No more Christmas

and then it's over.

months of shopping and planning and music, hours of cooking and wrapping and then, boom, it's over.

every year it surprises me more and more how quickly Christmas ends how disappointing it usually is. No one admits that of course, but I like to believe most everyone feels that way.

I think most of it can be blamed on expectations. We all have this thought, this idea, of what Christmas will be, and it never is. This year was a little closer here in northwest Georgia because it snowed. Yes, snow in Georgia, special occasion indeed.

It amused me to see how many people were more annoyed than happy. We aren't used to snow interfering with our plans and heaven's knows our cars/drivers are not equipped or prepared to drive in such weather. Everyone was so excited about snow on Christmas, since that's how it's supposed to be or whatever, and then everyone was mad because they either couldn't go anywhere or it was difficult and dangerous to do so. Which brings me back to my original point about expectations.

We wake up, I look cute in my matching p.js and somehow look marvelous in every early morning picture we take...the girls shriek with excitement at every single present and the presents seem to last for hours. We eat a delicious breakfast that we all make together without arguing over who has to do the dishes or how to scramble the eggs, we get dressed in our cute little outfits and we go see family....every one is happy and the conversation never ends...once again, presents seem to last forever AND I get a few things.....this continues for a few different family outings, while playing football in the snow with my cousins my daughters play with their new presents and my hair never falls out of place....we go home, drink hot chocolate and play with their toys together before going to bed with my hair still right where it should be.


That is my dream Christmas.

Oh, and there is snow but it doesn't affect driving, at all :)

Never happens that way though. Rather, I wake up grumpy looking like a mess, don't get time for a much needed shower, Hannah is content but not thrilled with anything, family get-togethers are rushed and chaotic, and I still look like crap. By the end of the day I am exhausted and ready to cry/sleep for years. Merry Christmas.

Oh I know, I know, Jesus is the reason for the season, but it's more. Even the people who claim it is not more, secretly know it is more.

How many people do you know who wake up, sing songs to Jesus and spend the day reading the bible? No presents, no family, no secular Christmas songs? I don't know any. Not that there is anything wrong with either way of doing it, I don't care what you do, you're not me, but when I am stressed out about Christmas, or like now, tired of Christmas, it annoys me to hear "remember the reason for the season!" from people who have a Christmas tree with presents sitting in their living room and a Mariah Carey Christmas album in their car. Be real.

Anyways, Christmas is over now, and ironically enough the reasons I am glad have a lot to do with my relationship with Jesus. It is easier to be close to him January-November. Boy isn't that a sad truth?

So tomorrow we will wake up and Christmas will only be a memory and some scattered pieces of ripped up wrapping paper I will continue to find for weeks. The kid's toys will get old, I will forget to write thank-you notes and life will go on until next year.

Merry Christmas everyone! And happy New Year! (in case I don't see ya before then)