Confessions of this Gal's Sinful Heart

Anybody else struggling to look forward to the holidays this year?  I admit that I have been.  I'm ashamed to say but every year the holidays have become harder to look forward to.  Having to make difficult decisions, missing lost loved ones, no funds, and something you look forward to taken away.  Having to choose which dysfunctional family you want to pass the time with.  Not fun. Last year, to have something more to look forward to at the holidays, I came up with a brilliant idea.  I decided that we would take a family vacation to Disney World the week before Christmas.  I planned a year in advance, I saved every penny I had, and made all our dining reservations 180 days prior.  By meticulously mapping out our vacation agenda it helped, for the most part, to take my mind off the impending gloom of the holidays.  However, the vacation did not go as I had planned, due to a financial crisis we had to take many things off the list and downgrade others.  Thankfully, none-the-less