Finding joy in spite of the dysfunction

Mom2oddson

Active Member
I am so tired. We didn't get home until Midnight and it wasn't because we went to the candlelight service either.

Friday, I left work early and fought the crowds at the store. I was done with Christmas shopping but had to go for the wedding reception I have to put on on Monday....and for this for my unexpected guests Friday night. brother in law & sister in law announced that they were staying with us Friday night cuz that made them closer to where they needed to be for Christmas Eve.

At Midnight Friday we let easy child and Steph open their gift. And since Best Buy had 18 months same as cash...we surprised them. easy child got a new laptop, a mac. His old one is held together with "L" brackets and velco. Steph got an Ipad. It was funny....first time in many years I decided to video tape the kids opening their gifts. Steph went first...and when she saw what she was getting her exclamation was an F-bomb. We teased her about it and then easy child did the same thing! So, guess I raised some kids with foul mouths. Of course, I don't husband that it will always be a funny memory and something I can tease the kids about for a long time.

My guests arrived in the wee hours of the morning. So there wasn't much sleep Friday night.

Yesterday, we found out that Aunt J is back in the hospital. The doctor called it a "Thyroid Storm". She's got some major health issues. Advancing Hep C, bad Thyroid, a cyst on her kidney, blood coming out her breast, heart problems from the thyroid, pneumonia, and now diabetes. I don't know if she will be around next Christmas. So with everything else yesterday, we had a hospital visit to do.

sister in law was making cookies to hand out as gifts as I was leaving my house. When I got home in the wee hours this morning...the mess was waiting for me. That was so nice since I have a Christmas dinner to fix and also food for her reception.

We went over to my folks so that Steph could see them since she won't be with us today. I now know that I have very sane parents. We were over there for a couple of hours. We watched part of the football game, we eat good food and there was PEACE .... what a strange thing to happen at a family gathering.

Because when we made it to husband's other Aunts for her party, it was the exact opposite. Very drunk people, yelling, screaming, cussing...etc. Uncle got mad and went to bed. Then, at some point, he climbed out his bedroom window and took off in his truck. Of course this upset the Aunt and cousins. So, we took easy child home (we live about 5 miles away) so that easy child could take my Mom to church. We took a different uncle home cuz he didn't want to stay with all the fighting (of course, you could get drunk from the fumes coming off of him). then we took the Aunt out looking for the uncle cuz she was very worried about him. While we were out, the drunk cousins left, but Uncle got home on his home cuz when we dropped Aunt off, he was there and no one else was. It was such a strange night.

But, I still loved my Christmas Eve. easy child, Steph and husband didn't drink no matter how pressured they were. We spent over 24 hours with Steph and she's her old self again. My little girl is back. You can see it in her eyes. That alone makes this a fantastic Christmas. husband loves his family enough to help but not enable. His sobriety is such a wonderful gift!!! I can't even put into words how happy I am over it.

Well, I need to get my kitchen clean so that I can get dinner in the oven, then I need to get ready for church...were we will be picking up Ant and then Grumpus. then we will got back to my parents for a while for dinner, go visit aunt J again, and then come home and fix the food for the wedding reception while having brother in law, sister in law and four young kids here for the next two nights. It will be a crazy time but I will find joy in it because I am stubborn enough that I won't have it any other way.

Hope you all are finding joy in spite of whatever happens.
 
T

TeDo

Guest
WOW!.....Just WOW!....I am soooo glad you "will find joy in it because I am stubborn enough that I won't have it any other way." Sometimes you just gotta do that and remind yourself over.....and over......and over again. When this is all over, I'd say you deserve a couple days of doin' nuttin' Know what I mean?? I hope it calms down relatively soon. Merry Christmas!
 

buddy

New Member
HEY! Is sister in law still there? She needs to get her butt in there and clean that kitchen. Are you kidding me, I would never do that to someone. But other than that, I am amazed at what you are doing. Hope your aunt does not have too much discomfort. Wonderful you could go see her. I love that you are seeing the blessings in your busy times. We are lucky to have family to share any day with, right? Merry Christmas to you and your family.
 
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