The Rehashing Christmas Post

It's amazing how fast time goes by sometimes...I meant to write a post that summarized our whirlwind at Christmas, along with requisite photos and maybe even a video, and here we are now almost two weeks later. Considering how different and fast paced Christmas and everything surrounding it was for us this year, perhaps its appropriate that I'm writing about Christmas in January (at least that's my story).  In any event, this may not be the blog post I envisioned, but it is the blog post I did write to rehash our 2014 Christmas.

The most significant change for this year's Christmas, in terms of celebrating, is that my parents became snow birds and as such were south enjoying nice weather when we got together with my sister's family to celebrate. Despite that *different* feeling, it was good, and will be a Christmas get together I will remember for a while. Its not that anything incredible happened, but it was the first Christmas my sister and I celebrated with just our respective families, and that made it unique. As my mom texted me the day we got together, she was glad we were able to get together. So was I. It was good to see my sister and my nephew and niece, to see there happiness in the holiday. It was good to spend more time visiting with my sister's new-ish boyfriend. There was good food, and good conversation. All in all, it was a very good time.

As a result of celebrating Christmas on the 23rd with my sister, and not going to Jackie's family until the day after Christmas, we were able to be home all day on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning and afternoon. Such a different experience for us, as we have always felt like we are traveling over this holiday. We went to the Christmas Eve service in our local church for the first time, and had a truly relaxed and enjoyable Christmas morning at home, making a special breakfast for everyone (Blueberry pancakes for Maia, omelettes for Jackie and I, some sausage for Ellie), and just soaking up the experience of having a 2 year old on Christmas morning and her genuine excitement. It seems in the past that Christmas, unfortunately I suppose, because a series of tasks to complete off a list. With Maia, its becoming fun again, it has that magic that we all remember when we were kids. Its true joy to witness that magic all over again in a child.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/4jtDa4G0SAY]

After the enjoyable morning, and then just moving at our own pace, we hit the road to Jackie's family to celebrate Christmas on the Friday after. Simply, another great day, and amazing to witness the energy a toddler can have at Christmas (we celebrated twice that day). The one Christmas seems crazy because there several dogs involved, who bring their own version of chaos and magic to the holiday, and the other Christmas seems crazy because it involves extended family, so the numbers grow. But they are always such times, and I always feel so incredibly fortunate. I picked Jackie, so to speak, to be my partner. A partner's family is always a gamble. I've been fortunate, as her family has been overwhelming supportive and generous to both of us, and now Maia.

And it seems that's where my thinking ends up every year at Christmas. Your own family is a lottery, you have no control over it. A partner's family is a gamble, because you choose the partner, not the family. As Christmas reminds me every year, I am fortunate to be a part of two amazing families, and I am overjoyed that Maia gets to be a part of that as well.