Spending Christmas away fom extended family?

[djblu883]

well since my job has had me on the road for the last 4 years I've not been able to keep the old traditions so we have had to improvise every year....this year we will be at the Fort until 5 days before Christmas, Santa is visiting then...the DGD finally gets her Cinderella's Castle I've been hiding since she was concieved lol...Stockings will be hung as well...at 3 she has no idea its not the real day but it will be special!!...not knowing where my job will be taking me at that point.... I may be alone Christmas day depending on how far away I am and what others have decided to do...what's left of our family is so tiny and spread out we just get together at some point during the holiday and make that day our special day!!!! I ate one Christmas dinner 2 years ago alone in a Casino....had brunch with mimosa's to celebrate the day....one year I drove pretty much all day and had a waffle.house special lol....maybe in a few years we can create a whole new set of traditions when I get off the road!!

 

[Pirate-Jeff]

Spending Christmas away from the family

Where is the sign up sheet ?
Can I sign up for the next 25 years now?
What loop is the best for hidding from the family.
Can I bring my 3 legged chick magnet dog ? I can rent him to Slacktester
Do I have to bring the Wife? or can I rent one there ?
We can have a HIDDING FROM THE FAMILY GRAND GATHERING

Let Me be the first to sign up.

OK who's next ?

 

[AuburnJen92]

How did I know it would be YOU that posted that? Just issue me a "900" # and label me a psychic!!!

I would have beat him to the punch...but I was at Lowe's getting very angry with the young man that wouldn't let me finish a sentence. I stomped out in my normal Jen fashion!

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

It's well known in my family that my DH and I can't be depended on to be around for holidays. They just shake there heads at us and wonder where I got my "genes" from. Easter might find us on the east coast somewhere having crabcakes and clams. Thanksgiving we are always in N. Carolina at a horse and antique carriage sale. When our kids were young we spent many a Xmas holiday at FW. Now we tend to go during Jan/Feb to avoid the crowds. I'm getting a ton of pressure to host the family Xmas gathering this year and I'm seriously thinking about ditching it and joining Pirate-Jeffs Hiding from the Family Grand Gathering! I already have ressies starting on Dec. 30. I can always spend the next 5 months working on getting in a few days early, right?

 

[We4mickey]

We always used to get together, but over the years as the kids grew up and started having their own families...

My parents live in Arizona in the winter.
My Dsis usually visits them there.
Other Dsis doesn't do much associating with us.
DB and family usually get together with us for Xmas Eve.
Mil is usually in Maryland with DH sisters family.

We have no ties really. If I didn't work retail I would be at FW in a heartbeat for Christmas. Someday I won't and that is the first trip I will book.

 

[ntsammy5]

Yeah, it's definitely a PITA. the last Christma my family spent together was in 2003 (my kids) I hope we can all get together this Christmas, but it doesn't look good right now. One daughter in Charlotte the other in Glens Falls. Our son does live close though.

 

[K Killabrew]

or your nose.

You can pick your nose and you can pick your friends but you can't pick your friend's nose!

 

[des1954]

You can pick your nose and you can pick your friends but you can't pick your friend's nose!

You can if you're really good friends!!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Rog, I've been out for a couple days 'n haven't read replies yet to your thread. But I would just like to say a couple'a things.
If it's "in-laws", you are allowed to lie to them if it's for a good cause, like, having FUN . I swear it's okay, it's the law, I promise !
If you do tell them you are going some place else,,DON"T tell them exactly where,,tell them SEVERAL places you MAY end up going. My in-laws had been known to beat us to OUR destination when they found out we were trying to get away (from them).
Or you could just tell'm your gonna visit your adopted family in Tennessee an they can't come cause you checked and you got the last ressies in the state.(I have no problem being your scape goat, YEAH I KNOW, I'M TERRIBLE)

 

[Boomer1]

First let me sat we live close to both sets of parents and see them everyday. My DH actually works with his family in the farming business. That being said the first Christmas we spent at FW/WDW we got the same guilt trip,(i.e. Christmas is for family, you''ll be lonely). I find the Christmas season at home almost mind numbing. We cart kids back and forth to this event, this dinner, it semmed we spent very little time with the children. When we are at FW/WDW we have the kids all to ourselves and we really spend Christmas together, no interupptions. Two years age my parents came to FW for 3 days the week before Christmas to visit with us, my Mom actually said, "now I understand why you like it here at Christmas, you are really together as a family."

 

[PolynesianPixie]

Between Scott's family in NC, My mom in MD and my Dad in PA....nobody ever knows where we are going to show up!
We always try to get some sort of holiday time in with all the family, but that could be Thanksgiving or Easter, too.
My dad loves to travel and he's been known to take me, Scott & the girls as well as my sis and her family places like Hawaii on Christmas so traveling is not unheard of.
This year we are meeting my dad, step-mom, sis, BIL and their 4 kids in Disney before Christmas and my family is staying a week after that. We're trying to convince Scott's mom to join us......she could really use a vacation!

Rog--are you thinking about coming to the fort this christmas?????

 

[BigDaddyRog]

No, not the fort, not this year......Im wanting to spend christmas in the TN mountains....in a nice little cabin surrounded by snow. We've never had a white Christmas, and I think it might be nice to sit by a roaring fire and watch to see if Santa can get through the chimney without getting torched!!!

Its just something we'd like to try to do...not sure it will happen with G not working and this being the WORST year Ive ever had at my job...but we're definately thinking about it.





Frank...glad youre feeling a little less crappy!!!!

 

[jrandtysmom]

No, not the fort, not this year......Im wanting to spend christmas in the TN mountains....in a nice little cabin surrounded by snow. We've never had a white Christmas, and I think it might be nice to sit by a roaring fire and watch to see if Santa can get through the chimney without getting torched!!!

Its just something we'd like to try to do...not sure it will happen with G not working and this being the WORST year Ive ever had at my job...but we're definately thinking about it.





Frank...glad youre feeling a little less crappy!!!!

A white Christmas is fun, although we haven't had one here in awhile. We spent one Christmas at Disney and although it felt weird to be wearing shorts Christmas day I loved it! I wanted to go this year at Christmas but decided on Halloween instead. Have fun whatever you decide!

BTW - I just noticed your weightloss counter in your sig, very impressive! Congrats!

 

[We4mickey]

No, not the fort, not this year......Im wanting to spend christmas in the TN mountains....in a nice little cabin surrounded by snow. We've never had a white Christmas, and I think it might be nice to sit by a roaring fire and watch to see if Santa can get through the chimney without getting torched!!!

Its just something we'd like to try to do...not sure it will happen with G not working and this being the WORST year Ive ever had at my job...but we're definately thinking about it.





Frank...glad youre feeling a little less crappy!!!!

Come on up to Wisconsin. Better yet, with all the snow we had last year, we will gladly ship it to you and you won't even have to leave home!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Rog, why yes thank you, I am feeling less crappy today.
Hey, if all else fails, just tell the in-laws that a buncha rednecks in Tn. called "dibbs" on the family this holiday ! EVERYONE knows you can't get out of "dibbs" ! It's the law , I swear !

 

[RNmomnFL]

We've been at the Fort just prior to Christmas (12/17-12/20) in 2005 I think. Youngest child was 2 months old at the time. And I remember it was pretty cold that year. Anyway, we had to get home before the holiday as Christmas is the only time of the year all four of my siblings gather at Mom's(in FL). And there's college and pro football games which can't be missed. Also as a nurse, with a sister and mother who are also nurses, one of us always has to work it seems. So, I've not been able to spend Christmas at the Fort yet. Plus, with my lack of ability to get campsite ressies for any holidays (lately have resorted to cabins at a high cost) I don't see it happening. Someone needs to give me a tutorial on obtaining campsite reservations over a holiday.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

No, not the fort, not this year......Im wanting to spend christmas in the TN mountains....in a nice little cabin surrounded by snow. We've never had a white Christmas, and I think it might be nice to sit by a roaring fire and watch to see if Santa can get through the chimney without getting torched!!!

Its just something we'd like to try to do...not sure it will happen with G not working and this being the WORST year Ive ever had at my job...but we're definately thinking about it.





Frank...glad youre feeling a little less crappy!!!!

That whole "white Christmas thing is highly over rated.
We started going in 03 for the specific purpose of getting away from all the sniping and complaining on both sides, since then we have only missed 05 and that was because my Mom was living with us because my Dad died in October and she was too ill to care for herself. My monderful wife opened her home and cared for my Mom for 5 months while both my sisters sat on their fat bottoms and did NOTHING to help. We managed to go in 06 and 07 but this year I got skunked on vacation time due to schedule changes.
As soon as the guy that bumped me retires we will most likely be back at the fort at Christmas. It is the least stressful, most enjoyable way to actually look forward to the holidays and since we have made friends at the fort I like them better than most of my family.

I get along better with my cousins that I met at the Fort than I do with any of my family here in MI.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

...we have made friends at the fort I like them better than most of my family.

I get along better with my cousins that I met at the Fort than I do with any of my family here in MI.

Its funny you mention this...I REFUSE to drink around my family. It loosens me up and I get chatty and friendly....and I dont wanna waste that on them people!!! Im not sure if anyone noticed..but I was pretty toasted at the May GG!!! That says something.

 

[auntie]

You should do what you need to do to create some memories that your kids will remember and carry with them as adults. We had years of doing what everyone expected of us. We finally had to stop. I had my older son say to me one time, the one of the best memories he has is of waking up on Thanksgiving morning to the smells of a turkey in the oven and the sounds of his father and I getting things ready in the kitchen.
It was such a simple thing. Not of a great present or a terrific vacation...but of the aroma from the kitchen drifting upstairs to his room.
This wasn't always the case..we spent alot of years running around trying to make everyone happy, making ourselves miserable. I'm glad we finally said enough.

 

[Gatordad]

Its funny you mention this...I REFUSE to drink around my family. It loosens me up and I get chatty and friendly....and I dont wanna waste that on them people!!! Im not sure if anyone noticed..but I was pretty toasted at the May GG!!! That says something.

it says thet yu ar fun two be arund, and a gold drunk.