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one christmas

Recently me and Shaun took advantage of the fact that we were paying for childcare over the 2 week Christmas break whether we were using it or not.
The kids went to school.
We went to a movie.
Movies are very rare these days. Well at least ones with out talking cars or robots.

We saw 4 Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon.
Mainly because there weren't very many good options at the time ( it was before all the Christmas day releases.) We wanted something light and short and funny. Besides we like all those dysfunctional family Christmas movies.....like the "Family Stone", "Dan in Real Life" and the mother of them all "Home for the Holidays". In case you haven't seen the movie...let me give you a brief synapsis. The main characters have plans to spend Christmas on a beach somewhere, but their flight is canceled. They are busted and end up committing to spending Christmas with their families. All 4 of them. Both of them have divorced parents and they spend the day hopping from one dysfunctional family to another.

We split holidays between our parents. They do not live close enough to try and do both. My family is in BCS, Shaun's is in Pampa. There is at least 9-10 hour drive between the two. This year Thanksgiving was with my family, so we spent our Christmas in Pampa.
It was just the 7 of us. Us, Shaun's parents and his sister. We didn't leave the house all day. I stayed in pjs until late afternoon. O only took his off, to put on a clean pair before bed.
There was a knock on the door around 7 pm, just as we got into a round of Apples to Apples (great game by the way!). It was Shaun's cousins who live nearby. They were inbetween Christmases. The seemed exhausted as we dealed them in and served them up a bowl of cobbler. His cell phone kept buzzing while we played our game...co-ordinating even more Christmas events. They are newlyweds still trying to appease all sides of the family and step families. They asked about the rest of our Christmas plans and we said this was it. It then clicked in their heads that both sets of our parents were still married, and they reminded us how lucky we were. Thanks mom and dads.

Earlier that day I called my house to wish everyone a merry christmas. They were about to sit down to a big crazy meal ( and my dad is an amazing chef). My family Christmas is always a zoo ( with 8 gradkids)....and many more showing up. The table usually fills out with well over 20. I missed the crazy, the cooking and the wine. Being passed around on the phone isn't quite the same.
But I wouldn't trade it for my quiet Christmas on the couch.
Rest.
good food.
dragging O kicking and screaming into the living room ( he was afraid of Santa).
not wearing make up.
board games.
a nap.
just one Christmas to revel in and remember Christ.
rather than trying to squeeze in 2. or even 4.

Comments

Alyssa said…
I feel the same way. We didn't go to my sister's in-laws this year, so we had a blissful 10 days at home together. Seemed like we were in a time capsule - no bills to pay, no appointments, no urgency. Wish every day could be lived like that; if only work didn't get in the way!
December 28, 2008 at 1:22 PM
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