How are you handling the holidays?

[teacher_jessica]

Historically we have spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas days with my IL's. My mom hosts a day after thanksgiving celebration so as not to conflict and we seem to celebrate Christmas with my side on a random day before or after Christmas.

My mom & stepdad live 2 hours away and my IL's are 90 minutes away. So we can't really drive from place to

Comments

[sarahmarie0730]

Easy! We just make everyone come to us:) We are the only ones in our families that have a little one (or really a kid for that matter) so it is just easiest for everyone to come here. We do go to a Christmas Eve party with all of Patrick's extended family, but we come home early enough to put Nelia to bed (8ish). Oh, and we celebrate the holidays with both famlilies together as opposed to doing different celebrations with each family.

[tickledpink26]

That is so touching about your dad. What a selfless way to spend the holidays. As for family time, we have always said that once we have kids, we want Christmas in our home. We're willing to travel the day after or have J's parents come to us (mine live in town), but growing up we both always had Christmas with our family in our home and loved that. Right now since we don't have kids yet, we spend every Christmas with J's parents (they live 6 hours away) and celebrate with my family when we get back. It's tough to not get to spend Christmas with my family, but I've started to get used to it! Hope it works out for you guys exactly as you hope.

[littlecindy]

wow about your dad...

our familys are like a triangle from us. it's 1.5 to my parents from our house and 1.5 hours from their place to doug's family and 1.5 hours back home. so we see them both thanksgiving weekend and around christmas. they "duked it out" a couple years ago to decide who gets what dates. we do thanksgiving at my parents, black friday with his, christmas eve at his and christmas day at mine. it's a lot of driving in a weekend, but it makes them both happy to see us so we do it.

[littlest_e]

Gosh Jess, Robert and I had to have that very difficult discussion last year because I felt like my traditions were not being honored (nor my wishes) while we were saddled with all the responsibilities of meeting his family's expectations. Part of our issue is that Robert's parents have no one other than their two children. The other is that they refused to adopt the American traditions and insist on celebrating on Christmas Eve and Santa comes then. At first I thought that was a blessing because we could then honor both his side as well as ours. But it meant we did all the travel and that Christmas morning was really spent driving everywhere. But my nephews started to tumble to the fact that there really wasn't Santa very early because of this mixed message (they would celebrate Christmas morning with their dad - parents are split) and that made me really sad. Then last year it dawned on me that MY children wouldn't get to wake up Christmas morning to a living room filled with Christmas lights and evidence that Santa had been

[elissab]

I should not really weigh in as our situation is probably pretty easy.

We will always wake up in our house - that is important to Chris and I for Avery and any future children.

My family typically takes precedence as it is more important for me to be with them then it is for Chris to be with his family - and his family is all spread out.

If and when my brother's family lives somewhere else is the only reason we would perhaps not be in our house for Christmas AM.

One of the things we have done to accomodate all is to host brunch on Christmas day in order for people to all see us and drop in when it is easiest for them - as well as it is less expensive and time consuiming to prepare.

I love the thoughts about your dad.