Sunday, December 23, 2007

Family Christmas Party #2

This is the Chrismtas party that almost didn't happen! Two weeks ago, DH talked with his sister about having his side of the family Christmas party yesterday, the 21st at our house. She was supposed to talk with her daughter and see if that would work for her and her hubbie. Well, that never happened, so we were left up in the air untiil Friday when DH called his parents who live in the same town as his sister. Turns out that my BIL fell twice. He has MS, and can't walk, and insists that his wife be the exclusive caregiver - at least this is what my MIL has told me. Anyhoo, he fell in the shower and a couple of days later fell out of his wheelchair off of the lift in the garage that they have to get him in their SUV. I guess they thought there were broken bones, but thank goodness that was not the case. She ended up having to call an ambulance to take him to the hospital, and although he was okay, he did miss his weekly shot appointment at another hospital. So she had to drive him the hour or so for that a day late. But here's the real problem, I think. My SIL had surgery on her thumb about a week and half ago. Get this, NOONE told me this until yesterday as we were on our way to my in-laws to visit them. This is incredible to me. DH just happened to mention in the van on the way down that his sister was having trouble getting things done because she's in a cast. A cast! This was news to me. I didn't know about the cast or the surgery. DH's family just doesn't share information about themselves at all. It's so different than my family, where everyone knows what everyone else is doing whether you want to or not! Anyway, because of the very rough week that his SIL had, she didn't think they could come up. So we said we could come there. She didn't want people at her house, so there was an informal agreement to meet at his parents.

So, in the meantime, DH hurt his back playing basketball on Thursday. He says he doesn't know if we'll even go if his back doesn't stop hurting. Does this sound like maybe God is trying to tell us that this wasn't meant to be?! I don't know, but leave it up to him as to whether we'll go or not. He decides yesterday morning, that yes we will go. We get to his parents around 12:30. We ask about his sister. They say that don't know if she is coming or not. They'd talked to her the night before, and she didn't know yet. And they hadn't heard from her yesterday, and didn't want to bother her to find out. I just don't get this, but that's just the way this family is. Anyway, we eat lunch play with Gracie, talk a little bit, and open the few gifts that need to be opened. About 2:30, just as we are ready to pack up and leave, guess who pulls up in front in the house? Yep, his sister and BIL. So we rethink and stay until about 4:30. No problem, except Gracie had not napped at all during the day and ended up being VERY cranky. We left and came home with Gracie falling asleep in the car shortly after we pulled out of the driveway.

We didn't have the camera with us, so no pictures. Just a very strange "party".

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