Family + Christmas = The Most Stressful Time of the Year

I love Christmas. I think it is wonderful. Christmas lights look like floating bits of magic, and I can't help but smile when I see them. Christmas is probably my favorite time of the year. That being said, it can also be super stressful.

I have 2 sets of parents, which is normally great, but at Christmas it is challenging. My husband and I have to attend 3 immediate family Christmases. He always works until very late on Christmas Eve, and I usually work the day after Christmas, so we don't have a lot of time to get everywhere we need to go. Oh, and did I mention we live 3.5 hours away from our families?

Normally, living a good distance away from our families is a blessing, but it sure does make for a stressful holiday season. We leave our house at the crack of dawn , drive 3+ hours, lug ourselves, our dogs, and presents from house-to-house. We come home exhausted, emotionally fried, and completely devoid of our Christmas spirit. I'd rather stay at home and visit our families when we can be there for longer than a day, but my husband feels guilty if we miss Christmas. So, I'm humoring him until we have children. Then, we will be staying put during the holidays! Besides, Christmas is in your heart and not a day on the calendar, right?

Anyway, I haven't quite figured out how to deal with being pulled in so many directions and accommodating everyone else's schedules. All I know is "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" becomes "The Most Stressful Time of the Year." I secretly wish Kris and I would get snowed in and have Christmas just us. But, the high today is 63, so that would be a real Christmas miracle!

So, I ask you, how do you deal with family obligations during the holidays? Do you ever feel like running around from house to house defeats the purpose of Christmas? Share!