Christmastime
I've not been a faithful blogger this month. It's been a busy month, although I've had little to do. Not sure how that works out. However, I just returned from 5 days visiting my parents in Iowa for the holiday. It's good to be back, although it was a nice visit. Not very exciting, but nice. I did, however, eat a lot and sleep a lot and I came home with some good gifts. My favorite two things were my beautiful Christmas card from my husband (awwww....) and my hefty gift card from my parents to TJ Maxx (which I spent this morning in less than an hour!).
Friday we spent upwards of 7 hours in the car whilst venturing down to the great state of Iowa. We stopped in the Cities to have lunch with our friend, Mike, at Noodles & Co. I LOVE Noodles. Their Pad Thai is delicious. We also had to make a stop at Cabella's in Owatonna, for the hubby. He was looking for black powder items, for his gun. He's going to begin making his own bullets for this gun, which, in the long run, is quite frugal of him.
When we arrived in Iowa, my mother wasn't home from work yet. We were sitting in the East Room (that's what we call the TV room, because it's on the east side of the house) and Mom came home and walked straight into the East Room and just stood there staring at us and smiling. "Hi Mom." She started gushing, "You guys are a sight for sore eyes!" (Actually she said something like, "You guys are sore eyes!" But I corrected her.) If you can help it, don't stop having children after just one, and if you can't help it and have only one, please don't stand and stare at them like you've never seen them before when they're 29 years old.
Saturday we were back in the vehicle, heading southeast to Cedar Rapids, where I met up with three of my girlfriends from college, Jolene, Sara, and Ann. Jolene is almost 8 months pregnant, Sara is a 3rd grade teacher and single, and Ann lives in Grand Rapids wtih her husband where she teaches band. I usually only get to see these girls a couple times a year, so any time with them is time well spent!
Sunday night was the Christmas Eve Service at my parent's church. I say "my parent's church," because it is not the church I grew up in. My parents left that church a few years ago, I'm glad to say, and are now a part of an evangelical Lutheran church. The Lutheran part isn't important, the evangelical part is. Anyway, it was filled with people I grew up with and it was weird. I'm sorry, there's just something weird about seeing people you went to gradeschool with walking around with babies and toddlers and children. And I always have to wonder if they really ENJOY living in our hometown. As it was, I couldn't wait to get the h*ll out of there!
Monday was presents and preparing Christmas dinner, both of which were nice. The dinner was tasty and my grandparents were able to come and eat with us. We actually had a really nice time with my grandparents, who are getting up there in years, and it was good to be able to sit with them for several hours and just chat. I only see them about once a year. That's how it's always been, even though they only live 1 hour from my folks. My parents and I have always made our friends our family, rather than being uber close with our family. Not sure why that was.
Tuesday we got up and left, only to drive the 6.5 hours back to Fargo. We made really good time, so that was pleasing to my rear end....
I'm quite glad to report that I didn't have that sinking feeling after all the presents are opened and after the company leaves the house. I think it's the first year that hasn't happened. I guess Christmas isn't nearly the big deal that it was when I was a kid. It's just a time to enjoy, and to thank God for sending his Son to be born a human to walk the earth like us. I made sure to try to be thoughtful of that as I went about my day on the 25th. Otherwise, Christmas truly is just a materialistic day where you eat too much and get presents that wear out eventually. THAT is incredibly depressing, I must say, and for those who don't have Christ as their Savior must have that sense of dread down in their souls. That question, "Is this all there is?" lingers in the back of my mind, from my days before Christ.
This coming weekend is more Christmas celebration, with my husband's family. That always produces a sense of dread in my soul, as well. But, there will be spear fishing, so I will be glad to be sitting out on the ice, waiting for an unlucky fishie to come my way so I can spear it. I hope it's a walleye. But, on top of more Christmas celebration is the New Year's celebration as well, and it always gets overlooked since we're doing the Christmas thing during that time. I've always hated New Year's, especially when I was younger. I didn't drink, so that made that holiday very uncomfortable for me, and often very lonely.
I'm looking forward to a New Year. I'll leave the New Year's talk for another blog, but I am looking forward to it. I'm turning over some new leaves, so that's exciting. I hope everyone who reads this (all three of you) had a Christmas worth remembering.
Friday we spent upwards of 7 hours in the car whilst venturing down to the great state of Iowa. We stopped in the Cities to have lunch with our friend, Mike, at Noodles & Co. I LOVE Noodles. Their Pad Thai is delicious. We also had to make a stop at Cabella's in Owatonna, for the hubby. He was looking for black powder items, for his gun. He's going to begin making his own bullets for this gun, which, in the long run, is quite frugal of him.
When we arrived in Iowa, my mother wasn't home from work yet. We were sitting in the East Room (that's what we call the TV room, because it's on the east side of the house) and Mom came home and walked straight into the East Room and just stood there staring at us and smiling. "Hi Mom." She started gushing, "You guys are a sight for sore eyes!" (Actually she said something like, "You guys are sore eyes!" But I corrected her.) If you can help it, don't stop having children after just one, and if you can't help it and have only one, please don't stand and stare at them like you've never seen them before when they're 29 years old.
Saturday we were back in the vehicle, heading southeast to Cedar Rapids, where I met up with three of my girlfriends from college, Jolene, Sara, and Ann. Jolene is almost 8 months pregnant, Sara is a 3rd grade teacher and single, and Ann lives in Grand Rapids wtih her husband where she teaches band. I usually only get to see these girls a couple times a year, so any time with them is time well spent!
Sunday night was the Christmas Eve Service at my parent's church. I say "my parent's church," because it is not the church I grew up in. My parents left that church a few years ago, I'm glad to say, and are now a part of an evangelical Lutheran church. The Lutheran part isn't important, the evangelical part is. Anyway, it was filled with people I grew up with and it was weird. I'm sorry, there's just something weird about seeing people you went to gradeschool with walking around with babies and toddlers and children. And I always have to wonder if they really ENJOY living in our hometown. As it was, I couldn't wait to get the h*ll out of there!
Monday was presents and preparing Christmas dinner, both of which were nice. The dinner was tasty and my grandparents were able to come and eat with us. We actually had a really nice time with my grandparents, who are getting up there in years, and it was good to be able to sit with them for several hours and just chat. I only see them about once a year. That's how it's always been, even though they only live 1 hour from my folks. My parents and I have always made our friends our family, rather than being uber close with our family. Not sure why that was.
Tuesday we got up and left, only to drive the 6.5 hours back to Fargo. We made really good time, so that was pleasing to my rear end....
I'm quite glad to report that I didn't have that sinking feeling after all the presents are opened and after the company leaves the house. I think it's the first year that hasn't happened. I guess Christmas isn't nearly the big deal that it was when I was a kid. It's just a time to enjoy, and to thank God for sending his Son to be born a human to walk the earth like us. I made sure to try to be thoughtful of that as I went about my day on the 25th. Otherwise, Christmas truly is just a materialistic day where you eat too much and get presents that wear out eventually. THAT is incredibly depressing, I must say, and for those who don't have Christ as their Savior must have that sense of dread down in their souls. That question, "Is this all there is?" lingers in the back of my mind, from my days before Christ.
This coming weekend is more Christmas celebration, with my husband's family. That always produces a sense of dread in my soul, as well. But, there will be spear fishing, so I will be glad to be sitting out on the ice, waiting for an unlucky fishie to come my way so I can spear it. I hope it's a walleye. But, on top of more Christmas celebration is the New Year's celebration as well, and it always gets overlooked since we're doing the Christmas thing during that time. I've always hated New Year's, especially when I was younger. I didn't drink, so that made that holiday very uncomfortable for me, and often very lonely.
I'm looking forward to a New Year. I'll leave the New Year's talk for another blog, but I am looking forward to it. I'm turning over some new leaves, so that's exciting. I hope everyone who reads this (all three of you) had a Christmas worth remembering.
posted by Heather | 1:13 PM
2 Comments:
Does that make me number four? I'm glad you had a great Christmas. Mine was nice too. I don't really do New Years either, but I'm trying to come up with "resolutions" this year. I usually come up with a few "goals" every semester and it's interesting to go back and see what I have accomplished and continue to do and what I still need to work on. Anyway, I hope to see you soon. Know that I love you both (you and Chris).
Merry Christmas. Sounds like you had a similar time to me and Billy in the I'm-in-my-hometown-and-am-seeing-all-these-people-I-grew-up-with kind of way!
Happy New Year to ya!
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