A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Tired Boys

We are exhausted.  It has taken the better part of this past week for Ross and I to get back to feeling normal.

We went back home for Christmas.  We left Friday and drove half way.  That night we stayed at a dive hotel.  The only rooms they had for pets were also for smoking; it smelled to high heaven.  We got up the next morning and travelled the rest of the way to my mom's house.  There we had Christmas with my whole family.  Everyone seemed to have a good time, and it was fun catching up with everyone.  That night we drove an hour to my sister's house and spent the night there.  We stayed up till one in the morning assembling the kids' Christmas gifts and jaw-jacking.  It was so nice to go to sleep someplace other than an ashtray!  We got up that morning and had breakfast and then watched my sister's family get their stocking gifts-they had to wait until after church to open their other gifts.  When they left for church we headed to Ross' dad's place.  After another two hours on the road (Max was not having it at this point) we got there.  We spent some time at his dad's before heading to his brother's house for Christmas dinner and the family gift exchange.  It was once again nice to catch up with everyone.  After dinner we stopped in at Ross' grandmother's house for a short visit before heading back to his dad's and shortly thereafter to dreamland.  The next morning we packed the car, headed over to Ross's mom's for breakfast and some one-on-one time, and then got in the car and drove the eight and a half hour drive (almost ten hours with stops) so I could be at work the next morning.  Max slept most of the way; I wished I was right there with him.  It was a lot of driving, but we so enjoyed seeing our family.

As our family tradition dictates, we do not celebrate Christmas until we are home with our menagerie. Tuesday was our Christmas Eve and Wednesday our Christmas.  While we were gone Bootsy and the chickens all stayed at home with our neighbor watching them (you couldn't ask for a better neighbor). Cloe stayed at the vet as she needs insulin shots twice a day for her diabetes; the vet said she did not like her stay very much as she barely ate.  Ross brought her home Tuesday morning and we started our festivities that evening after I got home from work.  Ross made a wonderful hors d'oeuvres dinner.  We watched the PBS nature special Christmas at Yellowstone which is a family tradition (the cats and Max like to watch along-it is so funny), and then headed to bed.  The next morning we got up and opened gifts.  We scaled back this year, but I did get Ross a gift he has been asking for for several years-a guitar.  He was so excited, as was I.  It is so nice to give a gift that is able to bring out the little kid hidden inside of an adult.  (Please note that Ross is also wearing his head lamp that I gave him.  I think he mentioned how much he liked them a zillion times this past year.)  We had a great day and Ross made prime rib for dinner (another of our holiday traditions).  I ended up napping with the boys as evidenced by the picture above, and I should note that I am as bad as Ross-I received the gold, hand-knitted cap as a Christmas gift and wore it all day and night.

It was a great Christmas for us as all the important pieces were there-friends, family, peace, and love.  A couple of trinkets made the season a bit brighter, but in the end it is the memories made that we will carry on with us (and maybe Ross' first guitar solo with made up lyrics played to what I think was Jingle Bells-which I have on video, but know I would be severely punished for sharing!).  We are looking forward to the new year, and wish you and your's peace, love and happiness.