Ch Ch Ch Changes

The holiday season is upon us.  By this time during most years, I have usually ordered family photos and Christmas cards.  Hubby has usually developed his inventive Christmas letter.  We generally know what our plans will be and who will be giving and getting what gifts.   Last year I blogged about how our family is changing, and with those changes came some frustrations.  In the end, as I wrote, we did have a lovely Christmas with just the four of us.   However, wheels began turning to change it all up.  Those wheels are really rolling now.

As described in that post last year,  we pondered suspending the annual, traditional Tait Christmas Eve party.  It has been suspended.   We won't be in town.

That's right - we have decided to go away for Christmas!  We haven't done that for years and years.  Now that the kids are grown, it just makes sense.  We are using our Christmas Savings account to go on a trip instead of for buying presents.  The kids thought this was a great idea - memories instead of "things".

Together after great consultation, we chose Orlando, Florida.  We have been there 2 or 3 times before, so it will be different this time with four adults.  Well, some of us don't act so "adult" when it comes to the "Happiest Place in the World".   However, we look forward to some new adventures at new places.  We will be there several days before Christmas, so we hope that will mean several days before the horrendous crowds.   The other change is that we won't crowd into a single hotel room with two large beds, and a roll-away.  We will be in an affordable suite.  We are all adults now (or at least that is what I keep telling myself....!).

We decided to assign each family member a day on which he or she has to plan the activities.  The rest of the family will go along, and will do our best to not complain on the other member's "days".  Yep - we will do our BEST !  We will also only have Christmas stockings, not wrapped presents.  Gifts have to fit inside the stockings.  We are also planning to have Christmas devotionals each day to help us truly feel the spirit and joy of the season in the way that really matters.  We enjoy road trips together, so we are working on things that will help the time pass on the way as we drive down the east coast.  We have tried to convince a few family members to meet us there, but the timing isn't working out.  

It seems that my mind will be occupied by getting ready for this trip more than "getting ready for Christmas".  I have given the whole holiday very little thought.  That disturbs me a bit, actually.  I think it is in part due to being in and out of town over the past month.  We just might not send out cards this year - sorry, people.  Everything about this year's Christmas seems different to me.  And yet, of course, the true purpose of celebration has not changed.  We are just changing the way we will celebrate.

You'll have to WAIT to see how it all turns out!!  Stay tuned.....