This year is going to be minimal as far as holiday celebrations go!
Thanksgiving saw us alone by choice but we celebrated on the Saturday after with our son and DIL at their Friendsgiving.
Christmas is also alone however we had a Facetime with our other son and granddaughter last night after she opened her musical snow globe gift from us. We are also going out to a new gourmet restaurant on Christmas Eve as our private celebration and gift.
Then for New Year's we will have a visit from son, DIL and granddaughter followed by Rose Parade get together for all at other son and DIL's.
We could have traveled to be with family. We could have taken a trip by ourselves. But this quiet holiday time was fine and each year is different once you have an empty nest!
How do you accommodate adult children's holiday obligations and wishes and still be happy?
Facetime is really great for grandparents and other family who can't be with their loved ones on special days, isn't it.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Christmas season and now you've got me hungry for Chinese.
The whole Chinese food for Christmas tradition is interesting isn't it? I recently read that it is more than simply Chinese restaurants being open on Christmas but relates to both Jews and Chinese being outsiders/shunned in earlier days so they connected socially. Don't know if that is true.
DeleteMost of the holiday will be spent here at home with our two sons. There will be a few hours Christmas Day that things will be a bit hectic as Harvey's family will be here. But they all go home and things will be quiet once again.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
How lovely to have your family with you on Christmas!
DeleteI am responsible for my happiness. So my adult child's schedule will not detract from that. And my happiness is not linked to a holiday marked on the calendar. It's taken years of practice. Some days are filled with more joy and happiness when the gang shows up. I choose to be happy.
ReplyDeleteWonderful philosophy that I try to live by too!
DeleteQuiet is good. Facetime is fantastic for keeping up with the grands.
ReplyDeleteFacetime is great for that isn't it! Our just newly 3 year old granddaughter already asks to Facetime us which I love.
DeleteI was divorced when my children were young so I have had a lot of practice on making my own holidays special. We are have our family get-together Jan 4 to accommodate a plethora of special family needs. It will be fun and for some reason I feel like it takes some of the pressure off. Did you find that too?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely no pressure! Getting together in November for granddaughter's birthday and then for the Rose Parade takes all the holiday pressure off of us.
DeleteA quiet Christmas sounds heavenly to me. We will have company and are waiting to see if our 3rd grand makes her debut. She is due on 01.15 but seems anxious to come early. Hopefully, we can have a few moments of quiet time in between the activities. Enjoy that darling granddaughter.
ReplyDeleteMaybe she will be a Christmas baby!
DeleteWe've started a new tradition of going kayaking or walking along the beach Christmas morning, and I love it. Our oldest and her SO join us, and it is a wonderful way to spend quality time together before the feasting begins.
ReplyDeleteWe'll be on our own on Christmas Eve, and plan to attend services together, followed by a drive through a festive neighborhood. We'll probably spend the rest of the evening drinking adult eggnog (😆) and watching old holiday movies.
We will miss being with our granddaughters, but will Skype in the early AM on Christmas morning to watch them open presents. Pure craziness over there I know, which I will both miss and not miss!
A quiet NYE at this point, which is fine by me. New Years day will find us out hiking along the ridges of Newport Beach. I really off the new decade by being outdoors.
Enjoy the Rose Parade!
- Tamara R
What lovely ways to celebrate! I do know what you mean about both missing and not missing the Christmas craziness. That is why we don't head north to be with our granddaughter lol.
ReplyDeleteMy adult sons live in the same city as I do so we always celebrate at my house, their childhood home. This will be my fourth Christmas being a widow, life changes in ways we don't choose. Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you too!
DeleteOur children live in town, so we are blessed to see them all year long. For the holidays, we let them know what time meal-times are (For example, Christmas breakfast will be at 9, and dinner at 5.) They can decide to drop by whenever works for them and their children (and other friends and relations). If that means a coffee and eggnog at 7, that's fine. Or leftovers at 9:00 that's okay, too. I don't want to make it into a stressful tug of war!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds lovely and not stressful at all!
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