Single at Christmas

So it is Christmas Eve Eve. I am sure there are many people out there who think that Christmas is a lonely time for us singles. Luckily for me, I have a large family that I love and get to spend time with during the Holidays. In fact, by Christmas evening, I will be glad to be at my house, By Myself! I love being around people, but only in small doses...and my family is a Large Dose.

I have two wonderful little nephews and a wonderful little niece. These take the place of any children I might have wanted of my own. Who am I kidding? I am not sure I EVER really wanted kids of my own. I am just too selfish with my own time to have kids. However, I love my niece and nephews. I love to spend time with them and buy them lots of stuff. As Elsie says, "You spoil me." That's right...and as an Aunt...that's my job!

So as I sit her blogging and having a night-cap (Smirnoff and Cranberry juice), I am anticipating the next two days of Holiday Cheer.

First it is off to town to get green onions for the dip I'm making (I was sooo... mad when I realized I had forgotten them) and then it's time to get ready for Christmas Eve with my dad's side of the family. This is the crazy side. Loud and Opinionated. We all are...except the "marry-ins" and you can spot them a mile away. They're usually sitting in a corner, quietly trying to get through the evening. Twenty people in the room and thirty conversations going. No one really listens to what the other person is saying because they're too worried about what they, themselves, are saying. Oh, and we're always right. Yep. That makes for very interesting debates...

After meeting up at Grandma's and having some snacks, it is off to the Candle Light Service. I will have to leave early in order to run the soundbooth during the service. I'm sure that'll be an experience in itself. I love Candle Light Service. It is so peaceful and helps start the Christmas Holiday off with the true spirit and reason for Christmas. Then it's back to G-ma's and time to not open presents. That's right. We don't do gifts. Too many of us I guess. Sometimes "Mrs. Santa" gives small gifts... we'll see.

After Christmas Eve with dad's side, it is time to go to Mom and Dad's to spend the night in preperation for Christmas Morning. This year all of us are spending the night there...this means my brother and his family are going to be there. I am so excited about this because this is the first year since he's been married with kids that they've been here for Christmas (now they live here, so...). I think I am actually slated to sleep in the same bed as my four-year-old niece. THAT will be an experience. All this means that we will wake up Christmas morning and spend the morning together. Breakfast and presents. I can't wait to see the look on those little kids' faces!

Then...it's off to my mom's family's Christmas. This is the "more normal" family. And there's not nearly as many of us. We're doing something a little different this year. For the first time we will not be exchanging presents, just doing stockings (all the women bring things to put in the stockings). Times are tough and the economy is bad... I'm not feeling it. I still have my job and gas is half what it was two months ago, so I'm good...but that's another story. Usually we get there before 9am and then have brunch before opening stockings, then gifts before a late lunch. This year we are getting there sometime before 10:30am and then stockings before lunch at noon. We're in a transitional year. Mom and I are hoping to soon have the main Christmas at her house. We have to wait for my Great Granmother (age 91) to be ready to give up cooking Christmas dinner. I think we should start softening her up this year...

I can't wait to see how people like the gifts I chose for them, especially the kids. Elsie wanted nothing more than a white kitten, "not a real kitten Aunt Amy, a stuffed kitten." Thank you Amazon. Levi's big gift from me is a new John Deere hat to replace the one that he has outgrown. John is too little to appreciate presents as much as the others, but I bought him some little toys he might like. Of course, I bought way more than just these. I couldn't help myself.

Well, I guess we'll see how it all goes down. There is always something unexpected that happens at Christmas.