Christmas for us this year will be even more simple than last year. Yes, we still have the same 4 foot fake tree my mother-in-law gave us years ago. Bless you MomB, it has served us well! We have the same old decorations and some new ones the kids made. The kids are buying each other one gift from money they earned. They got a few gifts from my side during Thanksgiving because we don't travel for Christmas. Yes, it boils down to the lack of money but, it has given us an unexpected gift...peace. Our house is tranquil. At least where Christmas is concerned. We make treats that we will give to the postal worker, neighbors, and the few family members that live by us. And, of course, we will be decorating our gingerbread house.
I've read a lot of Facebook post over the past few weeks about Christmas. People posting about the rush to buy gifts, finding great deals, getting ready for visiting family, posting pictures of their decorated trees, and the true meaning of Christmas - Jesus. I love it all. Some of it is very entertaining while others are insightful. But all of it has made me thankful for our very simple Christmas.
We don't travel, there is no big meal, or relatives to worry about. We don't do Santa Claus and our kids don't feel deprived either. We won't get a credit card bill that will give us a heart attack, our energy bill will not be noticeably higher and we don't mail Christmas cards anymore. We do a Christmas video/card that we send out electronically. It has saved us a ton of money and is a lot of fun to make!. We go to church on Christmas Eve without fear of persecution and the next morning we sleep in. Christmas morning starts by reading the Bible and prayer, then the kids can open gifts. We sometimes spend the majority of the day in our pajamas. I may even turn the heat up to 70 as a special treat. This kind of Christmas is more than most of the world will get to experience. How in the world could I ever complain or be ungrateful.
Hi Brenda! It was nice meeting you at the MS meeting today :) I just wanted to say I hope you join the group again. I was surprised/disappointed by the group at first because I thought it was going to be more of an informational or listening experience not something I have to talk at... I am shy, incase you haven’t noticed, and don’t like being the center of attention... However the more meetings I go to the more I love them. It is so fantastic and really inspirational to hear others stories, successes, struggles, experiences, and to be able to answer any questions I can. I love having a place where the majority of folks know what MS is and the effects it has. I am fairly new to MS so it is very comforting to know I can talk with others once a month who have been there. I started going in May and haven't missed a single meeting. Its better when more people show up but I always look forward to the meetings now they are positive and everyone is very nice :) Calla lilies are my favorite to so it was easy to remember and find your blog to bad they need to be planted annually in WI. I haven't read it yet but I will when I get time. Your kids and dog are very cute. Happy Holidays!! ~Nicole
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