Christmas/Holiday Plans???

[Minnymouth]

We here on the forum are "almost" like family.....

We discuss everything, bankruptcy, lovelife, divorces, kids, pets, travels etc.

What are your plans for the upcoming Holidays.....

Big Christmas Dinner???
New Years Eve Party?
Quiet - Family Only?
Church Services?
Sitting around watching Parades and Games?

Now me,

Me and my "babies" will sleep late, watch the Parades, then spend the evening with Friends........ and count our Blessings.....

Minny

[StaciMM]

C'mas Eve: Go to C'mas Eve service at church, T-bones for dinner (Courtesy of MIL), watch It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, eat cheese & crackers. After kids go to bed, 'Santa' will put stuff under the tree.

C'mas morning: Up bright & early, DH goes out first to set up the video camera (shoot-didn't list that on my petition, but we got it 5+ years ago so it would have fit in our exemptions anyhow) and then one by one open gifts, starting w/ the youngest.

C'mas late morning: Head over to the in-laws for C'mas turkey dinner, homemade noodles, etc. and then more of the gift exchange, again youngest first.

C'mas evening: Cleanup as much as possible-garbage runs on Monday morning!

NY's is at our house. My SIL will come over, possibly my sister & her family, and a couple of friends. My BIL used to join us, but he has a new job in IL and won't be home.

[pink_amulet]

Christmas eve: Just hubby and kids....nice ham dinner, with all the fixings. we watch a movie,a and each open gift. We give the kids our gifts to them.

Christmas day: Kids open "Santa" gifts, and we got to my parent's house. My parents give hubby and I all of our gifts and those to my boys. We have a wonderful big breakfast and Mimosa's (champagne and Orange juice) Then we head off to the big family dinner and gathering , and do the BIG exchange and grab bag.

New year eve and New years day: hubby, boys, and I have a quite hoilday...but this year we should get a our discharge on 12/30, so that will be a wonderful gift!!



pink_amulet

[edwards2]

I love Christmas but this year will be kind of tough emotionally. Lost my mom a year ago last month. She always decorated their house for every holiday and I have carried on that tradition. She had such great taste I like to think I inherited a little of that. I thought my youngest son (now 16) would be too old for decorations, etc., but he seems to still get off on it. Our neighborhood has a Christmas decorating contest every year. They get an impartial judge who awards cash prizes to the top 3 winners...we have won 1st and 2nd place a few times. It is really fun because it is done in conjunction with the town's luminary night. Every neighborhood is supposed to put out luminaries so that the whole town is sort of lit up! Anyway, we go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve and open gifts Christmas Day. We take turns with my in-laws having holiday dinners so we are having Christmas dinner at our house. My husband has a big family too so it is a tight squeeze but still fun. I have siblings but sadly they have soul searching to do before we can socialize with them again. Hopefully the new year will make them realize what is really important. Sorry did not mean to be philosophical or a downer I am truly grateful for all the blessings I have received. Happy holidays!

[AMISLANDER]

Xmas Eve...

We are reading our holiday stories (my boyfriend's family has this every year...you can write about whatever you want and you have to read it outloud)...and we drew names at Thanksgiving for our "stocking" person. You get a stocking & fill it....for example, this year, I actually got my boyfriend so I was at Books a Million, yesterday...found a little stocking stuffer book, "the jumbo Duct Tape book" by the Duct Tape guys, also some instant Irish accent mouth spray, radically changes the way you speak, works instantly!(it's a gag thing)......and then I'll have some serious stuff in there as well...for Xmas, we're going to Bush Gardens in Tampa...and no, I am not a thrill seeker, I will not be going on the 200ft straight drop on Sheikra...I do not have enough insurance.......

[AAAArt]

Just the wife and I for Christmas. She is a 2 time cancer survivor and 2 of her closest friends (sisters) died at this time of year, so she still remembers them. Christmas Eve will be 2 church services. Small presents for each other. Christmas Day is church, then lunch at a buffet, then out to her parents about 35 miles away. (Our dryer just went out, so that is our present to each other this year)
My 2 grown daughters are coming for about 3 days between Christmas and New Year's. This is the hardest part for me. I still remember being poor and how it stressed my parents and being poor and how it stressed us when the girls were young. I have been very fortunate in that the last 10-12 years I haven't had to worry much about money. Normally, when my daughters visit, we take them out to eat a lot, but I already told them that we would be going through cook books and cooking together. They like that and were cool with the idea. Also we will do some movies and some videos.
Wife has never had any children and she gets along real with mine. Should be fun, but I'm still feeling emotional over being "broke" this year. Art

[robivi3]

Just our traditional Christmas this year. Family, Church. I have to work Christmas and Christmas Eve at this point, low car counts seem to run our lives at some points. It's no biggie. I'll get double time plus 32hrs. of leave time (we get three days) for it so I'm well compensated. I still will be off if possible, but I work 6am to 2 so no big deal plus it's on a weekend so "gravy train".

We will however observe our one great tradition and break out the MST3k Movie. We have one of the few surviving VHS tapes of the movie and we only watch it on Christmas Eve. Odd tradition, but it's ours.

[StaciMM]

My parents will be here for Christmas. I'm excited! I haven't seen them in a while. They'll drive down on Sat., will be w/ us overnight & for Cmas dinner on Sun. Not sure after that-they may head to see my sister and stay w/ her a night, or just go to her place on Monday and then head home that evening. (My sister works for Walgreens, doesn't know when she'll be working/off. My mom will have to be home Monday night to work Tuesday morning.)

[AAAArt]

We will however observe our one great tradition and break out the MST3k Movie. We have one of the few surviving VHS tapes of the movie and we only watch it on Christmas Eve. Odd tradition, but it's ours.

Those guys were fantastic!!! Enjoy
1 Art

[robivi3]

AAAArt! another MST3K fan! I sent Mary Jo Pehl a sort of thank you email for playing "Perl" after I heard her on NPR which tweaked me to look for some MST paraphanalia. She's gave me a nice reply and thanked me and my family for watching and showing some interest in her reports also (I also let her know that I wasn't a fruit cake but stumbled on her site while looking for the MST3K The Movie DVD). I loved MST3K and have bought afew VHS's off ebay. The Movie DVD goes for a minimum $175.00 used or new. Look it up on Ebay or Amazon. Can't afford it right now! Maybe one day.

In the mean time as the Movie goes "Run Ruth, run!" "Brilliant strategy, thanks Napolean!"

I miss Brain Guy, Perl, Dr. Forrester Mike and Joel and of course Gypsy, Tom Servo, Crow and Cambot. "Mike broke the Hubble, Mike broke the Hubble!"

[Genenco]

Well, I'm stripping out the livingroom...The love seat goes, the couch stays and a couple more chairs.

Again, I am cook for the group..I just wish my sisters would put aside their tiff for 24 hours and celebrate which is Moms last Christmas in her own place and possibly her last of her life.

Mom did tell me she wanted a couple of "Daily outfits" which I agreed to..Plus maybe a nice outfit.

Everyone else gets a $50 gift card....

(Hey everyone, don't tell Lightning I'm spending $500 on my family instead of creditors..He'll be so sad for his friends)

[jennga]

Unfortunately we found out today that DDH will have surgery on the 23rd, hopefully I can bring him home on Christmas Eve. So we will be right here at home being as joyful as we can be in light of all that is going on with his health. The surgery is to biopsy a big lymph node that is close to his aorta so it will be kinda tricky to get it out. ALmost certain that he has lymphoma but hopefully it will be the easy to cure type.

If it were'nt for my precious granddaughter I'm not sure I could get in the spirit, but she is such a little angel that brightens our life. She lives with us and always has. She keeps us excited and not thinking too much about what lies ahead.

[Minnymouth]

It's amazing the joy in a child's eyes and heart can help make all other problems seem a little easier to accept.....

Hope all goes well with your husband and the surgery....
Its hard enough to deal with bankruptcy and then throw in all the other "problems" that life can deal out.......

Sometimes seems there's "no end in sight"....

Let that granddaughter be "good medicine" for him. She can lighten his heart and his mind....

We'll be praying for him and you, just keep hanging in there, girl....