How'd Ya Like to Spend Christmas.... in Pennsylvania?

Twas the 22nd of December,

And all through the plane ride,

I wanted to tell the pilot to go back to Utah,

But there was Charles, excited to see his family, by my side.

He puts up with my family,

playing our games, eager to learn.

He has spent HOURS with his in-laws.

Now it's my turn.

Sad, yes.  That's how I felt when my mom started bawling after she dropped us off like orphans at the airport, and for the rest of the week.  Constantly on the verge of tears. 

We've been back to Maryland twice together, but this time was different. 

Christmas carols on FM 100.

Our beautiful tree lit up with my ornaments that I love.

All my other holiday decorations throughout our newlywed home.

Presents for my family and friends under the tree.

My mom baking cookies, caramel corn, other goodies for Christmas Eve.

My nephew, so excited for Santa to come.

And we were leaving that all behind.

This was my first Christmas away from home.

I have to admit, I was a sour-puss, and I kind of made myself miserable, therefore making Charles sad. 

I just couldn't do Christmas away from home.  I'm sorry, Charles.  I just couldn't do it.

But as always, it was nice to spend time with my little brother and sister (that sounds so weird), and my other "Mom" and "Dad."











The lights of Maryland from the plane.



This is Annapolis Harbor at night. 
We ate a fancy restaurant on the dock.

Boston Market for Christmas Eve dinner.  This was at his grandparents in Pennsylvania.
 The food was so good and ordinary!

Us on Christmas afternoon... Charles uncle didn't get up until 1 PM, so we had to wait until then to open presents.

Mom-Mom (grandma) getting teary-eyed over the present we gave her.  A snowglobe with our picture in it.  
Classic grandparent gift.  :-)

Pop-Pop (grandpa) trying to read the Spanish Christmas card we got for Lewis!

Charles and his LITTLE brother, Lewis testing their eye-sight.  Charles now has an eye appointment for next week!

Me inside the Family Car, which is all green (a project of his dad).  His dad decorated it for Christmas, as you can see.

Charles showed off his cooking skills for his family.  Chicken in Tomato pesto cream sauce, with garlic mashed potatoes with skins and mozerella cheese, and bacon-wrapped asparagus.  That was a mouthful!

His mom modeled each gift and tried to sell them to us.  Kind of a family joke. 
No wonder Charles is so good at sales and marketing!

His dad, hiding behind the laptop as usual.
I think he liked the hat from Cora, and the book from us.

Cora with her gnocchi, an appetizer we had at that fancy restaurant in Annapolis.

Us.  I love Charles so much! 
He took good care of me while I was so homesick.

The positives:

-More time to get to know my in-laws, let them get to know me better.

-We played lots of games.  Uno, Clue, Authors, the Match Game

-6 whole days of Charles and I being off work together!

-Being with grandparently figures, since my grandma died 9 years ago.

-Realizing how much my own family means to me, being away from them during the season when

family is everything.