Bah Humbug.....

[Ttulipss]

I'm feeling a little 'bah humbug' here.......

We were originally hoping to be in our new house by Thanksgiving, then the first weeend in December, then mid-December and now it probably won't be until January.

I was really looking forward to our first Christmas in our new home and the girls are at the age that Christmas would be soooo much great! But now it looks like we'll be having Christmas here. Okay, so our new house payment will be put off another month and that will help to make Christmas recovery a little easier, but as for Christmas, all of our stuff is in storage......all the decorations as well as some gifts I purchased early last year. You cannot even walk through the stuff in storage and I'm sure it was in one of the first loads to go to storage (before we started this project we figured October would be the latest we'd be in).

As for putting up a tree here, there is NO room. Any place we could have put a tree are stacks of boxes that we didn't have room in storage for or things we started to pack up again and even things we've purchased for the new house.

On top of all this, any free time is spent working on the house and then the rest of the evenings are shot as we are just exhausted. I don't know where (physically and time wise) to put Christmas this year and I'm getting so stressed about it because we CANNOT forego the tree and whatnot. If it were just me and dh, it wouldn't be a big deal to not have a tree, but the kids are so looking forward to Christmas.......

I'm sorry, but I just needed to vent a little. You know how stressful the holidays can get and then to add all this frustration on top of it is just really taking away the holiday spirit for me.

[sushiosushi]

hope things get better.

(((((((((TTulipss))))))))))))

I know all about the delays of a new house and totally sympathize with you! That just stinks that all your decorations are in storage.

Could you get like a "Charlie Brown" Tree and let the kids decorate it with paper chains and cheap ball ornaments and popcorn strings??? It might be fun and they would probably always remember that tree....Plus it wouldn't need very much room.

Just trying to think of a way to turn lemons into lemonade!!!

[jsalba]

On the brighter side..

You won't be so rushed getting a new house ready in the midst of the busy holiday season.

Relax.. it will all work out.

Let us know when the housewarming party is.

[cinifini]

Make this last Christmas before you get into the new house, a REALLY special one instead of a real downer!!!

Try something different....

First, go out and get you a real "Charlie Brown" kind of tree...just a small kinda scraggley little thing. Then, for the decorations, get the kids involved. Make the colored construction paper chains, and string popcorn (try the popcorn that has the colors in them) and decorate your tree so that it looks real old fashioned!!!

I think it would be kinda fun and cute to do something like that, without worrying about where all your decorations are.

But, first and foremost...DON'T STRESS...Christmas is the "most wonderful time of the year" remember?

Good luck, and remember too, that once you are in your new home, all the waiting and stressing will all be forgotten, TRUST ME!!!

Keep smiling Cindy

[GR8GIRLS]

Sorry you're so down!!

What about getting the kids really excited about putting the tree just outside the front door? Tell them that you guys are going to be the first ones in the neighborhood to do it, and see if anyone else follows?!?!?! They don't have to know about the room thing.
Have them watch the neighborhood for followers, and drive around several time to look at lights and see if anyone else has an "outside tree". Besides, everyone knows that Santa just loves Christmas Trees, and he'll really see yours first!!

Hope it helps.....

[tasker109]

awwwww ttulipss, dont be discouraged! have a different kind of christmas! you might not be able to celebrate the way you have before, but just so the SPIRIT is there....you are so fortunate to have so many blessings. let us know what you come up with!!!

[AndersonGal]

Looks like we will not be able to make it back home for Christmas and have our tree and all this Christmas too.

I'm trying to make the best of it. :hint:

*Some special baked treats.
*(For us) a few more gifts than if we flew back home.
*No tree, but........a decoration of one and a HUGE wreath.
*It's A Wonderful Life* video to watch so we don't feel too sorry for ourselves.
*Saving the 21lb turkey for Christmas day instead of Thanksgiving.
*If there were any decorations or events around here it would help.

Hang in there Ttulipss!
And if you get any great ideas, I'll take them!

[kat]

AndersonGal - I have some extra lights & stuff around here.. want them?

[Ttulipss]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! It's just so crazy here right now with taxiing my kids around to whoever I can get to watch them so dh and I can work on the house of which I haven't even done the last couple of days becuase I've been sick and in be most of the past couple of days. I'm on here now because I just can't sleep...

I just hope that things slow down a little so that if we have to have Christmas here, then I want to try to be able to enjoy it with crafts, baking, etc. I don't know how much of all this we'll even be able to do, let alone a tree (dh and I were talking about maybe getting a tabletop tree.) with some trimmings.

Yes, on the brighter side, we are very blessed to have our family, our health (although I'm feeling pretty yucky right now), a new home soon and all of our necessities met. And yes, Jeff, no hustle and bustle of unpacking and decorating and wrapping all at the same time. Ane of course, the new house payment will be put off another month.

It's just been a pretty stressful week and this revelation was just icing on the stress cake.....

Thanks all again for the ideas...will definitely use many of them...and also for the kind words! You all are great!

[AndersonGal]

Originally posted by kat
AndersonGal - I have some extra lights & stuff around here.. want them?

That's sweet, but I do have a trunk full that dh will decorate the fir tree outside with. (Things just don't survive the 70mph winds and rain we have ALL winter that well.)

Thank you for thinking of me.

Ttulipss:
Remember you don't have to do it all.
Kids like store bought treats,
they don't care how big the tree is and so on.
Get your sleep so you won't be as stressed.
Then make the best of it!
That's what they will remember.