Miracle on 133rd Place

Well, I would've posted a more over the last few days, however our internet access has been acting up. So much has happened over the holidays that I will most likely catch up on stuff over the course of the week. Over the course of 24 hours, we had an amazing Christmas with our families.

After spending last weekend in Bend with my family, we were grateful to be able to stay sort of close to home for the yuletide. We drove about an hour away to Salem to see the other side of my family. We had such a blast there. Everyone was so jovial and spirited that it made for such a great time. Though I didn't get to grow up knowing this side of my family, I have fortunately been able to really get to know everyone in the last several years. They are a creative and talkative bunch, very much like me. They can also be LOUD.

For instance, we always snack on food, open presents, and end the night with a rautious game of Balderdash. Well, my cousin Cory managed to convince us to try Taboo for a change. This is a game where you have to try to get your team to guess the word by describing what it is. The catch is...you can't say the use hand gestures or the five most common words associated with it and these five are listed on the card. It really makes you have to stop and think. Well, we have some very headstrong people in my family. Needless to say, it was frustrating for some as everyone tried to understand the rules and just play the game. Overall, it was fun, but way too crazy for some to wrap their minds around.

So we moved onto Balderdash. In a nutshell, this game is simply about making up definitions for obscure words...then you try to guess the correct one that is mixed in with all of the made-up ones. My husband had a migraine and wanted to leave badly (the noise level can be deafening). However, he kindly stayed and let me finish playing the game with my family. This game went smoothely and everyone got into it. What made it great was that a few people that usually opt out of the game decided to play. So it was such a wonderful time. Also, my cousin Derek and his wife, Kazue (pronounced Kah-zu-weh), came down for the first time in years and so I loved getting to spend time with them. English is Kazue's second language and though she had a slow start, she ended up coming up with some of the best definitions.

We spent Christmas morning with just the four of us. We let the kids open their gifts and Kevin made us a great breakfast (cinnamon rolls, eggs, sausage, and hash browns). It was a special day and so I threw my diet out the door for the day. Then we went over to my mother-in-law's house for Christmas dinner. Kevin's sister and her husband were there as well. Then the most amazing thing happened.

For those who know the backstory, this will be an eye-opener. The short of it is, my sister-in-law has been a bit icy in recent years towards us. Among some other issues, she disapproved of us having our firstborn out-of-wedlock and has pretty much distanced herself from us. It has caused a lot of friction for my mother-in-law to say the least. Past gatherings have been fraught with tension and so I can honestly say I was dreading this day.

Well, the miraculous thing that happened was everyone got along. Kevin's sister and her husband are expecting their first child this spring. I don't know if that has anything to do with her change of heart, but I don't want to analyze it. While we aren't what you would call buddy-buddy, at least we had a conversation for the first time in years. My brother-in-law was his usual self, easygoing and funny. What really touched us was how Kevin's sister chatted with our kids and actually gave our son a hug when it was time to say goodbye. I think what made all the difference is that all of us put aside our "stuff" and just enjoyed the time together.

Again, you'd have to know the situation to realize what a wonderful thing this was for us. It was so nice to relax a little bit. I really enjoyed the afternoon too. I am genuinely excited for them as they embark on the adventure of parenthood and hope that our future family gatherings only get better with time. Needless to say, my mother-in-law got the best present of all...peace among her children and a joyful holiday.

What is ironic about all this is that my birth father was just talking to me on Christmas Eve about miracles. I believe that miracles come in all shapes and sizes. They don't have to be as dramatic as saving a life and such, they can be simple ones too. I think about what my best friend is going through with the recent loss of her a loved one and how positive she has stayed during this difficult time. It reminds me that so many of us just to need to shelve our baggage and get on with living life for all it's worth. To me, this breakthrough was as close to a Christmas miracle for all of us as I could expect. It gives me hope and what more can you ask for?