Christmas vaca day one.
After spending the morning doing laundry, I managed to make it out the door by 12:30 in order to catch my 3:00 flight...a half hour later than what I wanted, but there really can't be too much complaints, it was my own fault for not being organized enough.
Besides, I almost didn't make it to my parents house. My bag set off some sort of alarm and I was ushered into a little waiting area, where my bags were inspected and I was patted down and it set off yet another alarm. After a round of questioning and a 3rd inspection I was finally allowed to proceed. Only this time my once neatly packed bag was a mess. I might have to rethink the whole not checking luggage thing.
Syracuse...was itself. We decended through heavy clouds, onto a snowy and icy runway. There's a foot, maybe a foot and a half on the ground, which is a lot of snow for the week before Christmas, even considering that this is Syracuse.
Unfortunately, we did not go straight home. No, no, we had to make the rounds to homes of friends, dropping off Christmas presents and just talking. Finally, we had to pick up a squash. Why? Because my brother, the new papa, wants squash on Christmas, and so, we're going to carry it half way across the country, having it sit in the car for 3 days, just so that he can have squash. I think giving my mother a grandkid has elevated him to the family favorite over my sister!
We finally got home around 6, and I headed towards my bedroom to put my things away, only to be told that I couldn't. Apparently, while we're gone, some kids who I grew up with are staying in the house while they return home to visit their parents. And they get my bedroom, preventing me from sleeping in it because the sheets are already clean. Bah!
In any case, yesterday was mostly relaxing compared to the rest of the week. We leave today as soon as my mother can get off work to go to Niagara Falls. Because I've never seen /those/ before.
Tomorrow we continue on towards Michigan, where we will spend Christmas Eve with my mothers family at the church where my uncle preaches at. He's having some outdoor bonfire before the evening service. I'm not planning on dressing up. I think given the outdoorsiness of the service I'll fit right in.
On Christmas morning, we're attending church at the old folks home (Grandpa's word, not mine) that my grandfather preaches at. My sister might sing. It's all very up in the air at the moment. Then we're returning back to my Uncle's for Christmas Brunch, and those members of the family who have early services to preach at will join us after. Those who are having later services, we'll just have to catch on the way back through Michigan. I'm also told that Sandy's husband's church is so far away that with a Christmas Eve and a Christmas Morning service she won't be able to make it at all. Which is a shame, she always was my favorite cousin. Also, even though my Uncle Dave is the lone non-preacher of the male side of the family, he also won't be coming in until Christmas morning, since he'll be spending his morning and eve service at the church where his wife's father preaches at. Which mean's I'll see very little of my youngest cousins (10 and 4 respectively), who are very, very adorable.
After all of the cousins and uncles and grandparents...which will end promptly at eleven according to my mother...we get in the car and drive from Lansing to Chicago. There we arrive at 2 pm for Christmas dinner and opening presents afterwards, and atleast one day in Chicago with my brother, his wife, her family, and their son, 2 week old Ian.
After Monday, everything is still in the air. That's when we see my Dad's side of the family and they're a little casual about such things.
Besides, I almost didn't make it to my parents house. My bag set off some sort of alarm and I was ushered into a little waiting area, where my bags were inspected and I was patted down and it set off yet another alarm. After a round of questioning and a 3rd inspection I was finally allowed to proceed. Only this time my once neatly packed bag was a mess. I might have to rethink the whole not checking luggage thing.
Syracuse...was itself. We decended through heavy clouds, onto a snowy and icy runway. There's a foot, maybe a foot and a half on the ground, which is a lot of snow for the week before Christmas, even considering that this is Syracuse.
Unfortunately, we did not go straight home. No, no, we had to make the rounds to homes of friends, dropping off Christmas presents and just talking. Finally, we had to pick up a squash. Why? Because my brother, the new papa, wants squash on Christmas, and so, we're going to carry it half way across the country, having it sit in the car for 3 days, just so that he can have squash. I think giving my mother a grandkid has elevated him to the family favorite over my sister!
We finally got home around 6, and I headed towards my bedroom to put my things away, only to be told that I couldn't. Apparently, while we're gone, some kids who I grew up with are staying in the house while they return home to visit their parents. And they get my bedroom, preventing me from sleeping in it because the sheets are already clean. Bah!
In any case, yesterday was mostly relaxing compared to the rest of the week. We leave today as soon as my mother can get off work to go to Niagara Falls. Because I've never seen /those/ before.
Tomorrow we continue on towards Michigan, where we will spend Christmas Eve with my mothers family at the church where my uncle preaches at. He's having some outdoor bonfire before the evening service. I'm not planning on dressing up. I think given the outdoorsiness of the service I'll fit right in.
On Christmas morning, we're attending church at the old folks home (Grandpa's word, not mine) that my grandfather preaches at. My sister might sing. It's all very up in the air at the moment. Then we're returning back to my Uncle's for Christmas Brunch, and those members of the family who have early services to preach at will join us after. Those who are having later services, we'll just have to catch on the way back through Michigan. I'm also told that Sandy's husband's church is so far away that with a Christmas Eve and a Christmas Morning service she won't be able to make it at all. Which is a shame, she always was my favorite cousin. Also, even though my Uncle Dave is the lone non-preacher of the male side of the family, he also won't be coming in until Christmas morning, since he'll be spending his morning and eve service at the church where his wife's father preaches at. Which mean's I'll see very little of my youngest cousins (10 and 4 respectively), who are very, very adorable.
After all of the cousins and uncles and grandparents...which will end promptly at eleven according to my mother...we get in the car and drive from Lansing to Chicago. There we arrive at 2 pm for Christmas dinner and opening presents afterwards, and atleast one day in Chicago with my brother, his wife, her family, and their son, 2 week old Ian.
After Monday, everything is still in the air. That's when we see my Dad's side of the family and they're a little casual about such things.