The 12 Days of Christmas... Day 6

Christmas Day has come and gone but here we are trying to continue in the celebration of Christmas. This is easier because Gary has the week off work and so the days have a different feel to them. Tonight the girls are spending the night with friends, the boys are playing the Wii (surprise, surprise) and so I find myself with a few minutes to enojoy a wine cooler and blog. Christmas this year had a special feel to it. I am not sure why but I felt less stressed. Maybe as the years go by I am finally accepting that things will never be perfect. There will never be a perfect Christmas day where everything is done, I have completed all that I wanted during Advent and everyone behaves perfectly. Instead I enjoyed the presents I did find even if they weren't homemade and/or wrapped beautifully. I treasured watching Thomas in the Christmas play before Mass in spite of the fact that I forgot my camera and couldn't record the event. I relaxed on the drive to my mom's knowing whenever we arrived was fine with everyone there. It was so special to spend Christmas Eve with my wonderful husband, our excited children, my generous mom and stepdad and of course my brother and sister and their families. With the exception of the year of the ice storm that caused us to lose power for a number of days I think we have spent every year since our children were little at my mom's. In the past people have asked if I feel like I am missing out by not being in our own home on Christmas Eve and I can answer "no" we don't miss out on anything because when we come home we have our own special Christmas morning. Instead we gain the special memories of the children opening the presents that fill their stockings with granny and papa looking on and then everyone lounging while I sit with a cup of tea and visit with my mom. I am truly blessed! We are truly blessed!