Over the River and Through the Woods...

To Grandmother's (and Grandfather's) house we...went! We survived the trip. On the way there, our usual 6 hour drive turned into an 8 hour drive due to accidents in the Kalamazoo area. Our drive back was uneventful, hitting traffic in the Chicago area only. Surprise, surprise! The kids did a great job! Ella enjoyed watching several DVDs that we rented from the library and Nathan enjoyed, well, eating and sleeping. He's not quite old enough to "play" with toys in the car. He mostly would handle a toy for a few minutes, and the chuck it onto the floor. We did have a nice visit at my parent's house...possibly the last visit to that house, since it went on the market TODAY! Joe seems to think it's going to sell fast...I'm not so sure. The economy is even worse in Michigan, if you can believe it.

Thanksgiving was spent at my Auntie Anne and Uncle Bob's house. We were able to visit with my Uncle Rick and Aunt Nancy, and my cousins Ben and Matt. It was a fairly quiet Thanksgiving (except for my children, of course) and it made me realize how old I'm getting! I remember how excited I used to get for holidays when I was little. It probably had to do with the fact that I was very close with my cousins and we always had a blast, playing games, making up skits, and just laughing. Sometimes I miss those days. I hope my kids will be able to have that sort of relationship with their cousins, and do some of the same things that we did in years past.

While we were in Michigan, I was able to get together with an old friend from high school. I hadn't seen Eric in over 10 years so it was really nice to catch up. I also saw one of my best friends, Kari. My mom's Aunt Janet, Aunt Ruth, and Uncle George came over for a quick visit. We hadn't seen them since last Christmas, so it was nice for them to see how much the kids had grown. Nathan was in a much better mood than he was a year ago, that's for sure! We celebrated Joe's 30th birthday and my mom's birthday. I attempted to make a red velvet cake, which was disastrous. The cake turned out okay, but the frosting was another story. Oh well, I tried. The days went by too quickly, like they always do, and it was a bit emotional leaving, knowing that it may have been the last time in that house. It's a very strange feeling. I think it helped that my parents had made several changes to the house since I went off to college and moved out. My old room didn't really feel like MY room anymore, it felt like the guest room. The basement and kitchen have change drastically, as well as the family room. We now have the piano in our house, the one that used to sit in the great room, the one that I sat at for hours to practice. It's a great house, and whoever ends up buying it is very lucky. I have so many wonderful memories in that house and I will miss it. But, I would much rather have my parents closer!

I've been thinking a lot lately about holidays and how things change as we get older. Now that Joe and I have kids, and we are now a family of 4, we'd like to start some of our own traditions. Once my parents move to Wisconsin, it will be easier to divide our time between my family and Joe's family for Christmas. Maybe one year we will spend Christmas Eve with my parents and Christmas Day with Joe's parents...and then the next year we can switch it up. One thing we would like to start doing is spending Christmas morning at our own house with our kids, opening presents and stockings, and having breakfast together, before heading out for a larger family gathering later in the day. There comes a point when extended families start spending holidays with more immediate family, and when each individual family starts taking on hosting responsibilities. I'd like to take on a Thanksgiving or a Christmas and start a rotation in the future. It seems to be the natural course of things. When I was very small, I remember having Christmas Eve at my Grandma's sister's house, with all of my mom's aunts, uncles, and cousins. Eventually, it evolved into having Christmas Eve at our house or at one of my mom's sister's houses, and then Christmas Day was always spent at one of my dad's siblings' houses. Things change. Nobody likes it. I don't like it. But it's the way things progress, and then they stay the same for several years, until our kids are grown, and the cycle starts all over again. Either way, I still love the holidays and enjoy beginning new traditions.

This week I plan on digging out all of the Christmas decorations from the basement and getting to work! My parents are coming to visit the weekend before Christmas to celebrate early. We will have our own little celebration so they can give Ella and Nathan their presents (and the awesome stockings my mother always creates!). We'll have a traditional Christmas dinner...and then do it all again a week later with Joe's family! This year, Joe will be singing in the choir during the Christmas Eve service. I am very excited to be able to attend our own church on Christmas Eve and hear Joe sing. I'm excited to be spending Christmas Eve at our own house and waking up on Christmas morning, watching my children opening their presents under our own tree. The vision almost brings tears to my eyes.

Later this week, I will remember my Grandma. Charlotte. I still can picture her and hear her voice so clearly. I still miss her terribly. It makes me sad that she didn't get to meet my children. She would have been a wonderful Great-grandma.