Hey everyone! How was your Christmas?

This year was pretty good for me and my family, although I didn’t get to see all of them. I got more than I expected this year, which surprised me. Here’s my 2012 “haul”:

  • Applebee’s gift card
  • iTunes gift card
  • Gamestop gift card
  • Barnes and Noble gift card (which is going towards THIS when it gets published in America!)
  • “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy
  • “Inheritance” by Christopher Paolini
  • Phil Wickham- Response (his new CD)
  • The Big Bang Theory seasons 3 and 4
  • Batman Arkham Asylum
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
  • Gun-metal grey dress watch
  • Argyle sweater (the red, black, and gray one)

I mention this only to put it in contrast with what I really enjoy about Christmas. While most of the world (or at least most of America) is completely focused on the commercial/materialistic side of the holiday, I try and focus on the relationship side. As much as I appreciate and cherish the gifts I was given, I love and appreciate the giver of those gifts that much more. It’s as simple as that to me: family trumps things 100% of the time.

By that I mean that I enjoy spending time with my extended family (my immediate family too, but I see them all the time), catching up, making & eating good food, and just having a good time. I must admit that I still enjoy (and to some extent still expect) gifts, but I think that need is passing as I am getting older. The materialistic/commercial side of Christmas was great for me this year, but I felt that the relationship side was lacking a bit.

I am certainly not complaining! I got to spend Christmas at my mom’s parent’s house this year, and got to spend time with family that I had not seen in a long time. Some I had not expected to show up came and hung out for a while, which was nice. I was really glad to spend time with my girlfriend for a couple of days, which I wasn’t expecting. Any time away from her isn’t much fun, so it was nice to see her partway through Christmas break. What I am trying to say is that I wanted the whole family to be there, not just part of it. Yeah, the house would have been crowded, and I would have had to sleep on the floor, but spending time with the people I love would have made up for all that. 

Overall, it was a nice relaxing Christmas with family and friends, and I enjoyed it very much. I hope that you did as well!