Families Are Forever (at least they feel that way here on Earth)

Going to Thanksgiving meant being subjected to my MIL. According to her, 'everyone' thought we were crazy for the gift we gave everyone for Christmas last year.

I guess we 'lost our mind' when we gave gift baskets, from a company, to everyone as thanks for their attendance at our wedding that year. We thought it was worth it, from all the shower and wedding gifts we received and the fact that his side was very much in attendance, when honestly we figured 5 people would attend our nuptuals.

She informs me that NOone in the family gives gifts larger than $25 worth. So I now feel like I'm working in a place that gives Secret Santa gifts with a limit.

I guess then too, it would be crazy what I had planned since October to give the family. Since we're driving I thought we would have the space to bring the gift baskets I planned to MAKE this year for my husband's relatives with stuff I make and little gifts that you find at Walmart or Target

There are many things wrong with what my MIL said. It makes me want to return the baskets that I bought from a local craft store and give them each a bag of pennies. I was sooooo looking forward to making and doing stuff and seeing the looks on their faces, but now I just couldn't give a cr*p. Further, since we're driving, MIL and her Precious (my SIL now, or should I just call her Princess) have now loaded up our vehicle with their gifts to their family. They always assumed it was okay, even though I told MIL that we really were going to be loaded up this year. Whatever, from her. The solution: buy my husband a car top carrier as his Christmas present. What other time of year are we going to need that thing?

Talk about killing the Christmas spirit. I can't take those baskets back because I shredded the receipt never thinking I'd want to back out. I don't even want to go. It's a week long thing, a 14 hour drive and I don't want to spend one week pretending to a normie (albeit a 'lazy' one with no job. It will be put in my face many times over, I predict) when I just want to tell them to go to hell. If they are all as cheap as my MIL, if they can't even be thankful and instead feel uncomfortable just to get a nice gift, like MIL makes it sound then that is the saddest f'n Christmas story I have ever heard. Besides making me mad at MIL, she has managed to make me mad at all of them. Good job.

It's all probably a load of cr*p anyway, insinuating that EVERYone was just so overwhelmed to receive a frickin' gift basket. It's probably just her as she is beyond cheap and has no skills except finding the perfect sale and clearance items. For the record, not only is this the only way she finds joy in life, but she has the unbelievable gall to actually tell a recipient of a gift from her that she did not pay the price (she leaves on the tags), in fact it was practically free. And she is proud of herself for this activity.

So I've been told what we are talking about is jealousy. I was like, No way can she be jealous of me. But none of it makes me feel better. I think I should be figuring out how to can or make one of the things that was going to go in everyone's basket. I have zero desire. I just don't want to. I can't help wondering if everyone in the family really is that cheap or so weird that they would feel uncomfortable by a nice gift. Why the heck should I care? It's NOT MY FAMILY. Don't you hate the lie that married intos count as much as the blood relatives. I'm breaking my back for someone else's relatives/ingrates? Why? Stop the madness. I need to find a lot of pennies, and fast.

Why do I even have to be subjected to this? My husband literally says, 'Because you are my wife.' I guess I should say 'Good bye City Life! Green Acres heeeere weee come!'