It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I was leaving that picture of Justin and I up until we were discovered by a modeling agency, became famous, and made a lot of money.  However, that did not happen.  We only had a hand-full of inquiries as to where we got our hot swim caps, and two modeling contracts that really weren't so lucrative.

So, we're going to hold out till spring when people's minds aren't on presents Christmas.

So, it's cold, and gray, and rainy here.  Winter in this city is such a down time.  It's the rainy season.  Unfortunately it's just cold enough to make the marrow in your bones freeze up a bit, but not cold enough to actually snow.  The sun doesn't shine.  Motorists zoom through the poorly paved streets, plunging through huge puddles, and spraying those poor souls walking along the sides with nasty muddy water.

Winter = not fun.

It's the hardest time to be here.  I really feel the extent of what we've given up during the winer.  Throughout most of the year we can convince ourselves that we've got it good.  Yes, we exactly love city life, but we do have a comfortable apartment, friends, decent schools for the kids.  But, it's now, just before Christmas when my mind starts to think, "why did we do this?"

In coming here, we gave up our stuff.  We gave up our pride and our security, and our comfort.  Heck, we gave up a good portion of our sanity.  But the thing that we gave up that hurts the most is our families.  Everyone wants to be home for Christmas.  They want to stay up to late with their Mommas, and sing Christmas carols with the radio while shopping with their siblings.  I want to sit at my mother-in-law's table and eat a delicious meal.  I want to see my nephews and niece running through the house driving the adults crazy.

This year we feel it so intensely, and I don't know why.  It's almost like our first Christmas away again. Forget the presents.  Forget the stuff, and the running around, and all the trappings.  This year all I want  for Christmas is my family!