The Christmas Season
Christmas is upon us, whether you like it or not. For the past few years it's been full of mixed emotions for me. On one hand, you have time away from work to spend with family and friends. On the other hand, there is so much travel and hustle and bustle. This year will be no different. Maybe even more hustle and bustle. Ideally, we would have Christmas at home, and everyone would be able to come. Well, realistically, that's not happening.
Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, it's by far my favorite Holiday. I love what it represents and without Christ I would be here. But, Christmas to most is nothing more than a day to get things. Most people go through Christmas thinking about what we'll get, and I'm guilty of that as well. This year, I want to make a conscious effort to think about my family and my friends and how I can give to them. I may not have a lot of money, I may not be able to pick out the "best" gift. But, I can't wait to spend some much needed and deserved time with my friends and family.
The schedule is already heating up! School lets out on Dec. 18th. After a brief stop in the weight room, Kacey and I are headed to the upstate of South Carolina to visit with my two best friends and their wives (Jon and Brittany and Jason and Lindsey). We'll spend the night at Jon's and I'm sure we'll stay up late talking about work and what Christmas is going to bring. We'll eat some good food and probably have some drinks. I can't wait. Jon has been my best friend some 9th grade. We've remained best friends since. 10 years, and we know one another better than I wives's know us, in some ways! There is always something to talk about. What makes it more special is the relationships we established with one another's family. I think of Jon's mom and dad like my 2nd mom and dad. And I know my parents look at Jon like a second son. It's pretty cool, and what's even cooler is how it has stayed that way, even through moves, new jobs, marriages, and disagreements. I look forward to spending time with them every chance I get. We'll get up Saturday the 19th and head to Asheville, NC. I'm sure we'll do some shopping, and some eating. Jason and Lindsey will meet us there, and we'll be set to tour the Biltmore House. I've always thought it would be cool to go, but never really gave it a second thought. We're finally going. Asheville is a pretty cool little town. It has lots of little shops and restaurants. I'm sure we'll have a great time. The next day, we'll head to my mom and dad's in Union, SC. Which isn't far from Jon's. We'll be in Union for nearly a week. We'll spend a lot of time being bored, as there isn't much to do in Union. I'm sure we'll find something. Dad and I will talk football, and the ladies might do some cooking. We'll visit both my grandmothers Maw-Maw and Grannie, and we'll see other family. On Christmas Eve, for as long as I can remember, we've gone to my Maw-Maw's house for supper. That's my mom's side of the family. Both my uncles and their families will come. I have 4 cousins. Three of them are married and have small children. We'll have a house full. It's so much fun. But, this year will be slightly different, we've planned to play a game, instead of drawing names out of a hat, and buying for who you drew. We're playing the Chinese auction game. Which, I have to admit, I've always hated. I'm not sure why, I guess it's b/c the others I've been a part of, no one buys cools gifts. Anyway, I am traditional, and I don't like it when tradition is broken. That night will fly by, and we'll go our separate ways. Most likely, we won't all be back together until Easter, which is sad, b/c we used to all be together every Sunday night. The next day will be Christmas, we'll wake up at Mom and Dad's like I've done every year of my life, and we'll open gifts. Dad will try to be sneaky and give mom her jewelry. We'll spend the morning cleaning up and getting ready to go to Grannie's, my Dad's mom, and see my dad's brother Tom, and his family. Heidi, his oldest will not be with us this year, she's in India, teaching English. Which blows my mind. I'm sure we will miss her, and he speed talking! At Grannie's it's all about the food. The woman can cook! She can throw down in the kitchen like none other. I know everyone feels that way about their grandma, but I challenge anyone to eat at my Grannie's and say it's not the best (insert food here) they've ever had. We'll all eat til we can't eat another bite, and around 2 we'll eat dessert! Then we will go our seperate ways, probably until next Chritmas or Thanksgiving. The journey doesn't stop there.
The next morning, Kacey and I will pack up and head north. We'll travel to western Maryland where Meme lives, that's Kacey's dad's mom. And we'll visit with her dad's side of the family. We'll eat, in my opinion, the second best food on the planet from her kitchen, and we'll eat til we can't eat another bite, then she'll break out her pinneapple dessert!!!! YUM! We'll spend a couple days up there, and have a White Chritmas. Then we'll head down the "mountain" to Kacey's hometown Frederick, MD. Where the remainder of her family lives. We'll spend a few days there with Kerry (Kacey's mom) and Katie (Kacey's sister). Along with Keith and Khris. Konfused yet? I'm sure we'll make our way to Iris' house and visit with them. It will be a very fun time, and we'll visit with a lot of people. I just hope it doesn't fly by as fast as I think it will. I hope we get to cherish it, and I wish it was more! After that, it's football season for 4-5 more days as the Bowl games are being played out, but that's another post. We'll be back in Walterboro in time to go back to work on the 4th!
Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, it's by far my favorite Holiday. I love what it represents and without Christ I would be here. But, Christmas to most is nothing more than a day to get things. Most people go through Christmas thinking about what we'll get, and I'm guilty of that as well. This year, I want to make a conscious effort to think about my family and my friends and how I can give to them. I may not have a lot of money, I may not be able to pick out the "best" gift. But, I can't wait to spend some much needed and deserved time with my friends and family.
The schedule is already heating up! School lets out on Dec. 18th. After a brief stop in the weight room, Kacey and I are headed to the upstate of South Carolina to visit with my two best friends and their wives (Jon and Brittany and Jason and Lindsey). We'll spend the night at Jon's and I'm sure we'll stay up late talking about work and what Christmas is going to bring. We'll eat some good food and probably have some drinks. I can't wait. Jon has been my best friend some 9th grade. We've remained best friends since. 10 years, and we know one another better than I wives's know us, in some ways! There is always something to talk about. What makes it more special is the relationships we established with one another's family. I think of Jon's mom and dad like my 2nd mom and dad. And I know my parents look at Jon like a second son. It's pretty cool, and what's even cooler is how it has stayed that way, even through moves, new jobs, marriages, and disagreements. I look forward to spending time with them every chance I get. We'll get up Saturday the 19th and head to Asheville, NC. I'm sure we'll do some shopping, and some eating. Jason and Lindsey will meet us there, and we'll be set to tour the Biltmore House. I've always thought it would be cool to go, but never really gave it a second thought. We're finally going. Asheville is a pretty cool little town. It has lots of little shops and restaurants. I'm sure we'll have a great time. The next day, we'll head to my mom and dad's in Union, SC. Which isn't far from Jon's. We'll be in Union for nearly a week. We'll spend a lot of time being bored, as there isn't much to do in Union. I'm sure we'll find something. Dad and I will talk football, and the ladies might do some cooking. We'll visit both my grandmothers Maw-Maw and Grannie, and we'll see other family. On Christmas Eve, for as long as I can remember, we've gone to my Maw-Maw's house for supper. That's my mom's side of the family. Both my uncles and their families will come. I have 4 cousins. Three of them are married and have small children. We'll have a house full. It's so much fun. But, this year will be slightly different, we've planned to play a game, instead of drawing names out of a hat, and buying for who you drew. We're playing the Chinese auction game. Which, I have to admit, I've always hated. I'm not sure why, I guess it's b/c the others I've been a part of, no one buys cools gifts. Anyway, I am traditional, and I don't like it when tradition is broken. That night will fly by, and we'll go our separate ways. Most likely, we won't all be back together until Easter, which is sad, b/c we used to all be together every Sunday night. The next day will be Christmas, we'll wake up at Mom and Dad's like I've done every year of my life, and we'll open gifts. Dad will try to be sneaky and give mom her jewelry. We'll spend the morning cleaning up and getting ready to go to Grannie's, my Dad's mom, and see my dad's brother Tom, and his family. Heidi, his oldest will not be with us this year, she's in India, teaching English. Which blows my mind. I'm sure we will miss her, and he speed talking! At Grannie's it's all about the food. The woman can cook! She can throw down in the kitchen like none other. I know everyone feels that way about their grandma, but I challenge anyone to eat at my Grannie's and say it's not the best (insert food here) they've ever had. We'll all eat til we can't eat another bite, and around 2 we'll eat dessert! Then we will go our seperate ways, probably until next Chritmas or Thanksgiving. The journey doesn't stop there.
The next morning, Kacey and I will pack up and head north. We'll travel to western Maryland where Meme lives, that's Kacey's dad's mom. And we'll visit with her dad's side of the family. We'll eat, in my opinion, the second best food on the planet from her kitchen, and we'll eat til we can't eat another bite, then she'll break out her pinneapple dessert!!!! YUM! We'll spend a couple days up there, and have a White Chritmas. Then we'll head down the "mountain" to Kacey's hometown Frederick, MD. Where the remainder of her family lives. We'll spend a few days there with Kerry (Kacey's mom) and Katie (Kacey's sister). Along with Keith and Khris. Konfused yet? I'm sure we'll make our way to Iris' house and visit with them. It will be a very fun time, and we'll visit with a lot of people. I just hope it doesn't fly by as fast as I think it will. I hope we get to cherish it, and I wish it was more! After that, it's football season for 4-5 more days as the Bowl games are being played out, but that's another post. We'll be back in Walterboro in time to go back to work on the 4th!
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