A lot of light in this house

 
The drive down I-5 to Eugene yesterday was a bit lonely since one of my girls was mad at me and the other one was 'plugged ' into her iPod.  So as my ears took in the tunes of Mindy Gledhill my mind thought about why I was making this drive.  I was on my way to my in-laws, Chris' parent's home, to celebrate birthdays and Christmas with three of his siblings, their families and his parents.  But something important was missing....Chris.  He forgot about this family gathering when he bought his plane ticket to L.A.  But family is important and I knew that it would be great to take Makenzie and Emma down there anyway so I had decided to go.  But then teenager things happened, like a dance practice that wanted to be attended at 4 o'clock on Saturday afternoon.

"Sorry, you can't go." 
"Why?"
"Because we are going to Nana's and Grandpa's house."
"Can't I drive myself down to their house after practice?"
"No, we are not driving two cars down to Eugene."
"But I already told them I could practice."
"Well, tell them you made a mistake and that you can't."

Then the silence ensued, the silence you get when a teenager isn't happy with your response.

But I knew I was right.

Family is important.

And as I drove home today along I-5, this time with the Motab in the background, my eldest daughter and I talked most of the two hour trip home.  Family has a healing effect, it's amazing what the teasing of a beloved uncle can do for the teenage mind.  We had a wonderful time spent with family. My family. After 18 years they become that, they become something that you can claim.
 
I got to love all over my two nieces, Luna and Celeste. 

I got to play games with my brother and sister-in-law. 

I shared lemon cake with my mother-in-law and oohed and ahhhed over their new home being built. 

I talked in length with another brother-in-law about an upcoming international job fair he will be attending and what that will mean for he and Sarah and babies. 

I laughed with Ross, Nora, Emma and Makenzie as we barricaded a Box Elder Bug inside a city we created in the game we were playing.  And laughed even further when my sister-in-law told me the story of her sister staying on Mt. Tom and the "bird" that was flying around in her bedroom at night.  All of us that have been in the family for any amount of time know that "bird" is code for B-A-T.

When the games were put away and we let our tired selves retire to bed, Makenzie and Emma and I went downstairs in search of the right light switch to light up the bathroom. 

"Why are there so many light switches?"  Emma asked.

 "Because there is a little bit of crazy and a whole lot of light in this house."