Christmas 2012 in Review

Well this year Christmas was interesting.

This was our year to travel. I am not a fan of traveling on the holiday. But in our situation we all have to compromise to have our family spend the whole holiday together. So I only have to travel every other year. When we travel it’s not un-common for us to forget a few things. trying to manage this three ring circus is really a joke. It was so much easier when they were little because well I did everything myself and they didn’t care what clothes they had, they didn’t need so much…and entertainment was easy. Now that they are older they have opinions…and complaints and everything is just more. more.more.

Friday night I was overwhelmed. I had several gifts to wrap. Bags to pack, things to prepare, house to clean ( I hate traveling & coming back to a dirty house) and we wanted to go to the Christmas party at church. So I asked everyone to help me. Rob was trying because he really wanted to leave on Saturday…he told me he would take care of things. A few kids took turns wrapping gifts. I didn’t wrap any gifts this year. Rob and the kids did it all. Were they beautiful with all the extra details? No. But I thought they were beautiful because it was a symbol of them helping me. I was still sewing bindings and tags….so I didn’t have time. Then I asked Rob several times…did you grab this or that? he would say “yes”. He forgot the kids “Big” gifts ( which were little because they were visa cards) and  stocking stuffers. I wasn’t mad. But just a bit disappointed because I would have liked Christmas morning to be a “splash”…you know? But it is fine. I forgot deodorant. I was STINKY……totally. All the homes were a bit warmer for me…and well I should have apologized for the assault that they all must have gotten around me.  I am stretched every time I leave town with my family these days because I have been letting them “help” and it seems if I don’t do everything myself we have to improvise. Spice of life right? Some days maybe.

The first couple nights were spent at my IN-laws. They have been working on their dream home for 10 years. They first built a shop with an apartment over the shop so they could live on their property in the woods while they were building. I don’t think either of them realized it would take 10 years to build. My FIL did all the work on his own. He hired help here and there for a few things…but for the most part he did the work. Blue prints and all. My MIL had a vision of what she liked. A great team they make because they have a million dollar home. They have put so many details into everything it is a STUNNING Home.    It’s not huge…just packed with special details and antiques. A dream cabin in the woods. It’s not completely finished…but enough for them to live in it. It was nice to see the house. It was snowing….and comfortable. I did some embroidery and the kids harassed all of the animals. Nice times.

Then we went to Landon’s house. He also has a custom built house…..nice house. Roomy and what not. We had dinner, gift exchange and lively conversation.

We came home Christmas afternoon leaving two boys behind at Landon’s. I was so happy to come home, take a shower, put some things away and relax. We ate leftovers for dinner…comfort food of course. Then we went to a movie. We picked up my friend Donna, then met up with several people from church to watch “Lincoln”. I have to say I knew the history and what happens. But it didn’t stop me from tearing up in several parts. Tommy Lee Jones is AMAZING as Thaddeus Stevens. Tommy is looking pretty old these days ( I noticed in MIB3) but I have to say I think he is just getting better with age. There was also a scene in the movie after the 13th amendment has been passed that he is in a scene with his loved one..and there is a beautiful quilt that they share ..and I am going to re-create it if I can find a picture. I may have to wait until the movie is released so I can see it again….I know the block …and the setting..I just want to look at the colors again.    It caught Donna’s eye as well.  The movie is worth seeing. There are  few scenes of battle but it doesn’t take over the movie in any way…..otherwise I maybe would have struggled more because the scenes they did show were pretty graphic and hard to see. Sally Field also made a fabulous performance as Mary Todd Lincoln. She can’t do any part badly can she? She is so talented. Lincoln was just as Amazing played by Daniel Day Lewis. I have to say a protect myself from things a lot because it’s hard for me to see pain and suffering…even in movies. If I watch it I can maybe watch it once and then it is permanently embedded in my mind….and I will never watch it again. Lincoln was just the right amount that I could maybe watch it again. But the moving parts made it so worth it. When Thaddeus ( Tommy) gives a speech about Equal rights …and how we shouldn’t oppress, I was moved to tears. My college studies focused on that very subject. Coming back from an island not to long ago that has slavery alive and well…so much oppression as a whole. Depending on where you live in America ….it seems we haven’t come that far. It wasn’t that many years ago that we had segregated areas, schools and business’ It hurts my heart to think about it. Moving indeed. Gave me lots to think about.

I hope you all had a loving beautiful Holiday. Jesus was alive and well with us. I am so thankful for his birth.

Many blessings

C