Too many of her her relatives live too far away. It is terribly difficult for them to make the drive in December as they have little babies. Iowa (I'm in Des Moines, the rest who are in Iowa live in the far NW corner (Orange City/Sioux Center areas). Between ice and snow storms that time of year, it just never works out.
Friday I will be putting up a tree, putting the lighted inflatable snow men out front and watching my kids put out Christmas decorations. I drew the line when my wife asked if I would put up the icicle lights. 8^[ I'll play along but only so far.
Paul