Holiday Heaven

Xmas is coming. I love it. Xmas is my favorite time of year. Actually, the entire span of time between the Monday before Thanksgiving and New Year's Day is bliss. Beauty. Love.

I've mentioned before my issues with religion, so for me the holidays are not about the religious aspect of it. It's about family. I love being around family- even though a lot of us are crazy. And that is the truth.

This year is going to be especially familyish. My youngest sister is getting married between Xmas and New Year's. It will be in Florida where my other sister lives. That means that the whole family is heading down to Florida to spend a week together celebrating this event. And the best part is, we have little Reesy's first Xmas! How cool is it that Reese gets to experience her first Xmas, then be a guest at her parents' wedding, and then have her first New Year's Day all in the same week?

As fun as spending the holidays in Florida with the fam will be, there is the issue of getting there and back. I have been elected as my mother's mode of transport which means twelve hours straight in the car with her. At first it won't be so bad, it's the last eleven and a half hours I'm worried about. Mom and I are similar in many ways, including our tendency to be stubborn. This could lead to all sorts of problems, beginning with the radio. I love road trips and have my set ways on how to travel. My first stop is to rent some books on CD. I read constantly and a twelve hour road trip is like a dream come true. Twelve straight hours of an audio book! What could be better? My mother, on the other hand, reads nothing more than her People magazine. I told her about my audio book plans and she was actually speechless for about two whole seconds. And then she protested. Which is why I told her that I will be downloading all sorts of "motherish" songs onto my ipod for her to listen to for twelve hours. This didn't exactly please her. It will work out though, I am infinitesimally more stubborn than her and I can hold out until I win.

Now, my parents are divorced and have been for over fifteen years. The crazy thing is that they get along better now than they ever did when they were together. So we have nothing to worry about. My parents have been spending holidays together for many years now. We children have decided that having to choose between the two of them on holidays sucks, so we have found common ground by just having the both of them with us at the same time. Thank goodness they are cool about it.

I am now counting down the days. My two best Xmases were the ones spent out of town. Both happen to have been spent in New Orleans with my aunts. The only thing missing there was my mother. And Kyle- who has spent the last four dang Xmases with her boss and her family. Don't even get me started. My point is that I foresee a very happy and enjoyable holiday season.

I can't wait!