I'll Be Home For Christmas

As mentioned previously, Jeremiah and I headed north to visit both our families in Pennsylvania over our Christmas break. Luckily, we made it safely to Montrose, PA after only nine hours in the car. Have I ever told you how much I LOVE being in the car for the majority of the day?! LOVE it. The evening of the 23rd we then ventured down to the Koehler side of the family, making it in time to help prepare for our annual Christmas Eve shindig after church. We stayed for our 2nd anniversary because we both had haircuts scheduled (note: we are looking a world of difference from our Christmas card picture and some of the shots you see below... the beard is gone, my hair is short... my self-respect wants to send out a second round of pictures) and we later went out to eat at a place we went on our honeymoon. We left the next day for Richmond, and that night had another family gathering with Jeremiah's side of the family. It was a busy time, but so enjoyable. We love being able to see our family and to take a break from our normal routine here. 

Here are a few of the sights one would have seen at my parents' house on Christmas morning:

Actually, this was Christmas Eve. Jeremiah and I just couldn't wait to give Buddy his new Snuggie.

Here is one of the many fabulous wrap-jobs, done mostly by Cameron. He also wrapped gifts in a plastic storage bin and the shoebox for his dress shoes--both of which he needed back after the gifts were opened.

Another wrap-job, this time by Jeremiah. Can you guess what it is??

(It's a loofa.)

Jeremiah with his 1/2 lb. gummy bear from my mom.

Better known as "the Christmas miracle" by Cameron. Went to bed with a beard, woke up "miraculously" with a mustache, which he left until the next day. And the credit for the candy/gum cigarette we all played with as kids goes to me.

Blizzard '09

On the evening of Friday, December 18, 2009 a blizzard began to hit the Richmond metro area. Our plans were foiled. Jeremiah and I were supposed to head up to Montrose, PA on Saturday morning to spend those glorious, anticipation-filled days leading up to Christmas with the Link family. Jeremiah's mom's 50th birthday was also on Sunday. 

But when I was driving home from work a little after 6pm on Friday night and received a call from my mom inquiring about our travel plans, I knew this plan we had so carefully mastered was about to crumble to pieces. You see, Friday night was also meant for Jeremiah and I to have our own Christmas together--open gifts, cook our Christmas fettucini, and watch A Christmas Story. Unfortunately, I arrived home to my wonderful husband (who had cleaned every inch of our apartment and even lit a fire in preparation for our evening together) not having a clue it had begun snowing and instantaneously stressed by my own stress. We may or may not have been rather on edge and at each other's throats for the next hour and a half as we tried to figure out whether to quickly pack (packing for 12 days can't be done quickly) and leave that night or to wait it out til Sunday (hopefully) and cross our fingers the power won't go out in the process. The snow was already accumulating and apparently was moving along most of our route north. 

Around 8pm our verdict was in: wait it out til Sunday.

We've never been so confident in our decision after we woke up Saturday morning, and then tried to drive on Sunday morning. Some of these pictures/videos I posted look like we're driving in sludge, but alas it was thick, solid ice. If you look closely, in the picture with the plows, we are driving to the left of the rumble strip. We too were wondering why the left shoulder was the only 'lane' VDOT could claim as 'passable.' The shaky camera is not from my inability to have a steady hand, but we were actually being shook around violently as we tried to maneuver over the treacherous roads.