The Stanalands

Its that time of year again. The stockings are hung by the chimney with care…in hopes that that St. Nicholas will come and go and we get our house back together just in time to pack it up to move to the new house. YAY! A bigger house! (I will talk about that in another blog later on…I am here to talk about Christmas with the kids)

This year is a little different than the ones in the past. Instead of having all six kids throughout the Christmas holidays, we have only had two (Nathan and Taylor). Today we gained a third (Clinton). We will get two more back on Christmas Eve (Andrew and Brendon), and we get #6 back on New Year’s Eve (Charlotte).

Last year we had all six kids, plus both sides of our large families. On top of all the people, we had only been together as a family and in this house since September. (Three months is REALLY not enough time to put a house together, much less a tight, cohesive family bond) I think that this year is so much better. We did not overspend this year. We know what will make everyone happy, and we are not trying to compensate for the loss of one parent or another through divorce. We are not trying to compensate for all the changes that the kids have gone through, and we realize now that our kids just don’t need that much crap. What we give them will end up being used and not put into a pile in their closet.

I am also not cooking Christmas dinner this year. There is going to be a ham and a roast beef, along with a few types of breads and cheeses. Sandwiches anyone? Oh yes. We have broken everything in. Our family is broken in, our house is broken in, our hearts are broken in. (And just in time to move to the new house! *but alas* that is for another blog!)

Merry Christmas to everyone, and Happy New Year in case I don’t talk to you again before then.