Wanted: Holiday Happiness

I just saw an ad a moment ago claiming, "Holiday Happiness Guaranteed."

The thought struck me as funny, as the ad was promoting it's store

as having the "perfect" gifts for whoever is on our list.

Frankly, I've had it with stores and shopping, and finding gifts.

I doubt that the store that was promoting "guaranteed happiness"

could actually deliver what is on my Christmas list.

My list you ask?

1) A night when everyone in the house is in bed

(and stays put) by 9:30 p.m.

2) A night when everyone in the family is home for dinner

AND can sit down and enjoy dinner

AND is still home after dinner and can help clean up the kitchen.

3) A night when we can, as a family, sing together,

read scriptures together,

and finish reading Christmas Jars together,

snuggled up close, the Christmas

lights twinkling around us.

4) A day with just a normal load of laundry

(you know - just darks, or just whites,

with no extra sheets/blankets and

without the entire wardrobe of one particular person).

5) A morning when everyone wakes up the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd time

I wake them up,

so that we actually have time to make

and eat a nice breakfast instead of just cold cereal.

That being said . . .

I really don't have any room to complain.

Though Erik isn't around too much right now

(Tithing Settlement among other things)

he is HERE, and I do SEE him.

And my kids spend most of their day with these great teachers,

who not only spend their day with my kids and a whole host of other kids,

but then also go home to their own kids, and the laundry,

and the cleaning up of dinner, and the shopping.

Yes, I do recognize how lucky I am right now.

And yet still . . .

I haven't quit looking

for a little Holiday Happiness.