Home for the Holidays
7:27 a.m. - 2005-12-28
Boy, it seems like I've been gone for a really long time. I haven't felt a bit like writing lately, and don't know why.
So, Christmas. When I was just a wee thing, Christmas lasted one day. On Christmas Eve my family lit a fire in the fireplace and sat around reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and about Jesus being born. Then we'd sing a couple of carols and put the cookies out for Santa and go to sleep. We'd wake up EARLY Christmas morning and open all our gifts (we were Very Spoiled) and then get ready to go to Mamaw's house. After we'd eaten lunch and seen a bunch of relatives I barely knew there, we'd load up in the car and go to Nanny's house for dinner. We'd come home exhausted and smiling, and would spend Christmas night playing with the things Santa brought us.
That's how Christmas is SUPPOSED to be.
Now Christmas lasts at LEAST three (sometimes four) days. My parents are easy, because they strictly forbid us from buying them anything. I used to get them stuff anyway, but this year I decided that I'd take them at their word. I've had my hands plenty full with the baby, and it was all I could do to get her a few little things. Besides, now that I have a kid, I'd much rather people just get her something instead of buying me yet another manicure set or lotion/body wash/spritz gift.
Since I only have one set of grandparents left, and they only live ten miles away, it's really no big deal to run down there for a couple of hours on Christmas Eve. They only have two kids and three grandkids (and now one great grandchild), and my uncle doesn't have anything to do with his family, so it's not a huge deal. This year they got the baby a gift, and the rest of us ate and enjoyed each other's company.
Alan's family, however...
There's his mom, and her husband. Then you have his brother, his wife, and their four kids. His dad and stepmother, and his grandmother on that side. His uncles and aunts and stepbrothers and cousins, and OH MY GOD I'VE SEEN ENOUGH OF MY IN-LAWS.
Thankfully, we made it through without any major mishaps or arguments, and aside from his dad coming in this weekend for New Year's (WHY?), we'll hopefully be able to go a couple of months without making arrangements to get together with everyone again.
I think that dealing with his family for the past seven years is one of the reasons it took me so long to set a wedding date. The thought of going through a divorce and my child having to deal with all that terrifies me.
We're heading down to south Louisiana tonight, because Alan has to have a physical tomorrow. If he passes that, he'll just be waiting on a phone call to tell him where he'll be placed.
Yeah, he's going back to work in the oil field. I hate that it's come to this, but we need the money and insurance, and he's sick of not getting paid what he's worth at his current job.
It just sucks to think that Ali and I will have to go two weeks at a time without seeing him. So I'm going to try NOT to think about it, at least for now.