Growing up, many years we would travel to Illinois for Christmas time at my grandparents’ house. Those trips are some of the fondest memories of my childhood. I remember making beds in the van once the seats had been removed. I remember playing with my cousins in the snow and with the ancient toys Grandma kept at her house (the pull wiener dog, the brown clip purse, the wire gulf clubs – huh? what were those anyway?). I remember running in a circle through all the rooms in the house while the adults talked and laughed in groups. I remember the haze of smoke for the time period when everyone smoked in the house. I remember watching the adults wondering what they could possibly talk about all that time that could be interesting or so darn funny. Now that I’m the adult, I know what they were talking about and what they were laughing at. They were remembering when they were kids.
This Thanksgiving weekend, we laughed so hard that I really thought my ribs were going to crack. I couldn’t breathe and it hurt so badly. In such a good way. With us living close to both sets of grandparents, our kids won’t have the same memories of traveling and staying in the same house as the 20 relatives that traveled there. But I do still hope they remember and cherish the holidays we have and the times we get together with cousins. They had a blast this year with cousins and I hope that continues with each holiday they celebrate together.
Cousins playing games electronic and physical. 🙂
I started this game ahead and finished dead last….Never moved more than a couple spaces.
We decorated Grandma Neukomm’s tree. We even overcame the light issues and got it decorated gorgeously! As a side note: it was my fourth tree that weekend! Mine, two at Grandma Rapp’s and this one. I may have laid on the couch during this one during the ornament stage due to exhaustion…
Black Friday shopping at Toys r US with the girls while the boys headed to Walmart.
You can see all of the photos including our gingerbread men in the November album. And one day when Shannon posts his pics, I’ll share some of those with you. 🙂