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No family for the holidays + Wed Links

The holidays are one of the toughest things to get through when you have lost practically everyone in your family. No family means no real get-togethers for Thanksgiving and Christmas. While everyone else enjoys the holiday with their family my kids and I have no family to really spend the holiday with so it’s just us 3. My son asked me earlier this year why we don’t have a lot of family and why our house wasn’t filled with people for the holidays. Here is how our convo went

Dman: Mom why don’t we have a house full of people on holidays

Me: Well we don’t really have a lot of family and it’s not fun to intrude on others when you aren’t invited

Dman: Why don’t you have a lot of family?

Me: Well for starters I am an only child and my mom and grandma is gone. Also, I have only one cousin who I haven’t talked to in years. My Aunts didn’t have any kids just my uncle

Dman: Do you ever wish you had a big family to celebrate with?

Me: Sometimes I do but then I think that’s more people to buy presents for and I am an introvert so I would have to entertain and I don’t think I can handle a lot of people in my home or be around a lot of folks

Dman: Plus you would probably make us clean up so it’s kind of good that you don’t entertain

Me: Exactly, lol. A family is what you make it. You don’t have to be blood to have a great time. Remember that as you get older. Your sister will have her own family and you will have your own and you can make your own family with your friends. Start your own traditions and don’t follow what everyone else is doing. Sometimes a big family can be more mess. Less mess, less stress!

Dman: Ok mom….maybe you can have one more son and then you can have a big family when we all have kids and stuff.

Me: Get out of my house!

I literally did tell him to leave how dare he speak the devil around me. I ain’t having no more kids!

Links for the week

I don’t have a FitBit but I need one……BTW do you all see my photos?

I have a newsletter for my brand. It’s for small business owners and bloggers because let’s face it, we are business owners.  Sign up for your first freebie. Plenty more where that came from

Find your passion and find a way to make a living from it. I don’t know if I can handle the unschooling life but I loved this article.

I actually prefer you text me but I get what this article is saying about courtship

I use to be afraid of taking my camera out in public places but I do it now with no problems. My cell phone pics suck (android)

Dribble is the truth if you are looking for inspiration. I use to look through the site all the time when I did logos

I love all things Apple this time of year

I normally cuss folks out when I have a bad day….next time you are having a bad day try these tips instead

36 Comments

  • robin rue
    November 8, 2017 at 1:18 pm

    I grew up in a small family and loved it that way. The three of us siblings are married now and two of us have kids, so the family is bigger, but still small at the same time.

    Reply
  • Alli Smith
    November 8, 2017 at 1:19 pm

    I have a large family and they all gather at my house for the holidays. Sometimes it’s hard to hear each other because of everyone talking at once. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. You have some valid points going on concerning the cleanup, etc.

    Reply
  • candy
    November 8, 2017 at 1:20 pm

    When we didn’t live close to family we always invited single friends or other couples over who didn’t have big families. More the merrier.

    Reply
  • Jenn @ EngineerMommy
    November 8, 2017 at 1:32 pm

    Some years we have celebrated in a very small party. This year we will be having a lot of people over for the holidays. It varies from year to year.

    Reply
  • Amber Myers
    November 8, 2017 at 1:39 pm

    We’re a military family so for many years we didn’t live by family so it was just us. Honestly, sometimes I prefer it that way. Less chaotic!

    Reply
  • Natasha
    November 8, 2017 at 2:21 pm

    There are days that I wish my family was smaller, or less loud, or just fond of dressing up and acting right. LOL! We’ve celebrated the holidays on our own before, and with just the six of us, it was quite a fun time.

    Reply
  • Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh
    November 8, 2017 at 3:55 pm

    I can relate! I have a half brother from my mothers first marriage, who has a wife, daughter, son, and their families. They live 5 hours away, and our relationship is sort of strained. It’s the only family I have from my mothers side. My dad is remarried and celebrates holidays with his new wife’s family. I have an aunt and uncle that we get together with that lives nearby. Our holidays are small.

    Reply
  • Tomi C
    November 8, 2017 at 4:01 pm

    Didn’t grow up near a bunch of our family so I really like to go all out during the holidays and invite EVERYONE over. This year Thanksgiving is at our home and we’re expecting 20-30 ppl and I LOVE it! Kita, you and your family are welcome to join us.

    Reply
  • Monique Tillman
    November 8, 2017 at 4:38 pm

    More family more drama. More family more expectations to follow their traditions. I’m not traditional at all, but my husband is, which makes for an interesting dynamic for the holidays. I am the only child on my moms side, so I totally understand the feeling.

    Reply
  • Sheena Steward
    November 8, 2017 at 5:15 pm

    I’m happy you and your children have a great relationship. I know the holidays will be a good time for y’all. I always love your links for the week.

    Reply
  • Bonnie G
    November 9, 2017 at 12:16 am

    I’m sorry to hear that it’s just you and your kiddos for the holidays. My family is the same, it is just us as well.

    Reply
  • Tisha
    November 9, 2017 at 12:49 am

    The older I get the less family members I see at Christmas, but the older I get the more cooking I do so I don’t mind too much haha! But growing up it was always fun having everyone around!

    Reply
  • Jill
    November 9, 2017 at 1:59 am

    I’m sure you and your son will make the most of the holiday regardless of how many people you celebrate with!

    Reply
  • Sapphire Kharyzma
    November 9, 2017 at 2:07 am

    LOL, your conversations with your son are usually the highlight of my day! I love your relationship!

    Reply
  • Pam
    November 9, 2017 at 2:11 am

    I always wished I had a big family. I’m an only child so we obviously on.h had a small family.

    Reply
  • Claudia Krusch
    November 9, 2017 at 3:25 am

    We have a small family and I have always wondered what it would be like on the Holidays if there was more of us. I think it would be amazing to have a big family to lean on.

    Reply
  • Liz Mays
    November 9, 2017 at 3:31 am

    Aww, I definitely think you can have a great celebration with just a few family members. We don’t get the entire family together every single year. We’re so spread out all over the place.

    Reply
  • Sandy N Vyjay
    November 9, 2017 at 5:15 am

    Kids always ask questions and sometimes we do not have any answers. But I think you handled his questions very well. It is so important to do that and not evade questions.

    Reply
  • Rosemary Palmer
    November 9, 2017 at 1:13 pm

    My son is grown and we don’t have a lot of family. If everyone can get off, we usually go somewhere for Christmas. This year it will be a Cowboys game.

    Reply
  • Chubskulit Rose
    November 9, 2017 at 2:30 pm

    I don’t have a big family here in the US which makes me miss my big family back home in the Philippines especially during Christmas.

    Reply
  • danasia fantastic
    November 9, 2017 at 5:30 pm

    I have a large family, but they don’t live near me so it’s typically just me and my bf during the holidays. I def miss being with them during the holiday season.

    Reply
  • Ashleigh
    November 9, 2017 at 7:17 pm

    I have a small family and totally feel you, while our homes aren’t packed with family around the holidays, it’s still good to feel that love. Have you ever thought about hosting a get together with any of your friends or other moms you may know in similar situations?

    Reply
  • Tiffany H.
    November 9, 2017 at 10:06 pm

    I love the holidays, one of the reasons I do is because of our large family. During Christmas it takes us forever to open Christmas presents because it so many of us. I say I want a big family but haven’t started yet, so will see how that turns out. With that being said, family is what you make it. Try visiting friends, or coworkers, church family functions, I’m pretty sure they would love to have you over.

    Reply
  • Tione
    November 9, 2017 at 10:12 pm

    I have a big family and it’s fun when we all are around.

    Reply
  • Carissa
    November 10, 2017 at 2:45 am

    We don’t have a really big family, it has grown but it’s not huge. We have fun together and enjoy time but sometimes it’s more drama with more people and that’s the part about the big family that I can do without.

    Reply
  • Anosa
    November 10, 2017 at 4:00 am

    We are also a small family but we have a lot of family relatives and we are all close so whenever there are occasions and holidays, as much as possible we celebrate it altogether.

    Reply
  • EG III
    November 10, 2017 at 5:11 am

    I know exactly what you mean. Holidays have lost a bit of their thunder since the passing of my mother and grandmother.

    Reply
  • Our Family World
    November 10, 2017 at 7:34 am

    I have three siblings. However, I consider our family to be large because we have a really close bond with my cousins. We never live too far from each other, so we are like brothers and sisters too. Family get togethers are done often, like every month and it is usually held in my eldest cousin’s house (because his house is ginormous and he has a big backyard perfect for entertaining).

    Reply
  • Mimi Green
    November 10, 2017 at 11:38 am

    This conversation is funny. I thought my family was small but I guess not. Family is what you make it for sure. Like you said hosting company is a lot of work.

    I feel you on the no more kids.

    Reply
  • Joyce Brewer
    November 10, 2017 at 2:11 pm

    It’s a mix for us. I have a big family. My husband has a small family with no real traditions of dinner or presents.
    So usually the boy and I travel to be with my family.
    But on Thanksgivings when we’ve stayed here, we have friends who are like family who allow us to spend time with them.

    Reply
  • Crystal Lewis
    November 10, 2017 at 8:35 pm

    My dad’s side of the family is very large, but they are all in Philadelphia and Florida. My mom’s side is not, her mother and sister passed away. So when I spend the time with my mom, it’s just a small gathering. When I spend time with my husbands side it’s a HUGE event. I appreciate both.

    Reply
  • Bianca Dottin
    November 10, 2017 at 8:50 pm

    Less family, less drama. This is the second year we are spending Christmas alone and I am actually kind of excited to just have peace and quiet. Maybe since you don’t have family over for Christmas you guys could travel for the holidays to make it a little more fun.

    Reply
  • Bernetta
    November 13, 2017 at 4:41 am

    Your son is something else. My kids ask me to have another baby too, well my daughter does. She wants a sister. I have a big family although I don’t know them like that, so I feel alone in that area. My friends have become family too

    Reply
  • Andrea Bates
    November 13, 2017 at 12:48 pm

    You are welcome to be my family any time you’d like.

    This year my daughter is splitting Thanksgiving between me and my husband, and will be away for Christmas but I’ll have her for New Years – and all of my family is in NY, so though not quite the same, no family nearby can be and feel similar. I hear you.

    Reply
  • Kiwi
    November 14, 2017 at 1:51 pm

    LMAO cute interview. You told him to get out of your house when he asked about another sibiling that was cute! At least you have each other!

    Reply
  • Nellie
    November 14, 2017 at 3:44 pm

    another son!! LOL I love chatting with my boys, they say the darndest things sometimes!! Family is exactly that, what you make it.

    Reply

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