a little family visit

since my mom no longer hosts christmas or thanksgiving, it's pretty much up to us "kids" to get together for occasions. it's hard to use the term kids when i'm the youngest sibling at near-40.

my oldest brother gregg and his wife nancy live in a beautiful home in kimswick, with a stunning view of the mississippi from their second floor bedroom window. they invited us and my other brother nick and his wife angie, who also live in kimswick, to a little pre-christmas get together.

being that the vomitorium was still in effect, i went solo. i really wanted the kids to see everyone, but since tyson began liberating his breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in the early afternoon as well, it didn't make much sense. maybe another time.

it was great to get together and laugh and talk. i gave my mustang-owning brother a little low-down on his silver '05 gt and how to make it faster. he was lusting after a new Shelby, but i think he'll be happy with a few personalizing touches to his current steed. gregg and his wife are 16 and 18 years older than i respectively, so they have a completely different perspective on our family life growing up which my brother nick and i find fascinating. almost completely different experiences with our parents, different homes, different schools, etc. it's like your own family in an alternate universe. lots of my older relatives that i never got to know were more contemporary with gregg and my sister tammy, so their stories and experiences are valuable archives. (my sister didn't attend, living in arkansas and all)

they broke out the photo albums and lots of pictures i have never seen before. gregg and nancy look like models in their wedding photos. gregg was the cool 60's kid with the lamb chop sideburns by the 70's. they were very liberal with the camera, which makes me want to do the same so our kids can piece together memories and family facts and fiction using pictures along with the stories we tell them. my mom used to complain that gregg and nancy took way to many pictures (mostly because she hated getting her picture taken, but somewhat because she liked to complain, a trait that i have grudgingly become to accept as one i have inherited) but i cannot agree with her. it's never a waste to document your family's growth and change.

it was a great time, and i was sorry to have to leave, but someone had to come home and relieve deanna from her responsibility at the vomitorium....