already sent the grandbabies gifts ahead. I'm hoping I can put all these very stuffed stockings into one suitcase. Our little family of five has now doubled to ten in just two years. My how things happen fast.
They say smart woman keep it simple. While I haven't quite figured that out yet, this year will be somewhat of a toning down of past years.