Married Holidays

Thanksgiving is next week (how did that happen?) and that means that Carter and I are preparing for our first holidays as a married couple. I know that sometimes, approaching the topic of where to spend the holidays is difficult for a couple. Luckily, Carter and I have it pretty easy.

Both of our parents live in the same town we do (I grew up with grandparents within 20 minutes of each other, and either with one set, or in the same neighborhood of the other set, so I really hope Carter and I will be able to raise our kids in the same city as their grandparents). That means that it's entirely possible to see both sets of parents on any given holiday. This will work out beautifully for Christmas, as neither set of parents travels for that holiday. On the other hand, Carter's family always travels for Thanksgiving. Carter has extended family is Georgia and Kentucky, so Thanksgiving is always spent in one of those two states. This means that for Thanksgiving, we'll either be with his family or my family.

For now, our rotation is pretty simple: my sister and brother-in-law live in Nashville, and they rotate holidays with their families every year. So, the years that they will be in Knoxville for Thanksgiving, so will we. If they're with Matt's parents for Thanksgiving, we'll be with Carter's parents. That way, my whole family gets to be together, and we still get equal time with Carter's family. (The odd exception is this year, when Matt & Erin's original rotation was to be here for Christmas. Carter & I made plans to travel for Thanksgiving, and then Matt & Erin's plans changed. So, this year they will be here for Thanksgiving, and we will be out of town. Going foward though, this theory will work...)

This year, we will be driving to Georgia for Thanksgiving. I'm very excited to get to spend such an important holiday with Carter's family. His entire family has been nothing but welcoming to me, and I know we'll have a wonderful trip. It's still a little strange to think about spending Thanksgiving away from my family, mostly because it still doesn't always feel like we're actually married. I still get the impression we're playing house, and eventually we'll have to go back and live with our parents, once the sleepover is finished. Do any other newlyweds feel this way? Or have you been spending the holidays together for years?

For Christmas, we'll spend Christmas Eve with Carter's parents, first thing Christmas morning will be just the two of us, then we'll head to Carter's parents' again for Christmas day. Mid-afternoon, we'll head to my house, where my extended family will gather for our celebration. I think it will be a wonderful day!

The tree at my parents' house last year. Most of the presents you see were for Carter!

If you're a newlywed, what are your holiday plans this year? If you've been married for years, how does your holiday schedule work? Did it take a few tries to "get it right"? If you're not married, what does your perfect holiday plan look like?