New Years Day 2003 closed with a beautiful sunset. We stopped on our way to Cousin A P’s house to take this photo. H, M, J and I were invited to her house for dinner. Cousin J was there as well. We haven’t seen each other very much over the years. So I was happy that he was there for dinner.

(After using all those initials in that paragraph, I realize how out of date the "Cast" page is! I’ll have to take care of that soon.)

Having H and M visit us at Christmas is always the highlight of the holiday for the family here. There are a lot of miles between New Jersey and Georgia where the girls live. As H said several times while she was here, "We don’t see each other enough." There is great excitement when they arrive, much sadness when they leave.

Emotionally I crash when they leave. The miles and months of separation are not what I envisioned our family would be like. Watching my little girls board a plane and entrusting them to airline attendants was not something I thought I would have to do when they were born. I attempt to steel my heart, grit my teeth, grin and bear it, throw myself into some flurry of activity, or dive into a strong rum and Coke to take the edge off. None of that works very well. Usually the day after H and M leave I spend the day in my room, hiding from the world. This time was no different. January 3rd was pretty much a blank. January 4th was almost the same until I finally got up enough ambition to get in the car and stop by Pete’s place. Even though everyone there was sick to some degree, it was better to hang out there and watch movies with them than to mope around in my room.

I’m not complaining or looking for pity here. This is just the way it is. I’m learning to live with it. I’m learning to cope. Better than that... I’m determined to win in spite of it all. Slowly but surely. Three steps forward and two steps back sometimes. Come in running. Right? At least keep moving forward, crawling when necessary.

H and M arrived the day after Christmas. S went with me to pick them up at Newark Airport. It's the best feeling to see them come through the gate! H is usually fairly calm. M is always bouncing all over the place. We stopped for candy on the way through the airport. We each bought giant jawbreakers. Of course I got one too!

By the time we got home we were starving. So the three girls and I went to the diner. We ate like pigs and there are pictures to prove it! (See the link below.) There are a few photos of the girls stuffing their faces. It’s all fair though because I look pretty rough in a few of those photos. Remember, this was the day after Christmas. At 5:30 that morning I was still at . Pete’s house. I only slept about three hours before driving to Newark to pick up the girls. Rather unflattering pictures. What the heck!

Later that same day, H and M opened their gifts from the rest of us. There are some cute pictures of this. (See the link below again.) "Santa" went overboard this year! That’s the way it works when an older sister has a job and is very generous. The separation does not diminish the love. Thank you, "Santa."

As for the rest of the time H and M were here, we spent most of it relaxing together, watching movies, visiting friends. They had a great time with a few of the neighborhood girls that they are friends with. They even spent New Years Eve with all the girls and Dad took the opportunity to be with some friends that night. The girls and I also stopped by my office to have coffee with Friend D and to see a few other people one afternoon.

At first M was very bashful when we got to the office. She is usually the big ham, the crazy one making funny faces and being silly. She decided to open up while I was talking to several ladies. She was hiding close behind me and peeking around to look at everyone once in a while. Suddenly she said, "Daddy, these pants (Levi’s Dockers) make your butt look big!" What a riot! She was then out of her little shyness bubble and was the “office clown” the rest of the time.

Now the holidays are past. The girls have gone home to Georgia. It’s a new year. There are some new things happening, which I will write about another time. There are several things that I am looking forward to this year.

One of those things is a trip to Georgia to see the girls in March. One has a birthday in February and the other in the beginning of March. J, S, T, and I plan on driving to Georgia in early March to spend a weekend with H and M. It will be a combined birthday celebration. H and M are excited to introduce us to all of their neighborhood friends. It will be a great adventure.

Even though the holidays are over and the girls are gone, I have some things that I’m excited about and looking forward to. There is some lingering sadness because they are gone. But March and Georgia are just around the corner. I can make it.

CORRESPONDING PICTURE GALLERIES:
At the Diner
Christmas 2003