A Kentucky Christmas

We have been in Ky now for 5 days. The flight here was very uneventful. The babies did great on the plane and at the airports. I was very thankful that the flight did not cause them stress. The day after, Wednesday, however, was a different story. I guess it was due to lack of sleep on Tuesday and overstimulation that they were both pretty whiny and tired. They just needed a day to de-stress I guess.

We traveled to Inez Wednesday nite while trying to keep the car travel during times they would normally be sleeping. That was our hope anyway. They ended up sleeping about 30-40 minutes of the drive and crying the rest of it.

Thursday we got them ready after their lunch and went to Warfield. I took them on the hill to my father's and grandparent's graves and visited for a few minutes. We then went to my friend's parent's house for Christmas Eve lunch. We had the best fried chicken and the babies had their first bite of real mashed potato and green beans. They were also very well behaved, thank God.

We then went to visit a friend of my mother's and see her grandchildren. Again, we couldn't have asked for better babies. We were also made to feel so welcomed. I truly miss this closeness of friends.

We drove back to Lexington that nite and, once again, the babies slept for about the first 40 minutes of the drive. When we arrived we put them down after a bottle and they went right to sleep.

We spent Christmas day in our pj's and laid around after opening presents. We had a great lunch/dinner of roast beef and all the fixings. The babies had a great day and were in happy moods. Of course it helped that they got lots of new toys and Nana had bought some more to keep them occupied throughout the day.

Saturday, the day after Christmas, we went to my dad's sister's house for their family Christmas. It was so nice to be with family that I have not seen in a while. I didn't realize how much I missed that closeness or connection until I was there and felt it. I have lived in Waco now for just over 4 years and have tried so hard to find a closeness or connection but have not been allowed in. Now it is pretty much too late although I keep trying. Why, I have no idea.....isn't that definition of insanity.....

I am also realizing that now that my mother will be moving to Waco, my babies' will never know my history. They spent the nite in Inez Wednesday but they will never remember or know the house that I grew up in or the town that I lived in. They will probably never again go to my father's grave or understand anything about him or what he accomplished. It is due to everything that I have given up and will give up for the sake of my family with my husband and our babies that I just don't understand how selfish and cruel people can be.

See, on top of all of this, just like every other event that I have had with my husband, this holiday has a cloud over it. I just wanted to bring my children to Ky for their first Christmas so my family could see them, I could take them to my friends to see. These are people who have called/emailed to see how the babies are, to see how they are growing, who make comments on their pictures on facebook. By bringing them to Ky at this time of year, they fly for free as "lap kids" and are too young to be worried about Santa "finding them". My husband would only miss 2.5 days of work during a time that would be slow anyway. But, just like everything else, my husband's family had to be cruel about it.

Instead of just saying they would be disappointed about not being with the babies on their first Christmas but that they understood, I was accused of "doing this" just to hurt them and make it a bad Christmas. When my husband tried to explain that was not the case, he was told then that I had just brain washed him. Again, another power I was not aware of having.

Hopefully, we can have a 2010 that will not have a cloud over everything we do that should be a celebration, a happy occasion. There is always hope....

Holiday Travel

We will soon be taking the babies to Kentucky to see my family for Christmas. No one in my family has been able to see them since we have not traveled there and they are not able to come here. I have begun making a list of the absolute needed items to take with us. I don't want my mother to have to buy more than we will use while there and I don't want to take more than we need - just getting everything thru the airport will be a nightmare.

Just to run it down, we will have to take car seats, strollers, diaper bags, clothes, diapers, bottles/food for the day of travel. Then, we get to struggle with our bags.....it will be quite a trip but if we take a deep breath, dive in, I think we will make it.

Thanksgiving

I am pleased to write about a nice family experience with the babies. Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving with my husband's family and it went surprisingly well.

A few weeks ago my husband and I discussed everything and decided that we would celebrate the holiday with his family with a few notes. If I was attacked (again!!), or our children were ignored (again!!) then we would leave. We left our house with a positive feeling and a true desire that everything went well. Everything going well for us and our children has been our only true desire - even though it is not what people believe.

When we arrived we were made to feel welcomed. Even my husband's sister, the one that has been doing all of the attacking & ignoring, scooped up a baby. It was nice.

All in all both my husband and myself had a great holiday. The only thing that would've made it better would have been for a public apology from his sister for her previous public attack, but I can always ask Santa. As long as nothing like that happens again, we should be on the healing path. I can say, however, I will not be treated that way again as it is not accepted behavior by myself or my husband no matter how anyone else feels about it. Basically, the future family relations are in her/their hands. Hopefully, they will make the right choice.