Happy Christmas Vacation!

Ever since we returned from Rochester, all I have wanted is one thing for our Christmas vacation--all of my little chicks together, gathered around the EdenPure heater (no fireplace here), drinking mugs of hot chocolate and singing Christmas carols as we all smile adoringly at each other.

Enter REAL life today after the school Christmas parties at the VERY start of Christmas vacation. . . .
Nathan and Teresa hitting and yelling at each other because Teresa isn't moving out of Nathan's seat.
Teresa screaming her head off because Landen's book bag is in her way.  This continues while I run into the Cenex to discover . . .
the gas station completely out of Cenex cards and I only had 1 more to get! 
Landen whining that he has no idea what he will do all Christmas vacation.
Me finding out halfway home that the gift card Landen took for his teacher never made it to school and he has no idea where it is.
Me trying another Cenex (no gifts cards there either) to return to find Teresa and Landen fighting over a book.
Getting stuck by the mailbox and having to shovel myself out before I can enter my driveway.
Rachel waking up from her nap as soon as we came in the door.  (Shocking, since all of her siblings are SO quiet.)
Landen telling me he is in a "living nightmare" because he has too much responsibility in life.
(Son, it's only going to get worse.) 
If we follow our history, someone will be puking by Christmas morning, too. 

But, it doesn't matter.  Sure, we will never have that PERFECT Christmas, but NO ONE EVER HAS.  Someone once painted the idea they had in their head, but that portrait only existed in an imagination.  Thousands of photographers have staged fake family holidays for their magazine pages, but they were never real. 

No,  I am afraid "Silent Night" around the EdenPure in 4-part harmony is not going to happen.  But, it really doesn't matter.  The most important part of my dream Christmas vacation is HERE--all of us are together in our loud, crazy, messy, imperfect glory.  I am all too aware that there are many, many families (my extended family included) who are not blessed with such a gift, whether it be that members have passed away or are just not able to come home to be together. 

No, none of us will have a PERFECT Christmas, but that doesn't mean that it can't still be wonderful.  No matter what have lost or are missing, we all still have an abundance of things to hold close and celebrate . . . as loud, crazy, messy, and imperfect as those may be!  :o)