Before I moved to New York, Brent tried to put my mind at ease by outlining all the positives. One was that whenever we'd come home, everyone would cater to us because we'd be the visitors. While that statement has some truth to it, he left out the part about us being ripped apart in whirlwind trips that leave no time for sleep or relaxation.
We try to be fair and spend equal amounts of time between the families while squeezing in some time for friends, but I always leave feeling like someone may feel he or she has been slighted. But I try my best, and that's all I can do.
Our crazy trip started with my admiring the fact that there are like a dozen Cinco de Mayo restaurants in Toledo now, and then Brent's parents suggesting we meet there for dinner on December 22, which is when we flew in. Mmmm, Mexican!
The following day was spent shopping (yes, I know, I deserve all the craziness I got from stepping foot inside a mall two days before Christmas, but it's almost better than carting everything to Ohio from three states away) before enjoying Christmas with the Meller family. There's just nothing like watching kids - namely, my 2- and almost 4-year-old nieces - opening up gifts - especially the ones I bought for them. (Mackenzie LOVED her doll. Yay!)
What was so special to me about this year's Christmas was that it was spent in the same way I spent all my Christmases as a child, except this year, I got to share that with my husband.After church with my family, we headed over to my aunt and uncle's house, which is right next door to my parents' house, and had a blast visiting with my dad's side of the family.
One of the highlights was the "white elephant" Christmas gift exchange, where everyone who brought a gift placed it in the middle of the living room, and then everyone took turns either choosing a gift from the pile or stealing the gift that someone else opened before, which allowed them to either choose a new gift from the pile or steal a gift themselves. When it's over, everyone ends up with one gift, but whether it's one you want or not is left up to chance. (Although I think my automatic soap dispenser is pretty cool!)
Although the gifts were set out under the tree before I went to bed instead of my discovering what Santa had brought the next morning, it was still fantastic to wake up and open gifts with my family in our pajamas just like we used to before heading over to eat breakfast with my mom's side of the family. There's nothing quite like re-living childhood memories.
Later that day, though, instead of napping and watching movies like I did when I was a child, Brent and I skated off to spend Christmas with the extended side of his mom's family. By that point, both of us were more than exhausted, but had to stay vigilant because our niece, Katelyn, would jump into our laps with no warning and then ask us to have (yet another) tea party.
The next morning was no time to relax, as Brent and I had to rush from his parents house to a surprise party for my cousin, Breanne, who recently graduated with her doctorate degree (congrats Brea!), which was nice that my aunt held it when a lot of people who normally would have been out of town, myself included, were in town to help celebrate.
Later that evening, we ended up at Carrabbas with my parents after checking out the neighborhood Christmas lights while sipping McDonald's shakes (yet another childhood tradition).
With the holidays winding down, on December 27, I had an opportunity to catch up with some friends. So I spent lunch at Olga's Kitchen with Sarah, one of my best friends and the only roommate I've ever had who wasn't my sister or my husband, and had dinner at Don Pablo's with a longtime friend, Amy, who I've known since I was 5 and really miss sometimes.
The following day, I had an opportunity to see another set of friends from both college and The Blade - Ignazio, Jon and Meghan - at dinner at Granite City in Fallen Timbers before spending more time with my in-laws.
Whew! Though I'm absolutely exhausted and can't wait to make no plans for a bit while back in New York, I loved every second of it.
Merry Christmas, indeed.
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