Ohio-rama: The Highlights

There were presents. Lots and lots of presents. Try to picture how many presents you could stuff under a seven-foot Christmas tree. Got it? Double that. Now picture how many garbage bags full of wrapping paper we had to throw out and allow yourself a small shudder in the name of global warming.
There were very happy children, who last month had moaned that they were the very LAST children on earth to get a Nintendo DS, who finally received a Nintendo DS. They were smitten, to say the least. Slack-jawed with absorption might be more accurate.
As with any gathering of my side of the family, there were cats. This is Ollie, the little orange man. Not pictured are Brini and Gracie, who were nonetheless the recipients of many pets and scritches on their fuzzy little heads. Whether they wanted them or not.
There were expertly-prepared meals. And yummy restaurant meals. And boxes of truffles. And chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies. And apple dumplings. And French toast casserole. And they were goooooood.

I need a Tums just thinking about it.

There were snuggles with Nana.

And cuddles with Papa.

There were crazy children who slept about an hour and a half on Christmas Eve, then collapsed in exhaustion on the couch Christmas Day and slept for three hours.

There was a trip to visit Great-Grandpa in the nursing home New Year's Eve.
There was the holy-crap-I've-been-forgetting-to-take-pictures-quick-everyone-stand-in-front-of-the-hotel-continental-breakfast! photo. Doesn't everyone have one of these in the family album? Look, I even got in the packages of Froot Loops, so future generations can fully appreciate my insanity.
It all made up for the crapola winter driving conditions we weathered (get it?) to make it out there.