My “Ethan & LauraK” text rang up with a reply. I’d given them the rundown on the general Christmas Eve/Christmas Day plans. They are planning to arrive either the 23rd or 24th and stay until the summer staff camp reunion on the 27th. The night of the 28th they will stay with her parents and the next morning head down to Waco for their week long visit with her mom’s side of the family. It’s a lot of traveling away from home.

I do not remember being stressed by the travels as newlyweds. We looked forward to holidays and visiting families. It was nothing to stay for a week and for years there were still plenty of siblings at home. One of the benefits of school and not having adult jobs was that you still had these tremendously long breaks where you could be gone for weeks on end. One of the boys prayed that Christmas break would seem very long.

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law and family plus her in-laws made it down to Miami where they boarded their cruise ship. Last we checked they were somewhere near Cuba. I keep trying to think of who else I could invite to come over for Christmas. My brother will be here, my parents, Uncle Glenn and the rest of us. I called my sister but they are staying put and then visiting her in-laws. I’m looking forward to the time.