splitting the holidays

I know, I know. I've been a bad bad blogger this last week. But, I'm back, and with a topic for discussion.

For the last couple years, the holidays for Kyle and I weren't really an issue. We kind of did our own thing with our own families, and then after the main event, we would make a round to each others families so we could spend some time with them too. Well, this year it's a little bit different, and while I think we are VERY lucky being that both our families live in the same city, it still isn't easy to have to tell one side of the family you won't be there for x, or the other that they won't have us for y.

We came up with a plan that I really think will work great, but being that I am the oldest in my family, and the first to go through this, it's a lot harder for my family to be OK with the changes.

For my entire life, and even before it, my dad's side of the family has spent Christmas Eve at my MeMe's, and that is one event I'm not willing to give up, and Kyle is totally fine with that. But, the family Kyle gets together with on Christmas Eve also does Thanksgiving, so our solution was to do Thanksgiving with them, Christmas Eve with my fam. Well, a few days ago, my mom said "so then you will spend Thanksgiving with us next year then?" I guess in my mind we would do Thanksgiving with Kyle's family, and hopefully make it to mine for some dessert later in the day. Trading off every year hadn't really crossed my mind since we aren't trading Christmas Eve's. Not spending a holiday with my family is no more easy for me than for them.

Once Christmas Day rolls around, it actually works out beautifully since my family does Christmas morning, and Kyle's does Christmas afternoon.

So, anyone else have to split the holidays? Any advice? I honestly feel incredibly lucky we even get to spend parts of each holiday with each family. It could be much more difficult if our families were in different cities, or even states. But that being said, it doesn't make it any easier to miss out on a family event.

Because of Kyle's career path, we already know that some Christmas' and Thanksgivings' throughout our lives may be spent in a hotel room while Kyle has a layover, where the holiday feast is a pancake platter at Denny's (if there are any open any more!) But I'm very thankful this year isn't the year for that, and we get to enjoy the holidays with everyone we love the most!

And now for some pictures from last year's Christmas. Can't wait for new memories this year.