The holiday season is such a magical one! The towns are lit with Christmas lights, a tree fills your home with the smell of Christmas, and people are generally in a better mood. I love, love, love the holiday season. I am totally that girl who wants my Pandora Christmas station playing around the clock, the tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving, and I spend hours wrapping the prettiest presents I can. That is unless my better half is half way across the world.. then, the holiday season looks a little different to me.
This season is all about spending time with the ones you love. Families come together and share stories and memories over a delicious meal. Growing up, my parents took us to my grandmother's house every year for Thanksgiving, where her daughters cooked while their children played outside. It was the idyllic American Thanksgiving that we spent with my mom's side of the family. Christmas was my dad's parent's holiday. We went to their house every Christmas Eve night. My Grammy spent the entire day cooking her traditional California Christmas Dinner and my cousin's, aunts, and uncles all devoured it, scattered throughout the living and dining rooms while talking and laughing. (My dad's side of the family is sarcastic and witty.. always tons of laughter)
The point is- the holidays are all about the people you spend them with. I don't remember much about the gifts growing up; I remember the time with my family. So there's a certain amount of dread we feel on the home front as the holidays approach us. When our husbands, sons, brothers are away on this Bravo deployment, the Christmas lights aren't as pretty, the music isn't as fun, and the conversations aren't as bright.
Silver Lining- lots of fun ways to get your soldier feeling the holiday season while he/she's away! This is what I've done so far for Andy-
This season is all about spending time with the ones you love. Families come together and share stories and memories over a delicious meal. Growing up, my parents took us to my grandmother's house every year for Thanksgiving, where her daughters cooked while their children played outside. It was the idyllic American Thanksgiving that we spent with my mom's side of the family. Christmas was my dad's parent's holiday. We went to their house every Christmas Eve night. My Grammy spent the entire day cooking her traditional California Christmas Dinner and my cousin's, aunts, and uncles all devoured it, scattered throughout the living and dining rooms while talking and laughing. (My dad's side of the family is sarcastic and witty.. always tons of laughter)
The point is- the holidays are all about the people you spend them with. I don't remember much about the gifts growing up; I remember the time with my family. So there's a certain amount of dread we feel on the home front as the holidays approach us. When our husbands, sons, brothers are away on this Bravo deployment, the Christmas lights aren't as pretty, the music isn't as fun, and the conversations aren't as bright.
Silver Lining- lots of fun ways to get your soldier feeling the holiday season while he/she's away! This is what I've done so far for Andy-
  The ornament came from Etsy, obviously with 2013 on it. I'll send it to him in his next box and we'll display it on our future trees as a reminder of how thankful we will be to be spending those Christmases together, and how strong we were for spending another one apart <3 | To the left is a small box of decorations. I packed a mini tree, a snowman container filled with mints, a snow globe, and some other festive decorations for Hubs to display in his tent to add a little Merry and Bright. I wrapped that in blue to pack in the box below along with other gifts. In his card I wrote about my favorite Christmas time memories/adventures we've shared:)   |
Keep in mind to send your Christmas packages at least 3 weeks in advance. The mail typically slows down this time of year because more is going out, stateside and overseas.
If you're spending the season with your loved ones, remember to be thankful for that. Don't take that gift for granted, because there are so many this holiday season that are thousands of miles away from theirs and aren't so Merry and Bright.
And keep soldiers and their families in your prayers this holiday season. Pray for the father who doesn't get to see his children's faces light up opening gifts on Christmas morning. Pray for the husband who has spent more Christmas mornings away from his wife than he has with her. Pray for the mother who is spending her first Christmas apart from her 18 year old son.
My Bravo family, and all others spending this season minus one, fill your time surrounding yourself with those you love. And keep your eyes on the prize! Our homecoming ceremony is right around the corner, and another Thanksgiving and Christmas will come. And it will be all the more joyous next year.
M.
If you're spending the season with your loved ones, remember to be thankful for that. Don't take that gift for granted, because there are so many this holiday season that are thousands of miles away from theirs and aren't so Merry and Bright.
And keep soldiers and their families in your prayers this holiday season. Pray for the father who doesn't get to see his children's faces light up opening gifts on Christmas morning. Pray for the husband who has spent more Christmas mornings away from his wife than he has with her. Pray for the mother who is spending her first Christmas apart from her 18 year old son.
My Bravo family, and all others spending this season minus one, fill your time surrounding yourself with those you love. And keep your eyes on the prize! Our homecoming ceremony is right around the corner, and another Thanksgiving and Christmas will come. And it will be all the more joyous next year.
M.
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