SIX DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Six days, 407 miles and a year's worth of memories.

Zoe's first Christmas was one to remember, thanks to the time she (and we) spent with beloved family all around the mitten.

Hold up your left hand, palm down, and trace a line from your scaphoid to your triquetrium to your harnate. (Need help?). That was roughly the trip we made on Dec. 22, to visit Sonja's family in Croton. I know the word "Newaygo" has appeared in this blog many times... and that's where Sonja will tell you she grew up if you ask her. But their home (and the home of both sisters' families, since the Adamses moved back a few months ago) is really in Croton. Call it a suburb of Newaygo. A very nice one, at that. The area is beautiful regardless of the season and the "up north" feel always makes it seem like I'm really on vacation.

Why is any of that important to this entry? Not sure. On we go:

It seemed like we were opening gifts every 20 minutes in the three days we were in Neway... er, Croton. The immediate family's adult exchange in the afternoon of the 23rd, grandkids later that evening, extended family kids and an adult white elephant game at the big party on the 24th, and then (gasp!) Santa dropped off a couple more gifts for Zoe to open before we headed across the state on Christmas morning.

While the adults were playing their white elephant game, Zoe entertained Papa with a book:

And after the game, she entertained the whole party with a game of peek-a-boo:


Good times, great food, better people.

Thanks to a bit of a late start and the Sunday drivers on the two-lane highway that connects your harnate to your trapezoid, we got to Supa Busia's fashionably late. But just in time to finish off one fine Polish breakfast (although, by definition, the only things truly Polish about it were the sausage and oplatki... that's enough to call it a Polish breakfast, right?) There, Zoe was able to hang out with cousin Zachary for the first time. He's a month younger and could swallow Zoe whole. Seriously... Lloyd Carr should be sending this kid letters right now.

Then we headed to Busia and Dziadzia's house for another orgy of gifts, more great food (seriously... packed on 20 pounds, easy, in these six days) and followed that up with a couple days of rest and relaxation.

By this time, Zoe was a champion gift unwrapper:

One of her favorite gifts was a sled from Aunt Steph. Thanks to a couple days worth of rain, the snow that had been accumulating across Michigan since, seemingly, early October had been washed away. So a ride in Busia's kitchen had to suffice:

By the time it was all over, Steph had packed several of Zoe's gifts in her car for later delivery, we filled the trunk and backseat of our car and still had to leave some things behind in Bay City. Upon returning home, we immediately started flipping through the the classified sections of the newspapers accumulated on our porch in search of a bigger house.

Once home, we took a one-day holiday hiatus so I could go to work and hang out with Jerome (a fine gift in itself!) before having our own Christmas morning on the 29th. So what's that, an eight-day winter holiday celebration? Isn't that Chanukah?

We're already looking forward to next year, when Zoe should be a little more enamored with the concept and maybe just as excited by what's inside the various bows and boxes than she was this year with the bows and boxes. But Christmas 2005 will certainly be remembered fondly in our family history.

Thanks to everyone for their hospitality, generosity and love. (Oh... and the food, too!) We heart you!

Rich, Sonja & Zoe