Christmas this year....

I find it hard to believe that as I sit here and type this, it is the middle/end of December and I am wondering the usual thing of where on earth 2012 has gone. Is it really Christmas week or am I in a dream? As much as I would love to be dreaming right now, unfortunately reality is knocking on the door. 

The Christmas period this year involves the usual crazy time of travelling here, there and everywhere, spending time with family and friends and relaxing as much as possible before Nat starts work again on December 27th. 

Family are so precious and valuable and the family we are born with (and the family we marry into) are the only true family we will ever have. Even though you may not always enjoy being with family or appreciate the comments and thoughts of some family members, it is vital to value the time you have with those family members. 

It is so easy during the Christmas period to get caught up in all the drama and commercialism of the season. I do not like to admit it but I know that often my mind cna be elsewhere at times like this and I do not really pay attention to what family members are saying to me while I spend time with them. I also get fairly easily annoyed with family members when their "true colours" shine as I am sure we have all experienced at some point in time and often say things which I later would rather I could take them back. 

Although Christmas for us this year will involve a whole lot of travelling backwards and forwards between cities and regions, and we know in advance we will be tired and hot, exhausted and more, my goal is to value and attempt to appreciate the time that I will be spending with my family and friends. 

Life is an amazing gift we have been given but the strange thing about life is that we do not know what tomorrow holds - we never know what we will happen on a road trip on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, nor do we know if there will be people with guns who will just walk into an elementary school and shoot people just before Christmas. We do not know when our last day could be or when we could possibly see our family again - hence this Christmas, as I have already said, my goal is to enjoy, appreciate and be present with the time that I spend with my family and friends. 

Enjoy Christmas and stay posted to see the journey our lives take near the end of 2012 and continuing in 2013, God willing. 

Love and blessings to all,

Kathryn (and Nathaniel)