I miss our Schmidt Family Christmas get togethers. When the 7 children were home Christmas Eve was our big event. After a meal of homemade scallop potatoes and ham, we would venture out to the evening church service, even at 20 below temperatures. Then Lou would take them for a ride to spot Santa driving his sleigh somewhere near the airport. Santa would always show up while they were out looking.
After a gift opening frenzy the kids could stay up however long they wanted to. They would try out their new toys, stuff down candy and cookies, some of us would play the latest new board game. Lou and I would usually fall into bed about 11 PM while the kids would linger til about 2 in the morning.
When the kids were grown and on their own, our families who lived in Wisconsin and Minneapolis would gather for a family Christmas party. As time passed and 3 kids moved to the west coast our parties continued but with about half the family.
Now that I am living here on the west coast we are still divided between mid-west and west coast. The first year after I settled here I traveled back over New Year's weekend to snow and -20 degrees. 
The past 2 years after that I did NOT venture to the mid-west and the Wisconsin Schmidts did not get together. (They claimed it was because they couldn't schedule it, but I know it was because they missed MOM.)
This year when someone announced the family would get together over the Jan 16th weekend, I considered trying to show up. However, after a brief thinking session and a reality check, I wondered what made me think I wanted to go to Wisconsin in mid-January.
at -33 degrees...wind chill factor...
HOWEVER, with the marvels of modern electronics we can all party 1,917.6 (by car) miles apart!!
I sent them a selfie, showing what daylight and 40 degrees looked like....
They sent me pictures of them having fun....
Without MOM/GRAM G
With 300 miles between north and south families, they gathered mid-state at a water park motel where the kids could swim...and exchange gifts...
My Wisconsin Babies...
Angie, Al, Chuck (wife, Anna)
(wife, Jen) Burt....
And grown ups could watch the play off game
Lots of Packer backers....unfortunately the Packers lost.....
Fun was had by all...
even Grandma G....
_______________________________________
Sunday morning ushered in a deluge of rain here. When driving to church I avoided a road area with a potential of "water pooling". Even returning home I drove through some rather high water. After all that partying Saturday PM, worship team practice with church service Sunday morning and driving in heavy rain Gram G went home and slept for 3 hours in the afternoon.
The evening passed watching the movie of Les Miserables while working on programming the Schmidt family calendar.
This has been a good 2 "no party" weekend days in the life of Grandma G.
"May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice!" (Proverbs 23:25)
No comments:
Post a Comment