Oh Christmases...or is it Christmai?

Indiana Christmas was December 12 because the Winzeler Family said it was so. We have that kind of power.

It was in our lovely Madison, In, with the Muppet Christmas Carol, Hinkles yummy food, swimming, and watching a movie together. We decorated the rooms with wrapping paper and even had the white snow.

The shark shirt from Uncle Caid

Caid wants to go to Spain. 

The good thing about not having Christmas on Christmas day is that the stores are all open. 

Siblings forever:). 

Christmas is never Christmas without the girl's caroling party (where we did more of catch phrase than caroling)

And then Christmas in Connecticut

opening presents

Nephews! I've got a buncha them

Caid got a balding razor. Caid is now bald. 

I love sitting here in the middle of three conversations, two video games, random phones, and a TV. All in the Jamaican accent. Life is better in the kitchen. It is where people connect. Juliet says that things are different in Jamaica. She tries to explain to Caid that it isn’t that his family doesn’t love him—they do—they just don’t show it like Americans do.

In Jamaica things are hard. As Juliet says (and Juliet is the only one who tells us stories), in Jamaica, one day from grade school, the school bus stopped. They told us we could get out and see the dead drowned body or not. No trauma counseling offered. And it was just what it was. Life was hard, and you just live it. You love someone, but you don't always say it. 

This is an old picture of most of my nieces and nephews. Caid has five sisters and one brother, all older. Oldest sister has one son, Fitztroy (left front) who is now 15 and playing basketball (and we go to his games). Next sister has three children: Thalia, Thalisa, and Theon, who are randomly in that picture. Next sister doesn't have kids. Next sister has three kids: Nyasa, Mekhi, and Mykah, youngest sister has two kids: Tiajae and OJ. His brother has a lot of children...some I still haven't met yet. Oh big families...

Caid, a couple years ago. It is funny to hear the different versions of Caid I've never seen: his sister, telling me how when he was six months old in Jamaica, a friend held him while riding a bike and fell. Caid screamed like his head was busted open, but he was fine, because it was Jamaica, and you were either fine or you were dead. The Sunday school mentor who says "Married? How can he be married? I remember having to throw rocks at his window to wake him up for work."