1. On Monday, I was able to have a birthday lunch with my used-to-be-living in Japan friend. We see each other for approximately 5 minutes each day at pickup, when we can give quick little updates about our days. It was nice to have plenty of time to really chat and hear the full stories of what is going on.
2. On Tuesday, the 8th grade had it's Thanksgiving feast. I was able to work it, seeing as how I don't have any kids at home with me during the day anymore. I'm finding those silver linings, small as they may be.
3. I've gotten most of the photos I had printed organized and into albums. Our mothers were thrilled to receive albums with all of the pictures taken on our trip to Disney.
4. We made it to Canton in normal time. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is a crap shoot as far as time in the car goes. One year, it took us 12 hours to make the 6 hour trip. No snow and no backups and no 5:00 traffic in Columbus meant we made it to Grandma's house when expected.
5. The dessert I made for Thanksgiving made the trip unscathed. It was fragile and on ice in a tote, since we don't have a cooler that can hold a 9x13 pan. I was quite worried about it. But, it made it, and it was enjoyed by everyone.
6. I actually remembered to bring everything we needed for the trip, which is pretty astounding, as I was mostly in charge of Thanksgiving for my family and had lots of things on my list.
7. Thanksgiving for my family was more difficult and problematic for many reasons I don't feel like going into. In the end, it everyone had a great time, the food was plentiful and good, and there were delicious desserts aplenty.
8. On our way home, just before getting to the outskirts of Indianapolis, we spotted a police car with its lights flashing. In front of it, stretching for half a mile, were cars on the shoulder with their hazard lights flashing. Every one of the 15-20 cars had at least one flat tire. Apparently, something was scattered on the road, causing major problems for holiday travelers heading home. While I feel bad for every one of them, I am so, so thankful we were in the other lane and didn't hit whatever it was. Changing tires on a 12-passenger van is no fun. Changing tires on a 12-passenger van in the dark, in the rain, with 6 kids inside and a husband who doesn't do well with these sorts of situations is just plain miserable.
9. I managed to find our Advent wreath minutes before we sat down to dinner. Sure, I forgot to buy purple candles for it, but we still said a prayer and read from our Advent devotions book. I'll get some candles tomorrow. :)
10. CYO basketball is very popular here in Indy, but the number of gyms in which to practice are few. This means that as kids get older, their practices times get later. High school players get the most bizarre time of all. Star's practices are 9-10 on Sunday nights. I couldn't be happier that Bryan volunteered to be his coach, because it means I never, ever have to take the boy.
Your turn. How was your Thanksgiving and the weekend that followed it?
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I can't imagine forcing myself to leave the house that late on a Sunday night, that's usually when I'm scrambling to get the last of getting ready for the work week done. . I would be just as thankful as you for not having to do it!
ReplyDeleteSo happy for you that you weren't one of the unlucky ones to get a flat-tire, especially with such a large van.
Oh, leaving at that time of night, on a Sunday, in the middle of winter...no thank you!
DeleteI was saying prayers of thanks for sure. (Right after I prayed for their safety, of course.) :)
What a traffic nightmare! Glad that you were able to get by without a flat tire (or more!)
ReplyDeleteI'm familiar with advent calendars, but not with advent wreaths with purple candles.
Sorry about #7, but glad everyone ended up having a good time.
It really was a nightmare for those poor people. We got very lucky.
DeleteAn Advent wreath actually has 3 purple candles and one rose (pink) candle. Each Sunday another is lit (in the order purple, purple, pink, purple). Tradition says each candle represents 1,000 years of waiting for Christ to come (Adam to Jesus, 4,000 years). Purple candles, in general, signify a time of penance, prayer, and sacrifice. The rose candle reminds us of the joy the world experienced at the coming birth of Jesus. For us, Advent is a time to prepare for both Jesus' birth, but also for his coming again.
All but one of the problems and complications were dealt with before the actual day, so our Thanksgiving meal really was fun. Seems our family always has problems and complications. :)
WOW you are a busy lady. Glad to hear your travels went well and you had a good time with family. My college son is not able to come home for the holiday because he goes to Ohio State and we live in NC 11 hours away. He gets one plane ride a semester. Although I miss him, I'm thankful he made friends who invited him to their home in Columbus. We enjoyed a very quiet Thanksgiving at home and played the annual turkey flag football bowl with neighbors.
ReplyDeleteHa! We've known each other long enough to know that both you AND I are busy ladies. :)
DeleteI'm so sorry he wasn't able to make it. That had to be hard for you. He is always welcome to come with us to any holiday. We can swing by and pick him up on our way through Columbus! You know, in case he'd rather be with a rowdy group of strangers instead of his friends. No joke, though. He's welcome. There are always people showing up at our family gatherings.
no way!! (you have an actual 'Grandma's house'!! damn! how cool is that!*)
ReplyDeletealso good that you missed the Flat Tire-paloosa no one should have to change tires in the dark (and the rain).
*how many of our childhood references (well, olden childhood references) have a 'grandma's house' to a) make it to on time, 2) be possessed of such 'big eyes you have' ! lol (yes, I will stop typing now)
Ha! We have more than one grandma's house. Well, my kids do. I only have on grandma left, but I'm thrilled to have her, even if her house is now an independent living apartment. :)
DeleteSo, so glad we missed it.
And dont forget the classic... To grandmother's house we go...the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh...
DeleteI'm glad you had a great Thanksgiving. We did too. We took a train ride on Thanksgiving day and had a fabulous turkey dinner. We're going to do it again next year.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ☺
That sounds like a great way to spend Thanksgiving. You two are all about alternate forms of transportation, aren't you? Boats...trains... I wouldn't be surprised if one day you say you took a snowmobile to Christmas dinner. :)
DeleteGlad that you had a good trip and made it safely home! I went to see my family in the Midwest and dodged ice storms to get home. (Luckily my roads were dry, though I had to give up seeing one of my sisters and my grandparents who were both supposed to have 1/2 in. of ice)
ReplyDeleteYikes!! That could have been horrible. We've made mad dashes back home to beat blizzards more than once. Very nerve-wracking. I'm sorry you missed seeing your sister and grandparents, but I'm glad you made it home safely. How are your sister and grandparents doing with the ice?
DeleteGood for you Christine for finding the silver linings :)
ReplyDeleteNo way! 12 cars with flats! I'd be one majorly unhappy traveler if that happened to me! You guys were lucky and as long as you all made it to your Grandmother's house safely and in one piece, then that's all that matters.
Sorry there was "more difficult and problematic".
I admire all those who organize their pictures and ...put them in albums! Good for you! It's something I aspire to :)
Have a good week!!
Thanks. I'm OK most days, but every once in a while, still, I'll think, "This is my life from now on, not just temporarily." I get a bit teary all over again.
DeleteI had never seen anything like it. I don't know what was on the road (and I even tried to find a news story online), but it made traveling very unhappy for many people.
The difficulty mostly came before I even got to Canton, so by the time Thanksgiving dinner came, all was fine. We could enjoy ourselves. There pretty much always has to be some sort of problem or difficulty with my family. We're getting used to handling it. :)
Ha! As I put it all together, I tell the kids, "You will appreciate this someday. And if you don't, your wife and kids will. And if they don't, I don't want to know about it." Seriously, I don't know who I'm putting all these together for besides me. :)
Sounds like you had a busy and eventful week.
ReplyDeleteWe most certainly did. :)
DeleteWhat was the desert on ice???
ReplyDeleteIt is one of my favorites, Chocolate Delight. I wrote about it here: http://a-fly-on-our-chicken-coop-wall.blogspot.com/2012/07/if-you-are-on-diet-just-come-back.html
DeleteI WAS GOING TO ASK THE SAME THING!
DeleteGlad the trip went well and you didn't have yucky weather beyond rain to drive in.
ReplyDeleteYou never have to drive Star to bb practice late on Sunday night? That is the best Christmas present EVER!
We had one of those very long trips home from a trip over the mountains one year! I'm so glad you didn't have the experience of one or more tires being flattened on your drive home! What a horrible experience for all those drivers. Birthday luncheons with friends are so enjoyable. Your mothers certainly will enjoy looking through those albums. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed that you have the photo albums up to snuff! That is the sort of thing that looms over me for months--even years.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a safe and happy trip! My husband and youngest are in Indianapolis RIGHT NOW for the Iowa game!!!