There is something about being around family on a Holiday. Perhaps it's the noise, the warmth, maybe even the hours of psychological preparation that Dr. Phil provides.. but it's always worth it. And I couldn't stress that more about any Christmas than about the one past.
I've never been away from my family for Christmas, with the exception of one I had to spend in the hospital, and I still SAW them then. This is the first time I've only gotten a phone call and a virtual hug over the line. I have to say, I was a little blue not to hear my Dad grumbling about how early we managed to wake up. The Gibbons Family Christmas made up for it in so many ways, that I don't think I could ever thank them enough for it.
It was definately a full house. Me and Mr. A.P, plus 3 brothers, one with a girlfriend, one with a daughter, and the other (who graciously hosted the Christmas Circus) with a fantastic wife and two daughters, and the matriarch of the whole family. Perfection never came so close.
Of course, the gift opening was first, I don't think anyone could have waited much longer. *smile* It was plenty of fun. We drew names a long time ago, for two people, two different gifts. I got a gift certificate for Nokomis (which will be promptly used on Boxing day) and the Eric Clapton cd of Robert Johnson covers (Me and Mr. Johnson) and some FANTASTIC earrings. It was great to watch the little girls open up all the things that Mr. A.P. and I had painstakingly picked out. It really made it worth trying to figure out who would fit exactly what. God Bless Old Navy.
The littlest, dear Ms. K, was very sleepy, and curled up on my lap to doze and squiggle around like a sleepy little worm. It was so lovely. You think you've quashed all your maternal instincts, you shove your prospective baby names to the bottom of your subconcious, and then this little creature, this beautiful living thing, crawls into your lap to play with your hair and touch your face.. It made my heart hurt. And it makes me think of diaper bags and babysitters in a much more favourable light, thats for sure. But you know when they're tired when you ask if they want to lay down and they say yes. So we curled up in her rubber mattress bed, wherein she promptly pretended to be asleep for a grand 30 seconds before starting to snore completely.
So we ate and chatted and started all the accoutrements to dinner, various salads and veggies, all those great holiday things. I have to say that I haven't laughed harder with Mr. J and Mrs. A than I did in that kitchen. I'm not sure whether it was the holiday cheer or the turkey aroma, but it was so much fun, and I'll remember eating potatoes off of socks until I'm old and grey and can't remember when I could bend over that far.
Dinner was superb, kudos to the cook on being able to brave a monster ten times the size of my cornish hens. Giblets will haunt me until the day I die I tell you that much. The food was great, the company even better. There is something about Mr. A.P's family. Between the crackle of temporary discord, the old jokes, the family history.. there is this thread of love who's tensory strength I can't even begin to imagine. Being a part of, sitting at that table, in the stairwell with Mrs. A, I feel like I'm being woven into it, become a thread of their history, and weaving them into mine. Thinking of leaving them makes me hurt. Sitting with Mrs. A in the stairwell, I suddenly couldn't imagine not having them just a car ride away.. Not seeing them at birthdays, at holidays. I've seen those girls grow up over an entire year.. Going from barely coming out from behind their parents to practicing yoga with me in the living room and falling asleep on me. Learning about them.. learning how easy it is to love them - it's been better than any classroom experience I've ever had in my life.
Overall - this holiday was more than I could have possibly hoped for. I ate like the starved and slept like a baby - and figured out that I don't have to be with my mom and dad to be with my family. Thank you to everyone. I'll remember it forever.
I've never been away from my family for Christmas, with the exception of one I had to spend in the hospital, and I still SAW them then. This is the first time I've only gotten a phone call and a virtual hug over the line. I have to say, I was a little blue not to hear my Dad grumbling about how early we managed to wake up. The Gibbons Family Christmas made up for it in so many ways, that I don't think I could ever thank them enough for it.
It was definately a full house. Me and Mr. A.P, plus 3 brothers, one with a girlfriend, one with a daughter, and the other (who graciously hosted the Christmas Circus) with a fantastic wife and two daughters, and the matriarch of the whole family. Perfection never came so close.
Of course, the gift opening was first, I don't think anyone could have waited much longer. *smile* It was plenty of fun. We drew names a long time ago, for two people, two different gifts. I got a gift certificate for Nokomis (which will be promptly used on Boxing day) and the Eric Clapton cd of Robert Johnson covers (Me and Mr. Johnson) and some FANTASTIC earrings. It was great to watch the little girls open up all the things that Mr. A.P. and I had painstakingly picked out. It really made it worth trying to figure out who would fit exactly what. God Bless Old Navy.
The littlest, dear Ms. K, was very sleepy, and curled up on my lap to doze and squiggle around like a sleepy little worm. It was so lovely. You think you've quashed all your maternal instincts, you shove your prospective baby names to the bottom of your subconcious, and then this little creature, this beautiful living thing, crawls into your lap to play with your hair and touch your face.. It made my heart hurt. And it makes me think of diaper bags and babysitters in a much more favourable light, thats for sure. But you know when they're tired when you ask if they want to lay down and they say yes. So we curled up in her rubber mattress bed, wherein she promptly pretended to be asleep for a grand 30 seconds before starting to snore completely.
So we ate and chatted and started all the accoutrements to dinner, various salads and veggies, all those great holiday things. I have to say that I haven't laughed harder with Mr. J and Mrs. A than I did in that kitchen. I'm not sure whether it was the holiday cheer or the turkey aroma, but it was so much fun, and I'll remember eating potatoes off of socks until I'm old and grey and can't remember when I could bend over that far.
Dinner was superb, kudos to the cook on being able to brave a monster ten times the size of my cornish hens. Giblets will haunt me until the day I die I tell you that much. The food was great, the company even better. There is something about Mr. A.P's family. Between the crackle of temporary discord, the old jokes, the family history.. there is this thread of love who's tensory strength I can't even begin to imagine. Being a part of, sitting at that table, in the stairwell with Mrs. A, I feel like I'm being woven into it, become a thread of their history, and weaving them into mine. Thinking of leaving them makes me hurt. Sitting with Mrs. A in the stairwell, I suddenly couldn't imagine not having them just a car ride away.. Not seeing them at birthdays, at holidays. I've seen those girls grow up over an entire year.. Going from barely coming out from behind their parents to practicing yoga with me in the living room and falling asleep on me. Learning about them.. learning how easy it is to love them - it's been better than any classroom experience I've ever had in my life.
Overall - this holiday was more than I could have possibly hoped for. I ate like the starved and slept like a baby - and figured out that I don't have to be with my mom and dad to be with my family. Thank you to everyone. I'll remember it forever.
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