It’s hard to believe as I write this that Christmas 2008 is Thursday. It seems every year gets busier and busier. And they seem to go by so much faster than they used to. This year has been a big year here at the Hall house.

In August my oldest daughter got engaged. That has kept us busy with wedding plans from the minute Parker popped the question.

I had no idea planning a wedding took so much time, and I can’t figure out how some people put one together in a few months.

Even though we have done a lot there seems to be a lot left to do. When I wrote my column in August about Holly getting engaged I was surprised by the number of e-mails I received from brides-to-be and mothers-of-the-bride with suggestions and tips.

They have proven to be invaluable and I thank each of you for them. They helped us make lists and begin to see her special day coming together.

The best one I received was the simplest — enjoy the planning and don’t let it get out of hand or too stressful. We have tried to keep that one at the top of the list.

In November my youngest daughter, Emily turned 16. That seems such a turning point to a parent. Probably not as much to the teenager, since by then they already have their driver’s license. It just sounds so much older then 15 to a parent. And I know that high-school will be over the next time I blink and she will be college bound.

This month not only do we have Christmas but my son Matthew turned 21. Talk about a milestone. I just laughed when he made his comments about being an adult. To me, like most parents, you get to be that when you pay your own bills and are off the parental payroll. So while he can order a beer or a glass of wine when we go to dinner, that is all that has changed in that department. The funny thing is sometimes when I see him at a party we are both attending, I have to stop and look again. He might not be off my payroll yet, but he is definitely grown up.

This past weekend we all packed up and went to Dallas for an engagement party for Holly and Parker at his parent’s house. In situations like these I promise it pays to be from Natchez, because there are Natchez people living just about anywhere you go. Even though the Dallas crowd was very nice and couldn’t have been anymore welcoming, there was something very comforting about looking across the room and seeing familiar faces in the crowd.

While we were in Dallas another Natchez friend, Sage Guido, now Sage Twilley, had her first child. We were thrilled to be in town and able to see Jackson when he was only three days old. Sage used to babysit for my children and it made both she and I tear up when Emily held her son.

Another year is wrapping up for all of us in Natchez. Whether your year has been good or bad or a mixture of both I wish you and your family a peaceful and joyous Christmas season filled with the love of friends and family.

Christina Hall can be reached at christina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com