Anyone who hosts family holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. knows how much work it is. But it’s worth it when your family all comes together, spends time together, eats good food together, and celebrates TOGETHER. I got elected to do it several years ago when we bought our first house. It was deemed I had the biggest house therefore, I could host the holiday get togethers. I had no issue with this and even enjoyed it. Sure it’s some stress and a ton of work, but it was worth it for my family. One year my mom even helped pay for the feast, and sometimes people even brought a dish, but most of the time I did all the cooking.

This year was the same.. I cooked, and cooked, and even added a new dish I’ve never made before to the menu (which turned out great). Half the family got sick before they ever made it over so canceled at the last minute and the other half stayed long enough to eat, do gifts, then leave. They didn’t even stay for dessert. I can understand getting sick… but enough is enough. I didn’t go through all this work and go through the effort for less than 3 hours with my family. Last year was about the same… stay only as long as necessary to be halfway polite, then leave.

If my extended family is so damn dysfunctional that we only do the holiday celebrations as a technicality, than I’d rather spend it with my OTHER extended family (Jack’s side of the family) where family not only gets together they STAY together on these special occasions. We spent three days with Jack’s grandmother, father, brother, sister-in-law, and cousins at Thanksgiving.

Other than THAT we’re having a great Christmas Eve and will enjoy the rest of the night with more dessert for us and the kids. We’ll watch a Christmas movie, tuck the kids into bed, then try to sleep as we wait for Christmas morning.