It's almost Christmas!!!!

I'm beginning to fill a little like Charlie Brown.  He has the best intentions, but things don't quite always turn out the way he wants and he is so under appreciated.  I'm doing the best I can, but I'm easily distracted.


I'm trying to finish up the Christmas shopping.  I WANT TO BE DONE SO BAD!  


Missing the family this year, but Kellen, he's a keeper.  He is the default kid at the house and will represent his siblings here at Christmas.  He is game for anything and doesn't give me too bad of a time over my idiosyncrasies.  Kellen's birthday is the 21st and he wants Black Rice Pudding.  It's some kind of Thai food and he only likes it at this one place.  I am hosting a Birthday Dinner party for his birthday at his favorite Thai food restaurant.  He has made the reservation for 8 people.  Not all his friends can come.  I'm not a fan of Thai food, but I'm willing to give it a go and celebrate my son's 29 years of making me laugh!


So, Christmas Day is not the big deal at the Park house, it is what is going to happen on the 26th, the day after Christmas and for the rest of the week.  I have invited Dennis's sister, Marilynn, to come up from Arizona with her two children, Rachelle (16) and James (13 and 6'2").  They need to spend some time with Gr. Martha while she is still able to enjoy people's company.  They are staying for a week.  It will be my job to keep the teenagers busy and entertained.  Marilynn will be one the hygienists during that week and will be working with Dennis at his office.  They leave on the Sunday, January 2nd.  


Anyway, all the planning falls on me.  All the doing falls on me.  All the shopping falls on me.  Delegate to Dennis?  I have done that a few times and I have to ask myself, do I really want to make my life a little harder?  He's not that into seeing the vision of what I want done, nor does he truly appreciate the ambiance I wish to imbue to our holiday season celebration.  Maybe it's a guy thing.  I'm really missing my daughters this year.  They understand.  They know!


And not to be bringing attention to myself, but it is my birthday on the 26th.  Yes, little ol' me born the day after Christmas.  I'm used to being forgotten and that's OK.  I'm old and I don't want to be reminded of how old.  I will be cooking my own Christmas dinner:  Emeril's Lasagna, Lettuce and Spinach salad, garlic toasted french bread.  I have never liked birthday cakes so I will also be making my own pies for the occasion.  I'm sure my Mother knows which one I want, yes indeed, a Mincemeat pie!  And for the other, fresh blueberry pie!  Sorry, Dennis, if you buy a frozen pie and think that is good enough, I will throw it like Frisbee to the rottweiler next door.  


All these birthdays really to do help me to remember the true meaning of Christmas, that a little baby was born, that angels proclaimed his birth with great joy, that shepherds came to worship the little babe born the King of Kings, that He was the only Begotten Son in the flesh, that He is the Redeemer of the world.  Yes, I feel such love for my Savior this time of year.  I love singing the Christmas carols.   When I do, I feel like part of the Heavenly choir that sang to the shepherds on that starlit night.  Yes, I love Christmas!