Have yourself a messy, little Christmas....
That's way the carol goes, right?
Or, actually, that's the way life goes!
Because, really, Christmas is messy. It always has been. The first Christmas was DEFINITELY messy! Riding through the dessert on the back of donkey - while you're 9 months pregnant - and having to give birth in a stable - now THAT is MESSY! (At least there wasn't any snow!)
I have wonderful memories of Christmases growing up in Florida. My father was a minister, and so there was always a Christmas Eve candle light service(one of my most favorite traditions), which meant any traveling had to happen AFTER that service was over. And we always traveled to Jacksonville to wake up to spend Christmas day with the grandparents and cousins. It was wonderful to be around so much family at Christmas - but also messy. Trying to get all the presents, luggage, and 7 people packed into the station wagon so late at night. And Daddy drove, even though he was more than likely exhausted from taking care of his 'flock' and preparing for all of the extra worship services and then his time away from the church office. At least, being in Florida, we didn't have to worry about snow - now THAT would be REALLY MESSY!
The whole gift giving thing is messy as well. Does it all have to be equal? In size, in number, in amount spent, in time and effort? Boy, that makes it rather stressful. But does it need to be? What is the reason behind giving the gifts? For me, I like to give gifts to the people in my life that I care about - my family, my close friends and co-workers, and so on. Some gifts are big, some are little. And sometimes it's the little gifts that are the most memorable. And don't get me started on bows - they start out pretty, but get squished and damaged in travel. My MIL always hollers "Save me the bows" as we are opening presents at her house. So she ends up with dozens of squished bows. One year I wrapped up a bag of new bows for her to open on Christmas so we didn't have to save the old squished ones anymore. Guess what - she still hollered "Save me the bows"! Some traditions are hard to let go of - even if they involve squishy, messy bows!
And, of course, there's the whole - WHO do you spend Christmas with decision! Talk about MESSY! As my children were growing up, we opted to alternate holidays with each side of the family - my side for Christmas/my husband's side for Thanksgiving - my side for Thanksgiving/my husband's side for Christmas. Perfect - except that whichever side had Thanksgiving that year had to be prepared to share Christmas gifts a month early since we wouldn't be together for Christmas - and we were back to messy!
Now that my children are grown, it's still messy. It's rare that my husband and I both have the holiday off from work. We actually do this year and so we're doing a stay-cation at a resort nearby! Both my boys will be with us, but my daughter-in-love will be with her family for the holiday. We will visit my parents and then my husband's mother, spending most of the day driving, but spending time with the one's we love. Hopefully the roads won't be too messy - but at least there won't be snow down here in central Florida! ​
Since we're staying at a a resort, I brought some decorations with us. The wooden trees were made by my grandfather before I was born, and they are a little beat-up and weathered. But they travel well and add a nice backdrop to the wooden nativity I brought. It's not my fanciest nativity scene, but, again, it travels well and gets the point across. The angel was a last minute addition when the string broke as we were putting her on the Christmas tree. I think she goes well with the nativity scene!
Since we're in a condo, we brought a potted Norfolk pine as our Christmas tree. It probably won't be pictured in any decorative magazines, but the lights and ornaments add a festive touch. It's not the traditional shape of a Christmas tree, and the ornaments are a little random - what can I say - it's a bit of a mess! But that hasn't stopped us from putting presents underneath and celebrating anyway.
And isn't that what Christmas is all about? The world was a bit of a mess, so God sent his only son to remind us that he loves us and we should love each other - despite the circumstances and messes that we tend to get ourselves into. 
So try to tolerate, or even enjoy, the messes that happen this Christmas - and throughout the rest of the year. And remember to love each other, despite the messiness of the circumstances in which you find yourself. 
​Messy Christmas!

I love my family! But, boy, family relations can be such a mess at times! 
And add the holidays to the mix . . . it's a wonder that anybody is left to greet the new year!
But family is important - at least my family is important to me. I have a large family that is fairly intact! My parents live a little over an hour away, as does my mother-in-love (in another direction). I have 4 siblings spread across 3 states and 2 continents. Each of my siblings is married with children (along with some grandchildren for each of them). 
I also have a husband and children of my own, along with a daughter-in-love. My younger son and his wife are in the process of moving, but at the moment, we're all in the same town.
Communication is enhanced through the use of social media since we can't all see each other face-to-face on a daily basis. Facebook and texts are fine, but they aren't the same as a hug or a helping hand. (But depending on the drama of the day, sometimes the distance is necessary!) 
Because families are messy.
They are filled with people that all have the absolute CORRECT way to do anything. Except that it's not always the 'same' CORRECT way! And it doesn't always match MY CORRECT way! Don't they know that if they would just do what I say, it would all be perfect?! Hmph!
Well, it might be perfect for me, but not necessarily perfect for them. That's the messy part - trying to figure out which correct method is actually the perfect solution for the current situation. 
So, we work our way through the mess and hope to hug it out on the far side. 
Hope you can work your way through your own messy family interactions as this year comes to a close. Consider that 'your' correct solution might not match 'their' correct solution, and try to keep the volume under control and the hugs frequent!