We had our first "family" Christmas at out house this year. Everything went pretty smoothly I think. I tried real hard to be nice to eveybody this year so they would want to do it again. Suprisingly enough it was not hard! For the first time in a VERY long time there was a little magic in Christmas for me. I don't exactly why, maybe it's that I am a little older, maybe I cared more this year than in years past, maybe it's because I know we won't have these forever. It doesn't matter because it was pretty good, even borderline great! I got a lot of great stuff, I tried to get Jess some good stuff, and I think I did ok for her...except for picking gloves as a gift since she already has some. But I did ok since I picked out the stuff to her from me and the kids basically on the run. Next year will be better with having more time to work with. I even listened to Christmas music on the way home from picking up some emergency call-off time work on X-mas Eve. We even got to sleep all night at work. Pretty good if you ask me. From the misses and kids I got 2 CD's (Evanescence, Jason Aldean). Colts liscence plate frame and decal. 3 Amigos on DVD. A glass bottle with a real cork. Yes I am exicted about that...see previous posts reference Civil War reenacting and you'll get it. I got many clothes from Mom, I needed those since I basically live in an EMS uniform for the last year and half (thanks to Methodist for that one). From sis a new penguin mug, not an exact replacement for the one that fell and broke. But still a nice mug. I got like an entire case of Vienna weiners from Mom. Which is pretty funny, I used to eat those a lot in the service...limited room in an Abrams tank so they store well and have a shelf life of like 2 years. So I got that going for me. A book from Mom that brought some hidden away mushy stuff back to the front of my mind. A summer sausage...my grandaddy Spook used to eat a lot of summer sausage, and I picked it up from him. I actually got to looking and could see the joy and wonderment on the faces of my boys and girl. So for me this year Santa Claus is real again. Just a little bit of that magic that is there when you are 6 or 7 years old and go to see all the packages that weren't there the night before. The only part that kinda put a smudge on the day was a brief arguement between me and the misses. She does so much around the house and with the kids. Quite a bit I don't get to see her do, it just gets done. I know there is no housework fairy to come in and do it. I don't help her out enough. Normally by the time I get to thinking she needs some help...duh...it's mostly done. I know she works hard and gets little thanks for it. I appreciate it but it's not always well shown. I want to come home and relax after work, but unlike other folks my getting home time is their getting going time. Not to mention I have been feeling pretty beat up lately and my bakc is downright killing me. No fun. HOPEFULLY, my last evaluator is signing me off from my precepting and the 28th will be the last 5 hours I will ever have to work for free. Let's all cross our fingers on that one. It's the last big push and I am SO tired of it. So to you who happen to read these lines, I hope you found some magic this Christmas, and your stockings were filled with coal. Love your family, give them big hugs. To Jess, Merry Christmas. I hope everybody gets a brand new start this New Year, we all need a new start every now and again. Not a do over mind just a chance to get that right path figured out and started on. Do it for yourself anf the folks you love. If you are down hang in a little longer, and let somebody know. It's not worth keeping it in. I have seen the results, and it's not pretty. Happy Holiday, whatever you observe.
