Merry Christmas

Is anyone else having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit?  It seems like things just keep going wrong, but I'm really trying.

With that being said, no matter how much Christmas spirit I lack, I AM feeling extraordinarily grateful for my family and friends this year.  I don't think I've ever appreciated my family as much as I do right now.  I know this may be shocking, but I can be a difficult person to love/live with.  I'm picky, I'm anal and sometimes I go off about things that would be better off left unsaid.  Now not to go all corn-tastic on you here, but despite my (very few) shortcomings, my husband and family still love me.  Maybe they'd love me more with a little duct tape, but that's beside the point.  :)

I know we're all supposed to be thankful at Thanksgiving, and I was then too...but Christmas always means more to me, thankfulness-wise, than Thanksgiving.  It's the end of the year, almost New Year's, and it usually makes me reflect more on what's happened than I do in November.  It seems as though it's a time for reflection, perhaps regrets, and definitely improvements.  For whatever reason, I end up thinking about things that irritate the piss out of me more than improvements, but perhaps it's just my nature.  Call me critical, but I am never more caustic than when I'm judging myself.  That's why it's nice to know I'm surrounded by people who love and care about me. 

Yet it still seems like everything is going wrong.  I know this can't just be happening to me.  Every year, it's something different...but it's always some kind of unavoidable drama.  Some years it's holiday planning drama, some years it's my stupid mouth drama, some years it's so unavoidable that I don't even know I'm involved in drama.  By the time Christmas rolls around, I'm so pissed off and sick of everyone that I forget the "reason for the season" and the fact that I'm supposed to be happy. 

However, I've made a decision.  Instead of moping around and focusing on all the stupid drama that is here, yet again, just in time for the Christmas season, I am going to reflect on all the reasons my family and friends were blessed this year. 

We moved into our new house and it is every bit as wonderful as we hoped it would be.  Several of our friends got married and had babies this year, which is always exciting.  One friend got a new kidney, got a dog and got married all in the span of a year, so I think he wins the prize for best year!  The vast majority of my family is healthy and we are happy to have the opportunity to spend another Christmas with those who aren't.  Harvest didn't end until a week ago, but the corn turned out well and our contracts remained intact.  Two of our friends moved closer to us (it's a big step to move closer to the Ridge!) so we are thankful to have them near by.  Last, but certainly not least, I left the Journal-Star at what is likely the best possible time, and began to fill my time writing this blog.  I am so thankful to continue to have a creative outlet that gets a great response.  There are no words to express how wonderful it is to be praised for doing something that just feels right.  Keep the feedback coming, it really means a lot!  Oh...and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!