Wow I just spent the last 2 hours reading all the posts that I have missed while I was gone to Disney World with my DS and DDIL. We had a wonderful time if you don't count the horrible cold that I came down with 2 days before we left. Anyway it was great spending time with my son and celebrating his 30th birthday together in Disney World. That is such an awesome place, I had never been to any of the Disney parks before so I was just totally blown away. I will always cherish the memories from that trip. Got home after being in 82 degree weather to 30 degree temps here. Then the snow started flying the next day. Then the power went out for 36 hours and temperatures in the teens for the highs. Was a couple of miserable days, but made it okay and everything is back on now. Was able to cook Thanksgiving dinner without any problems today. Had mixed feelings all day today because last Thanksgiving I had spent in the hospital with my dad after he fell and broke his hip and had to have hip replacement surgery 3 days later. He ended up passing away on Christmas Eve last year so I am really dreading this whole holiday season coming up. It was such a hard time last year and it doesn't really feel like it is going to be any easier this year. I know he is in a better place now but boy I sure miss him. Plus, I just don't feel right about being jolly when it is around the time that he past away. He had such a rough time the last month of his life it just shadows over everything else now remembering it. I was lucky to get to spend so much time with him last year as I would drive down 3 to 4 times a week to spend the day with him in the nursing home. I found out more things about my dad during those times than I had ever known. How do you handle rough times like this during the holidays?