Home for the Holidays

Home is where the heart is.

This has been my motto for years now. Since my hubby joined the Army, we have moved several times and will continue to move frequently until he retires. This little saying has helped me in so many ways. Whenever his unit deploys and wives start packing up and moving home, I stay put. My heart is in the house we share, the location where we are stationed, and, ultimately, the life we share. It isn't always easy, but it hasn't killed me yet.

The holidays are always an interesting time around a military base. It's almost like a ghost town. Everyone packs up and heads off to visit family in other places. We have been known to do that. In fact, we haven't been in our own house for Christmas in a few years now. Going back home is always fun, but super stressful too. The hubby's parents are divorced so that means we are pulled in three different directions. It can be really frustrating because no matter how hard we try someone always gets shorted. This year, the hubby wanted to go visit his grandparents in Minnesota. I have a severe aversion to cold weather. I wanted to go to Arkansas. There was no way we were going to agree, so we chose to stay home for the holidays. Both sides of the family have been relentless in their efforts to lure us to them for Christmas (and hubby hasn't entirely given up on trying to convince me to go to MN), but we have stuck to our decision. Our friends around here ask if we are going home for the holidays and we say "No, we're staying here." Then it hit me today...Duh, we are going to be home for the holidays. We will be in our home. I am really excited to watch the kiddos open their presents around our tree on Christmas morning. I am also really excited to know that we won't spend the day rushing here, there and everywhere. This year, my heart is just really into a quiet Christmas at home with my hubby, the kiddos and our crazy dogs.

So, I am editing my motto in celebration of the Christmas season...

Home for the holidays is where the heart is.