End of year was celebrated with family

What a perfect way to end a not-so-perfect year. We had left town hoping our water lines wouldn’t freeze while we were away. It took miles and miles before the last of the snow finally disappeared. By the time we arrived at our daughter’s house, they had left to run some last-minute errands.

We let ourselves in and freed the dog from its kennel. Daughter Beth let us know there was a cat in the upstairs bathroom that also needed its freedom. My husband came down the stairs laughing and saying that calling the creature a cat was being optimistic. When I saw the tiny black kitten, I agreed.

As soon as I sat down in the rocking chair, both animals climbed onto me. The dog, Cheeto, curled up on my lap and the kitten curled around my neck. It was only after Beth came home that I found out both animals had been treated for fleas the evening before. Thankfully, I am not itching yet.

It wasn’t long before they came back home and the house exploded with the noise of small children. Actually, the children were a lot bigger than when we last saw them a year or so ago.

They keep getting cuter all the time. In the first couple of days we have refreshed ourselves with lots of hugs. Yesterday Jacob curled up on my lap and I told him stories of when he was little. Nicholas was busy coloring and listening. He demanded stories of his own. I happily obliged.

Beth picked up Emma from her father’s and I was astonished that she had grown into a young lady while I wasn’t looking. But when she showed me how she had used markers to color her Barbie doll’s hair, I knew she was still a kid at heart.

In the evening we packed everyone up and met Beth’s in-laws at Dairy Queen. Since we were in Texas, their Dairy Queen is a bit different from ours. For one thing, they are open during the  winter. For another they serve tacos and chicken and something I had not heard of before - french fries with gravy for dipping. French fries and gravy? It doesn’t sound appealing to me, but Paige, our bonus granddaughter, loves it.

The in-laws, Wayne and Melanie, surprised us with shirts. Wayne’s bunch were emblazoned with “Carley Clan,” their daughter’s family read, “Bowen Bunch,” and ours said, “Dolecki Duo.” Nobody had ever made us shirts before. I was overwhelmed.

After we donned our shirts and everyone had a chance to catch up a bit, we caravanned to a place called “Santa’s Wonderland.” It was aptly named. There were more lights than I had ever seen.

We headed for the hay ride and piled in. The hay bales were surprisingly comfortable and the side rails on the wagon provided a welcome backrest. The truck pulled the wagons through a series of Christmas themed displays ending with the nativity. A handsome cowboy helped me off the wagon.

In all there were seven children, five of whom chose to ride the mechanical bull. The four year old girl was the only one who stayed on the entire allotted time but they all had a memorable evening.

Some of the kids went on the train ride, some went to the petting zoo and a couple of the adults attended the wine tasting. As the evening wound down, we gathered around the stage to listen to live music.

Wayne and Melanie danced to the tunes while strangers tried to get their toddler to dance. After much persuasion Beth accepted Wayne’s offer to dance. I loved watching them twirl and move together.

By the time we got a picture for Melanie and packed everyone into their respective cars, I was exhausted and half asleep, as were most of the rest of us.

 An evening spent with family is the best way to spend the waning days of the year. I hope you have good memories of your own to end the last year and begin the new one.