The long drive

It's been ten years, but my wife's family was all together again for Christmas. Last time it was in Minnesota, and we flew. This year it was in Phoenix, Arizona. We drove. With our four kids.

People called me brave, or at least crazy, for driving the 2,325 miles between my house and our host with my kids at their ages. (3, 5, 8, and 9) Truthfully, it wasn't difficult. Mapped it out, found cool stuff along the way, checked the weather, and kept more snacks than we probably needed. Now the wife and I used to be able to drive straight through, one would sleep while the other drove. We didn't plan on that with the kids, so we just made the the hotel had a pool. My kids LOVE swimming, and it knocks them right out.

 
Getting there was fine.

The family members that lived down there had homes just big enough for themselves. Mix that with the fact that there are more of us (a few weddings and a lot of kids), we found a nice big vacation rental for the duration. It also had a pool. (I enjoyed having a master bath, too)

My interactions with her family weren't quite the same as they were before. Where I used to (not necessarily by my own design) hide in the background, now I do the same while seeing to the needs of my kids... in the background.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Now when the visit was over, and the time came to go home, things got interesting. We started with a healthy detour to the Grand Canyon. It was cold and windy, and my kids whined and complained about that. (My oldest was annoyed over the people that went beyond the guard rails, he thought they were going to die and get the park closed. It bothered him enough that he couldn't enjoy the view. My second was simply done with travel and just wanted to go home). None of it detracted - sure I've seen pictures but... I couldn't get past it. Every single scenic lookout, every major point we could stop at, it was absolutely amazing. I could spend a week there happy.

From there, we parted ways and headed home. A light dusting of snow tickled the roads in New Mexico. Hundreds of cars went off the roads. Numerous fatal accidents shut down the highways.

I was stranded in the middle of nowhere for two days. Once they cleared the summer tires convention off the roadways, we were able to finally continue homeward. No other state (which experienced the same megastorm of 0.5 inches of snow) had a problem. From Texas onward it was clear skies and dry roads. We spent less time driving from the New Mexico/Texas state line as we did *in* New Mexico.

After being stranded in a complete standstill for five hours one day (only to be turned back to find a hotel) and three hours the next day (when we were finally allowed to use the roads), we simply couldn't stop any more. We were sick of it. We had to go.

We didn't stop. One slept while the other drove. This was something we haven't been able to do since we were in our 20's. The benefits of youth long gone, we never could manage it again. But this time, this time we had something else: a grim determination to get out of that van. We couldn't take it any more. One would sleep horribly, and the other would stay awake fueled by sheer spite. Gas stations and fast food blended into each other. I woke up in a Wal Mart parking lot with a small list of supplies. I picked up what we needed before I even knew what state I was in.

I really have to give it to my kids. They were absolute troopers about the whole ordeal. They were so excited to get home that they wore themselves out in the van and got carried to their own beds when we finally made it.

Now it's almost 3am and I'm still all wound up. :/

Another Eve

I remember as a kid being too excited to fall asleep on Christmas Eve, but somehow managing to nod off at an early enough hour. My own children are no exception to this. This year, however, we're in the company of my wife's family. Five cousins on this side (with one more on the way) plus my four make nine, that's a lot of social reverb.

Turns out the best way to get them to fall asleep is to give them limitless access to a pool, let them run amok, and keep them up late.

It's also the best way to run me into the ground.

Stuff

I remember packing for a trip used to involve just grabbing my stuff. It was simple.

Then we had our first kid. Babies have a lot of stuff.

Eventually it dwindled down to the same stuff I was bringing, just with more Minecraft logos.

Now there are six of us, and that's a lot of clothing.

Baking failure

For some reason, I just can't seem to make decent cookies.

Rewind about 15 years - I could make any cookie and it was amazing. Kept it up for years. But now, utter disaster. The sugar cookies are never chewy enough, the chocolate chip cookies are uneven, I could go on.

I have a batch of cookies nearby that are *ok* I guess. I'm in a different kitchen, using different tools, and I'm trying to do this without my four kids knowing about it.

I blame everything but me.

The prep

Living in the town I grew up in, along with all my siblings, I see them all the time. Holidays don't feel *extra* special because nobody traveled to see anyone.

Unless we leave.

Of my siblings, my sister travels the most. My brother in law has family spread around, and holidays are as good a reason as any to venture out and see some.

My wife's family is much the same. Thing is we don't always travel. The last time her entire family was together was Christmas 2008. We've seen them all since then, just not at the same time. The talk among her siblings began a year ago. This year, they meet again.

...should be interesting.