Holidays.

The holidays are hectic. True, but they are also wonderfully pleasant. When else can cook amazingly decadent food, bake dozens of cookies and decorate with glitter? I love giving into my "inner Martha" and get into the holidays. Everything's just so sparkly and wonderful. Except for the whole family situation because, dividing time between our four families is...hard.

Ugh, I'd rather dust. Or drink wheatgrass. Or do whatever you find mildly unpleasant.

My parents and the husband's parents are both divorced and many of them, remarried. Now, don't get me wrong, I love our family. I would just love if we could make one or two trips to see most of them.

Ok, it's not just the number of visits or the multiple meals - it's the having to call the other set of parents on our way to see someone's parents. It's missing out on someone else's family function. It's small "stuff" but, it's constant and it's not fun.

And for some reason, you'd think it would get easier as we get older. As kids, everyone held our hands through the unfamiliar Divorce process. Fifteen years later, we - the kids - are in the driver's seat and we're left feeling guilty for missing out on multiple family gatherings each holiday.

It sounds a bit silly, really, "we just have TOO many people to please!" But I crave tradition, stability and comfort. Knowing that we'll be overtired, hopped up on cheesey dips, dropping gifts off here and there - sounds a little...less than relaxing.

I'm looking forward to creating special traditions with our little lady. Where the history is fresh and we have a clean slate to make a lifetime of memories.

Don't get me wrong, I love these wonderful family gatherings, I'm just looking forward to taking it easy - someday - with our little unit.