151 Christmas in Indiana

Each year there is a new face at the family Christmas in Indiana. Sometimes it is a baby, a spouse, a significant other, a fiancé or someone who is a friend with no where to go. This year it was Isaiah, the grandson of our niece Julie. On our first date my husband showed me a photo of sweet little Julie, his niece, and now she is a grandmother. Unreal. Aren’t we too young to be great-great aunt and uncle? And we met Jennifer’s fiancé--after they finally arrived two hours late, having taken a wrong turn.

When our children were little, Christmas was always at my mother-in-law’s. Then as they aged and a houseful of company was difficult for them, it was all moved to Jean’s, my sister-in-law. A few years in the late 90s we went to Bob and Krista’s--the twins were babies then, and Aunt Roberta was in her early 90s. I still see her sitting by the fireplace with a lap robe in their family room. Then when Jean’s daughter Joan had four to keep track of and nice big house, it was easier, I suppose, to move the gathering to her house and everyone bring food.

I take along a couple of pies, a small suitcase for an overnight and wonder why I ever complained back in the early 70s that they never came to our house for Christmas. I must have been crazy, or else traveling with little kids was harder than I remember.