I've Lost My Christmas Spirit

I know. It's only November 30 and here I sit feeling like I wish it was January. I have lost my spirit before it has had a chance to really break out. Here are my reasons. And yea, I realize this is breaking my 30 days of delightful aka positive posts. Sorry. Count me among the humans.

1) I don't feel like buying this year. Seriously. My kids do not need one more single thing that comes packaged in pretty paper and pretty ribbons. (And I seriously do NOT want to be stepping over, around, and ON them for the next 18 years)

2) Shopping for my husband is a nightmare because a)he buys what he wants when he wants it thus leaving me nothing to buy and b)no matter how much I try to wow him I never wow him and he always goes overboard thus making me feel very guilty.

3) I do the tree sans my husband. He wants no part of it. I find that seriously depressing. I opened my big mouth about 5 seconds too late tonight when he was entering "the building" from walking the dog. Just in time to hear me tell the kids, "I HATE doing this because your dad NEVER wants to help." Talk about a foot in the mouth. His response? "I don't do it because it's ALWAYS like this!" Do you think he meant like this?
I honestly think the doing it myself "for the kids" is just a bit overwhelming honey. That's all. Really.

My favorite first born son managed to take a few shots that seemed a bit more festive (thank you good son for lugging up all the boxes from the basement for us)
and though I felt like this must of the time...
I tried really hard not to crank on the kids for refusing to stand up and "spread" the ornaments around a bit.
In spite of it all the tree is up.
and it's over. It has to be all good from here right?

The truth of the matter is that I haven't lost Christmas. Because Christmas isn't about a tree and it's branches being spread just so. It's ornaments adorned perfectly. It isn't even about me and my family doing something together wholly. It's about God sending His Son for me. And for you. And no earthly thing can take the place of what Christmas is all about. So as I stood there and admired the tree I took in the cheerfulness heard in my excited childrens' voices. I paused for a moment and remembered that childlike joy and though I long for it, I know much better presents await me in heaven where perfection and wholeness abound. And then oh praises I will have my joy.