santa claus won't make me happy with a toy on xmas day

Well it is officially the end of Christmas soon to be in about 2 hours and i guess in some ways this christmas is another sign of times changing in my life. Not only am I getting super old, but as an adult [almost hah] the presents don't flow like they used to, the kids multiply like rabbits around this time, and I continue to grow in debt. LOL, no worries, my friends, because this is the season of giving -- therefore, I give. :) In some ways this Christmas felt kind of special -- like when Abby [one of my currently 4 ina-anaks] came up to me and told me she loved her present, a Hanna Montana bead set that I got for her. It made me really happy because I really tried to get her something nice that she already didn't have .. she's at that age where she is starting to appreciate gifts. As I transition from receiving to giving presents, it feels really awkward -- I guess mainly because I don't have a full-time job yet and my cousins are out having plenty of babies to give presents to. My Ate found out recently that she's going to have twins! she then went on to tell me that I better be making a lot of money. Oh, man .. haha. This in addition to Jenn's baby due in April. :-O I know, right? lol. and NO NO NO, my uterus will not be inhabited by any growing fertilized egg anytime soon. No thanks, ladies and gentlemen!

For some reason as the kids were opening up the presents I kind of was already planning for next year .. sure, it's really advanced but I know with rotations and all I'll have to set up a definite budget and make a list of all the kids that I have to get gifts for.. as well as to remember the important people that deserve gifts as well. My mom was commenting on how "we must be in a recession" due to the lack of presents for older kids.  I think it's partially that as well as a sign of the times. So many different people come in and out of your life that it's hard to keep track of who should get what presents. Maybe that's why Santa has a "naughty" and "nice" list. Maybe regular people just keep a "nice" list. Sometimes I think of how I want to give everyone I know a present because I feel sad when I see people who don't get any presents. When I was in church the priest said in his homily that people tend to overlook what they need and focus only on what they want.. and forget to be thankful of what they received. I think that rings true, especially with the materialism rampant in Christmas. Maybe Gillian was right when she asked everyone not to get her anything.. so we could just focus on how great it is just to be together as friends. 

When I was in church, I realized that the best part of Christmas for me wasn't the presents. It was being in church, with my mom and dad, and hearing the priest say his homily. It was signing O Holy Night at Midnight Mass. It was taking pictures with Charles in front of his Christmas tree. It was seeing the look on the kid's faces when they play. It's everything but the presents. haha.

To be honest, sometimes I do get disappointed when I don't get what I wanted for Christmas. I never make it apparent, because I am grateful that I even got a present, but I think everyone can admit that there was a present they received that they didn't like or need. But all that disappointment goes away when I give the presents that I give. Because as cliche as it sounds, seeing the happiness in people's faces is a present enough for me at Christmas. 

<3 to my best friend, Jackie, and Ren for leaving me some love in my blog. :)