We Gotta' Get A Better Plan Next Year...

Talk about a blur....I feel like we spent the entire three days in our car...it is not easy trying to visit such a large combined family, spread out in seven different directions...it is so good to see everyone, but it takes us a year to forget how exhausting it is...

Thursday I spent the entire day making ten dozen of my famous Oatmeal Raisin cookies for everyone and some for the party Christmas Eve and white chocolate fudge for my daughter's boyfriend. Holding steadfast to be vow to lose weight during the holidays, I only sampled half a cookie from the first batch and a half a cookie from the final batch...just to test for consistency.  I finished up the wrapping of gifts left over from Tuesday and Wednesday when I had thrown out my back...

Friday, Christmas Eve day, we dropped off Izzy to be boarded at the Vets.  Normally, her little friend is boarded too so she enjoys being room mates and walking together having familiar company.  This Christmas my girlfriend took her dog with her, so Izzy was alone.  When her furry friend (Matty) is there (which is the majority of the time) I tell Izzy she is going to see Matty and Izzy is excited to go.  This time, I did not tell her she would see Matty and she shook like a leaf while waiting for the girls to come get her. We felt HORRIBLE!  We also noticed they have had a big change in staff...it is bad enough the Vet we liked left, and had to get Izzy used to a new Vet...

Our ride to California was uneventful, we stopped for lunch in Barstow and made good time.  We arrived at Ayres Inn in Corona and were able to unpack before we were back in the car and heading to Claremont to my sister's house for Christmas Eve.  Every year she and her husband have all the family, including extended family over for dinner, games and white elephant gift exchange.  This year we did a "As seen on TV gift" exchange.  We had just as much fun with it as we do with the white elephant as we can steal each other's gifts up to three times.  What was highly remarkable, was out of 33 guests, there was not ONE duplicate gift!  We thought it was very amazing.

My oldest daughter, her hubby and my two grand sons, the 8 year old and the 6 year old, could not attend as the hubby had to work late.  My youngest daughter, her boyfriend and little baby Jacob came and was the hit of the party.  Great Grandma got first dibs, and my sister held him during the gift exchange...so I did not get much time, as I would see him the next day.

My Mom (Great Grandma) had finished the 6 year old grand son's Christmas stocking.  She does incredibly detailed cross stitched stockings.  She has done one for each of the twelve grand children, both her great-grand children and is now starting on baby Jacob's stocking.  Mom was disappointed she could not see my daughter and grand son's face when she presented it to them...

I promised her I would have them close their eyes, then I would present it to them and take a picture of their faces and send it to her.  Not her first choice, but she appreciated my offer...( I would post pics of the stockings, but they have my grand son's names on them, and my oldest daughter still will not allow me to publish their names or pictures.)

Every year we stay till 11pm or midnight and then return to our hotel to exchange gifts with my husband's daughter, her husband and his youngest son.  This year, they could not attend the party as they all worked. We were exhausted from the trip over earlier, and neither of us got a nap, so we left at 10pm, to hit the sheets as we had to be at my oldest daughters house, Christmas morning by 10am...

Saturday, Christmas morning, on our way to my daughter's I always call my brother in Ohio and visit with him over the phone until we arrive at my daughters home in Beaumont..  It was so good to hear his voice and he always makes me laugh.  My daughter had OUT DONE HERSELF with baking.  She made some Oreo balls which are dark chocolate melted over a thick Oreo filling.  She also made two types of fudge, brownies, cinnamon monkey bread, ham, macaroni and cheese, roasted green beans, mashed potatoes and sweet yams.  I did sample three Oreo balls, but refrained from the fudge and brownies.  I had three little chunks of the monkey bread.  I am determined to lose this weight...

I had been so delirious the night before, as I had two glasses of wine BEFORE dinner, I did not take any pictures... so I pulled out my camera to capture the expressions on my daughter's and 6 year old grand son's face for the presentation of the Christmas stocking, and after that picture, my camera displayed, MEMORY CARD FULL!!

I had to delete a couple of pictures so I could take a picture of the stocking and the 8 year old grand son's stocking as also requested by my Mom.

My youngest daughter, her boyfriend and baby Jacob arrived shortly after.  We ate and exchanged gifts, all the while my oldest daughter (baby Jacob's Auntie) and I took turns holding him.  He rarely cries, but he was a little cranky, so we determined he had gas, or was getting early tooth buds... Here is a pic of him smiling...** note what it says on his shirt?** 

**"all I want for Christmas is my Auntie."**

It is our tradition to go to a show on Christmas day. Since the girls have kids now, and the older boys want to play with their toys, we would be going by ourselves. It was a wonderful day and we did not want to leave, but finally, we left my daughter's home at 5pm and went straight to eat. El Torito is the only place open and closes at 8pm. The show started at 7:30pm. After dinner, we decided to wait the remainder of the time at the hotel... and you guessed it, we fell asleep...

Sunday morning, we started with a 9am breakfast with the youngest son, then drove to West Covina to visit Dad, then to Irvine for gift exchange and lunch with another of my husband's son, his wife and two grand daughters, then to Riverside for dinner with my husband's daughter and son in law.  We got back to our hotel around midnight...

Monday morning we drove back to Nevada...and believe me, we were both on our last nerve by then.  The traffic trying to get out of the Inland Empire was slow and tedious.... something my husband does not cope with easily. Knowing we would stop either at Barstow or Baker, like we always do, I decided to take a nap...

Just past Baker I woke up thinking we were almost to Baker. and would be soon pulling off the road for a potty break and lunch.  My husband announced, "Since you were asleep, I decided to drive straight through." 

"My kidneys are ready to burst!!  Since when do I make it straight through without a break?" (To say I was grouchy, was an understatement. I was also STARVING. 

"I knew you were tired, so I thought you would sleep all the way..."

"I NEVER SLEEP ALL THE WAY!!!" (besides needing to stop to relieve myself...I now knew it would be at least another hour or more before we could eat...)

"FINE!  IT IS ALWAYS MY FAULT!!"

We drove in silence to state line. As he pulled off the freeway, I pointed to the Chevron station with a visitors center and many toilets...  "There, the Chevron, stop there..."  I huffed. Instead, he drives past and heads for a Mc Donald's where I KNOW FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE has only three stalls with one normally out of order.  More bickering between us as I stormed out of the car moving as fast as one can with one's knees clasped together to prevent an "accident" in one's pants...

Typically, there was a line waiting to use the two out of three stalls and one was OUT OF ORDER.  Blowing steam from both ears, and grabbing my "private area" with blatant disregard, I blasted out the front door like a robber running for the get away car... 

Fuming with anger and the freezing cold outside air upon my face,  I set my eyes on the Chevron station with the determination of champion. I bolted across the parking lot, dodged cars on the crowded street, weaved myself through departing cars from the visitor's center and made a bee line into the Ladies bathroom and the closest open stall.

 Oh...the...heavenly...relief.....

I returned to our car, approaching from the opposite direction I had left, my husband oblivious to my trek across to the visitor's center, asked incredulously,

"Where did you come from?" 

"I HAD TO WALK ACROSS THE STREET TO CHEVRON BECAUSE, AS I TOLD YOU,
MC DONALD'S WAS FULL!!!" 

I was HOT!  I was hungry.  I had not eaten since our early breakfast and I was STARVING!  If I am dieting, and watching what I eat, I have to eat something small every couple of hours... I was totally devoid of Christmas spirit.  Since I can't eat when I am angry... I kept mouthing off at my husband... not a good idea when driving on the freeway...so I finally shut up and succumbed to the silent treatment he was dishing out...

As we approached the Vet's office, I knew I had to resolve my anger, because Izzy being abused, picks up on any yelling or bad vibes immediately.  I did not want to do that to her...so I ask my husband to pull off in the parking lot so we could talk....

I said my piece.  I cried.  He listened.  He apologised.  He took my hand and made me laugh.  We kissed and made up.  I think this was our third fight in ten years...

Izzy was so happy to see us, shaking with exuberance and joy and pulled us like a sled dog all the way to our car.  After we unloaded the car, my husband went out for Pollo Loco chicken while I unpacked.  We ate and fell asleep with our clothes on where we sat after dinner...me in the recliner, he on the couch, and Izzy in her living room bed...

We gotta' get a better plan for next year...