December 24th through Decembr 31st, 2009

On Christmas Eve Day, I was up a couple of times before getting ready for the trip over to Iowa to see my kids for Christmas. Finally leaving at 7:40, the trip was uneventful with the exception of rain all but one hour and fifteen minutes, plus one hour of fog traveling over. It took me exactly nine hours going over. Not bad for the time of year and weather conditions. I arrived at 3:40 pm. There is an hour difference from Indiana to Iowa. It was great to see the family and especially the grandkids. I watched them open up one present which is customary in our family to let the kids open a present on Christmas Eve. I truly love Christmas, it’s like days’ past, and the good old days. At least once a year, it's a very special time for me.

Christmas Day, Oh what a day! I woke up around 5:30 am, Luke, my number three grandson heard me and he too tried to get up. I told him to go back to bed. He tried two more times and on his last attempt I let him stay up with me. He sat on the couch playing with some electronic gadget, I had no idea what it was and he also tried playing private detective peeking at the presents thinking I didn’t see him. Shortly the rest of the gang one-by-one filtered into the living room being patience waiting on their Uncle Ted and Aunt Connie to arrive with their three boys. Kimmy was up making a wonderful breakfast of scrambled eggs with cheese, crumbled bacon bits, and her all famous cinnamon rolls. Everyone fended for themselves after it was cooked up. The presents were distributed into piles according to names and then Mike said a prayer before we opened presents. It starts with the youngest to the oldest. Baby Jack, Ted and Connie’s newest addition was first being only four months old. The morning flew by with tons or at least what felt like tons of presents, being opened. All the kids had a great time opening and playing with their new found treasurers. I received two gifts that meant a lot to me. First Kevin and Katie gave me a SD-card holding over 1,500 pictures of their wedding and family pictures. I love all the pictures on it and looked at them the same day. Another wonderful present was something Kimmy came up with that she saw in a magazine. They all gave Kim and me separate jars with a little note (365 notes) that they wrote for us to pull one out each day until next Christmas. What a wonderful idea. I will start my day pulling one out before each day’s writing. The morning was a time of excitement for all, especially for the kids. Time was taken up playing with the kids new toys while Kimmy, Kim, and Connie prepared a feast for us all. Let me just say this about our eating habits at Thanksgiving and Christmas days, we all eat like kings and queens. The ladies put on a magnificent spread. Everyone did their own thing until later in the evening when the annual Weaver-Stuart-Miller poker tournament which has taken place since 2003 was hosted by Ted and Connie. What a fun evening we all had. Kevin was eventually crowned the champion of our family poker tournament. It depends on who wins it on how it’s referred to. Next year I’m sure it will be the Miller, Stuart, Weaver poker tournament because of the finishing places. We all had a blessed Christmas Day, it was wonderful.

The day after Christmas is a day of relaxing, at least I thought so. We all went out sledding at a complex not two miles from Mike and Kimmy’s. All the kids had a fun filled midday rollick in the snow and climbing up a very long hill. I stood out in the middle of the hill while all the riders came crashing down the hillside. I did get a few good pictures, but only one video with anything to look at. Again it was a fun time not only for the kids but for us older kids as well. Everyone went home to warm up and change into dry clothes.

Sunday morning I was up early getting ready to take off for Indy. I fed Dodger the family dog and gave him water before I got my things organized to leave. Putting my stuff upstairs by the front door, I made myself two turkey sandwiches for the road. I went outside getting the car ready, warming it up and scrapping of snow and ice off, something I haven’t done in a long, long time. Loading my stuff in the car I left there at 6:55 am. Traveling 10 ½ hours with terrible road conditions all the way over to Indy. I saw dozens upon dozens of cars in the median and one SUV off the right side turned upside down. The trip back to Indy was one of the hardest and scariest ones I have done in many years. I do not want to go through that again. I did make it home safe and sound with Rhonda there waiting for me, which was a good thing but it was a travel day I would really like to forget about.

We started for home on Monday, December 28th traveling 580 miles pulling into West Memphis, Arkansas staying the night at a Super 8 Motel. Trying to get a good night’s sleep in a strange bed isn’t always easy. We were up early enough to get started for home with a little frost on our windshield; again I warmed the car up before we headed out. Driving all day taking shifts of 2 hour increments we pulled into our parking spot at 3:20 pm. It was good to be home.

The old year of 2009 was coming to an end and a new beginning was happening, it soon will be 2010. The last night of the year we didn’t yell, scream, hit pots & pans, set off fireworks or any of the normal things that happen as you let go of the old year and welcome in the new year. We were tired and I guess it’s showing my age, but we just went to bed and fell fast asleep. Welcome -2010