We had a wonderful visit with my family in Onancock. The past couple holidays there have been so wonderful b/c everyone, cousins and all, is on the same rotation and whether it's Christmas or Thanksgiving we are ALL together. This year was a Thanksgiving year and Marce was gracious enough to host lunch. There were over 30 people and she managed to get all the adults at one table!
We ate way too much and then the children celebrated Christmas together exchanging gifts. I was surprised by Eli. He was very excited by his gift and played with it the rest of the day. I didn't realize he was ready for big boy toys! I enjoyed watching him play.
Lillian opened her gifts and then escaped to a quiet place to raid the goodie bag Liz had given her. Uncle Dave found her in the kitchen eating Hersey Kisses! :)
One day towards the end of our trip to VA Lillian asked for her playhouse. I explained it was at home and she could play with it in a few days. She responded, "Which home!?" I hadn't realized how confusing all this here and there was for her. When we did pull in the driveway days later she was not very happy. Apparently, home to Lillian is New Orleans and our six months in Shreveport has not changed that!
Now that we are 'back home' we are finding ourselves very tired! It's not that we are doing more than normal or even what we need to be doing. I assume its emotional exhaustion, the kind that comes from trying to get all your belongings into a few bags ready to leave, or the reality of leaving family for years. Things you push away and try not to deal with but eventually they catch up with you.
Tonight we are going to try and forget all that and decorate this house we have been blessed with for Christmas!
