Christmas is Cancelled

After much discussion, debate, justifying and soul searching, Christmas has been cancelled for my family. Cancelled in the sense that we won't all be getting together and we won't be exchanging gifts this year. We've all started new jobs (me at the store, Dad and Seth & Robert) and no one can get enough time off to travel. To get time off I would have to quit my job at the store. Something I'm not really wanting to do. Seth & Robert aren't able, or willing to come home simply because it's too expensive.

We (Mom and I first and then everyone else) talked about it and we decided:

1. Christmas is for the kids. We don't have any kids around. Aaron will be 17 in January and frankly, he's much more excited about buying gifts for his friends than his family
2. None of us really *need* anything and there is NOTHING worse than buying out of obligation. Plus the boys (Seth & Robert) don't even have a place of their own. Giving them more "stuff" is silly. And exchanging gift cards is just ridiculous.
3. We had a fantastic Thanksgiving. Christmas is about togetherness and since that's not possible this year, we'll just be glad that we had a really nice time at Thanksgiving and we'll try and get together sometime in the new year. Maybe for Robert's birthday (in February), maybe not till Easter. Either works.
4. Christmas 2008 will be here in 53 weeks. The countdown is on! LOL I'm taking charge and for next year we're going away. Probably to Sun Peaks or somewhere were skiing is an option, or we can just be together. The gift question is up for debate for next year but we should all be settled in to our jobs enough to make plans. Plus next year Christmas is on a Thursday so we should have Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday to go away for.
5. Lastly I made myself sick last year with worrying about making Christmas the way it was "supposed" to be. It turned out really good but the self imposed stress was stupid. This year I've let go and realized that it's not really that bid a deal.

So there. Christmas, the way it "usually" is, won't be this year. I'm totally okay with that though. It's a huge load of my mind, especially since I'll be logging well over 60 hours of work this week and I'm working both Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. I'm not even worried about not getting or giving gifts. Between all my commitments I've attended 5 Christmas parties so far this year and I've got some really nice things there and that's more than sufficient. I do need to try and find something for my Dad's birthday (Christmas Eve) but one is easier than five.

Merry un-Christmas to you!

~Heidi

PS I will get together with my parents for dinner on Christmas day but I eat with them all the time so it's not that unique. We may be including my mom's cousin for the first time. I'll report if anything interesting happens :)