My family has come to visit on successive weekends. I’ve enjoyed seeing my father, brother, and mother. Last weekend was Dad and my brother. I was especially happy that my brother was here, he had never seen my son in person. Go figure, my son absolutely loves my brother.

We went out to dinner and celebrated my birthday. We went and got a Christmas tree. We had a large time. I feel badly that my father rented a big SUV to help carry the tree only to carry a four foot tree. That’s okay, though, it was large enough for all of us to take one vehicle instead of two. We were all together and that was good.

My mother was here this weekend. She had more packages for my son than the law allows, but she also had presents for me. I got a gas grill, a serious gas grill, for my birthday/Christmas. It has a side burner (ooh, aah). I even got a messenger bag that says, “Danger, Men Cooking”. I’ve decided that I’m going to open the garage door and grill in my driveway when the snow comes in a couple days. More than that, I want to repay my neighbors for their hospitality and grill when we were eating rice and beans for a month.

I was really happy that my mother could hold my son. My son loves social gatherings and people – as long as they are five feet away. Thanks to prayers and some hard work, he warmed up to her quickly and enjoyed her. He even played with my step-father. We didn’t get to see my son open his special present, but I will videotape it and send it home.

I asked for sand from home as a present and she brought me six gallons of it. Maybe it sounds strange, but I felt like I needed a physical piece of home for me and my son. As a part of teaching him about his heritage, I don’t think I could explain home as well without some of its soil.

I haven’t written much this month, it’s the slowest one since I started. However, this month has been full of good memories and holiday events. I almost look forward to January to get a vacation from December! (I say that, but I really have enjoyed this month and seeing my family.) Maybe things will get back to normal, however that is defined by the world at large.

See you around.