Christmas Visits

I haven't posted in a while because like most I've been enjoying the Christmas season and spending a lot of time with family.

Things started for the Dunns on the 24th since my sister Becky and her family spent Christmas day at her in-law's house. We started early as if it was Christmas morning, had breakfast after opening presents and stockings, enjoyed the day and new toys together, had an early supper and then all headed to church for Christmas Eve services.

Christmas Day was very relaxing. After sleeping in I spent the day at my parent's house. We watched A Christmas Story (maybe a few times), had our steamed shrimp (a family tradition started when we spent Christmas in the Florida Keys with my mom's parents back in the mid 80s), and ate leftovers from the day before. I also got to speak to my good friend and academy classmate Mike on the phone.

Friday the 26th we headed up to York, PA to gather with the Stebbins family (my mom's side). The 26th was my grandfather's birthday and even though he and my grandmother are no longer with us we have kept up the tradition of getting together on his birthday. Almost 30 of us took over the back room of a local steakhouse for dinner and then most of us went over to my cousin Jeni's house to continue the visit.

Saturday morning Mom, Dad, Becky, Jesko, Rachel, Allison and I headed for Pittsburgh to visit with some of the Dunn side of the family. The Dunn family is quite a bit larger and much more spread out, but 16 of us were together at my cousin Terri's house on Saturday and Sunday.

It was so good to see everyone, especially considering all that's happened this year. I hadn't seen the Stebbins families since last December 26th and it had been a year and a half or more since I had seen my aunts, uncles and cousins from the Dunn side. It was also really good to get out of my house for a while and my parents got a break from walking and feeding my dogs who were in a kennel from Friday morning until Monday night.

So now that physical therapy has started and the holidays are ending I am starting 2009 with a resolution to get life back to "normal" (whatever that may be) as soon as possible.