Dirty Crooked Holiday Retreat

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That link above is what you want to click on if you want to go take a look at the 144 unedited pictures from our big family Christmas trip.
Last Friday the three of us packed up and went to Grandma's house. There we started cooking for the weekend, almost got a baby (see previous post), decorated Grandma's Christmas tree, watched Polar Express and went to bed.
Saturday we all got up, showered and actually made it out of town before noon! We drove the 2 hours or so from my Mom's to Hocking Hills. We checked into our cabin which happened to be sitting on a hill and crooked. No really! Everything in that house was on a slant. If you set your drink on the kitchen table? You could plainly see that the liquid was not level- AND each room slanted different. Also we had to (hum hum) clean a bit. We sort of all decided to just go with it and not let it bother us and we had plenty of laughs about it. We ended up preferring our dirty slanty cabin to any of those "straight clean no personality things". Saturday evening we headed out to town only to discover that the Itarnets had lied. yes good people the Internet lies! Did you know this? We were promised "a quaint Christmas Village with shops and restaurants and ice skating" --- let's just say that was not the reality. Eventually we found a sandwich counter in a boot store - no that it not a joke. Sadly as this was the only eating establishment in town and there were only 3 employees who did not seem to grasp that we had a meeting with The Man In Red- we NEVER got our food. I hurriedly bought 2 small bags of chips and a muffin as Ev and Brev were nearly weeping with hunger (as were the rest of us).
We made the train though. Hungry or not. The kids went to the Depot to inquire if there were tickets for them and , so you know that Santa himself had left tickets for them!!!!! We piled onto the train where the kids inhaled the chips while the adults tried not to wrestle the damn things away form them and eat them in one big inhale.
Then the fun started Christmas music, audio excerpts form the movie. The train had a Hobo and there was hot chocolate and cookies and then , oh then there was Santa!!!! OH also each kiddo got a jingle bell that only rang for those of us who believe in Santa.
Brevin climbed right the hell up onto Santa's lap and he had a list ! He sat up there jabbering away. Evelyn? She did let me stand close to Santa and i had to deliver a carefully crafted message for him form her - but she did give him a high five.
Sunday we stayed at the cabin and ate and played games.
Monday we took a hike and came home.
Nothing earth shattering but, my what fun.
I realized that I am very lucky as I genuinely like and enjoy my family. They are funny and nice and take dirty crooked cabins with a grain of salt.
Some of my favorite moments:

The look on Ev's face when she realized that Santa left tickets and she was getting on that train.
Brevin saying "I believe I believe I believe in Santa Claus" to the jingle bell guy.
Brevin loosing his mind and wanting to touch the Hobo but not daring to.
When my Mom slapped the ess haitch eye tee outta my Dad for a girlie joke.
Hearing Evelyn all giggly and excited over sleeping in a loft.
Walking with my Mom through the woods- just the two of us.
Trying to come up with secret foot signals with my sister so SOMEBODY could beat Les at Clue (he won).
Actually having my Dad at the table playing games with us all.
Just having that exact daughter, that specific husband and those very folks as my family to be with on such a fun trip.