Oh, the holidays.

This is a time for celebrating. A time to spend with friends and family. A time to enjoy good food. A time to be thankful. A time to remember.

A time for stress.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We enjoyed time with Clark's family and introduced Michael to relatives that he won't remember (for obvious reasons) until he's older. He was the star of the few days we were there.

We are finally at a point where we have our Christmas tree and are attempting to decorate it. I'm a little disappointed it's taken us so long. After all, we only get to enjoy our tree for around ten days before we hit the road/air to visit family.

December 15th we head to see Clark's family. Then the 19th we fly to see my family. We return the 29th. Then we head to see Clark's family through New Year's. Then we finally come home.

That's why I love the holidays. It's an excuse to finally get together with friends and family, to spoil them, to truly remind yourself what you have to be thankful for.

This past Saturday we took a road trip for *surprise* Christmas gifts for the family, as well as for ourselves, really. We then went a little farther and got our Christmas tree in Avery County. Home. We didn't make it all the way to Banner Elk because poor Michael had enough for the day... but we were right there.




I must admit that this season I am completely "home" sick for Banner Elk, the snow, our old condo.

It's important for the holidays to be with the ones you love. Therefore, I know that I'm going to be more than all right. Even if this place doesn't quite feel like home, I'll be with my son and my husband and therefore I really will be home.

Today I think people make the holidays about all the wrong things. Yes, Thanksgiving has turned into a holiday that's all about good food and football. But shouldn't we celebrate being THANKFUL for what we have? Even if something goes wrong and a dish burns, or the turkey doesn't cook right... we should still be thankful for the food.

Christmas is all about love. You can't argue that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. God sent his only son into a world full of sin so he could die for us so we may experience eternal life and love.

So shouldn't the focus be more on love rather than presents?

I feel so stressed out about cooking for friends and sending/ordering/buying gifts that I'm really not focusing on the reason for the season. I can admit that.

As a "Newfangled Housewife" I want my house to be perfect, my food to be delicious (and appreciated by many), and I want to have everything in tact for my son's first Christmas.

It's probably not going to happen that way this year.

So, to try and focus on the *Reason for the Season*, tonight I think I'll enjoy a cup of hot chocolate (with a candy cane to stir it, perhaps) and cuddle up with my husband, son, and pets to enjoy "A Charlie Brown Christmas". I think Linus and Charlie Brown always do a good job of reminding everyone what Christmas is really about.