Home for the Holidays

Wes and I spent Thanksgiving in Georgia this year with our families. We were at my parents' place outside of Atlanta for two days and with his mom and aunt and uncle for another two. The holiday travel was surprisingly unproblematic. We didn't wait long in security lines, and although our flight back was delayed about 45 minutes, it wasn't that much of an issue. Our cab fare out to Midway (at 4:15 AM on Thanksgiving!) was even cheaper than we'd thought.

Although we did have a relaxing time with my family, our visit there was plagued with a stomach bug my nephews brought with them from Florida. Being the generous children that they are, they gave it to their parents, my parents, and finally, my sister. Fortunately, Wes and I managed to avoid it. We did manage to get a good game of Scrabble in with my sister-in-law and mom (Jennifer kicked our butts, but we were all proud of how nice the board looked when we were done and for having used all of the tiles). Then, in an act from above, White Christmas, a big classic in our family, came on television. My father chided us for watching a movie on TV that he owns on DVD. My mom and I tried to explain to him the communal nature of watching a beloved movie on television (someone else likes it, too!), but he didn't get it.

The house was busy during our time there with the two boys under three and two dogs. My brother's dog, Boo, is adorable and extraordinarily well behaved. He's most devoted to Jon and has a very hard time being away from him, even to go for a walk. Laura's dog Remington found a way to make himself comfortable on my parents' couches, something previously verboten at their house. I laid down on the couch and was surprised when he jumped up to make himself comfortable beside me. Evidently, it's a privilege he enjoys at home.

Other highlights of the trip to Acworth was a ride in my mom's new car, an Acadia with all the bells and whistles, and some of the most delicious turkey I've had in many years.

On Saturday, as everyone took off for home, Wes and I headed back towards the city to spend some time with his extended family. We had a really nice time hanging out with his cousings, eating Asian takeout(not Chinese food, according to Uncle Bob), and looking through scads of old family photos. I also got to visit possibly the most expensive mall I've ever been in. We saw where Wes's mom works and met all of her co-workers.

It's hard to go home sometimes when you're older. You have expectations of everyone sitting around chatting and making S'mores, but sometimes it's just everyone doing their own thing under one roof. And, well, that's okay, too.