Anticipating Christmas

For as overwhelming as last Christmas seemed - mall decor, radio ads, inflatable santa lawn decor, a million parties, terrible traffic - this Christmas seems underwhelming.

It seems as though everyone is having a apathetic Christmas. I've only heard one radio station playing Christmas music, I've maybe heard a few Christmas commercials (granted we don't have cable TV), and we've only received two Christmas cards.  Even the parties seem fewer in number, and the treats in our office break room are certainly lacking.

I started asking around.  Is it just me? Is it because Thanksgiving was so late this year?  Is it that everyone is on tighter actual budgets?  Is it a more dramatic battle of sacred vs secular?  

Or maybe, as my good husband pointed out, maybe it's that we're in the in between stage so our perception is one of apathy, even though the rest of the world is still bustling.  He said that we are past the stage of the Christmas magic, and on to the stage of gift wrapping, card mailing, dishes washing - but without the joy of having a family of our own.  I think that is pretty spot on.

So I've tried to find joy in some of the mundane things like fighting with the computer printer when it eats my return address labels, washing dozens of spatulas and casseroles dishes, and wrapping the ever growing pile of gifts.  But also to renew our prayer life as well, as I so desperately, and clearly need!

 So here are a few things we've been excited about and are happy to share this Christmas:

•  Little People Nativity we bought Connor.  Truth be told: I want to play with it.
  
  
• Eric and I's advent prayer time.  Granted it's not been super regular, but I do love snuggling up on the couch, watching our advent wreath glisten, and spending a few moments in prayer together.

• Our Christmas card, and that Eric took the initiative to write a poem (just like his father's) instead of a 3 page Christmas letter. We bought a two Groupons to paperculture.com  so we have two variations of the same Christmas card for a third of retail. Making them actually affordable, and luxury!
  
  
  
• Spending time with David & Paige.  This year they are here a weekend early to celebrate Christmas.  Be on the look out for pictures next week.  Incase I haven't mentioned it yet, they're due in June!
  
  
  
• Christmas Mass with my family.  The Saint Brigid organ and choir. The giggles.  and Jesus!
  
  
  
• My first ever Buergler family Christmas in the Carribean.  We leave Dec 26 for a week in Vieques.  A tropic island for 5 days in the middle of winter.  I'll take it!
  
• Two weeks off from work :)

I hope you are as blessed as we are this Christmas, even if it took me a while to see it and to break through the apathy!  Enjoy this time with friends, family, and celebrating the birth of our Savior. 

If you haven't yes, watch The Nativity Story.  It's really help my mood change  this Advent and helped me get in the true spirit of things.