Christmas is Coming

Really?!! ... Really?!! Christmas is always coming, from December 26th, the day after Christmas, there is always another one on it's way. It's just a lot further away! Imagine my surprise on July 10th, when a friend helpfully posted on Facebook that Christmas was just 24 weeks away!

I don't know about you but 24 weeks sounds a lot less than 5 months! The realisation then dawned on me that within the following 24 weeks our whole lives would be completely turned upside down. By Christmas, Mark will have finished at MMS Aviation, we will have packed up our lives here in the States and shipped all our belongings off, said goodbyes to all our friends out here ... and be temporarily homeless and back in the UK to celebrate Christmas with family, before moving to Tanzania in early 2013.

Suddenly 24 weeks seemed like no time at all and thoroughly overwhelming. When I was thinking about a typical week and how much I do and don't get achieved, I realised I'd better get a head start on it all. Now of course we are already a few more weeks down the line ... and no, I couldn't tell you what the countdown is today, I'm avoiding working it out for the time being.

Earlier this week we were doing a little bit of holiday gift shopping with my mum before she heads back to the UK. In one store in Roscoe Village, there is already a whole display of Christmas cards on sale and although as I write this it's August (just), consider that we were in that shop in July. 

Is it really necessary to be selling Christmas cards in July? Apparently so!!! I think that's the earliest I've ever seen something in a store. To me, it is totally wrong but there you go, such is life. As a family we love to celebrate Christmas and while this year is going to be very different for us, I don't think I'll waste too much brainpower thinking about it ... for the time being at least!


(One little confession to add to this though. I did wrap 3 Christmas presents this afternoon to send home with my mum when she travels back to the UK tomorrow ... so we don't have take extra baggage with us when we head to England for Christmas! Oops!)