Christmas '06 was like none other: I spent it in Saginaw, Michigan with Meghan and her family. I had a great time--the
casa de Deibel is an accepting and loving place. But there was no room for slacking: with parties almost everyday and the house full of the 20+ member family there was always something to do. In a word: intense. The
Deibels work hard, but they play hard too. I must admit, Saginaw grew on me while I was there. It's a nice town (I never did go to the east side...) and it's got character.
The first night I arrived the annual
Deibel caroling party was held. The unseasonably warm weather allowed for the singing of many a Christmas favorite to almost everyone who was home on the street. Around 150 friends, relatives, and
wardies attended--no small shindig. That's Meghan and I in the the right corner belting it out.
Look at that clean-cut kid... In the end, "meeting the
fam" was a pleasant and stress-free experience. But the
fauxhawk was tamed for a while for image purposes...
Meijer's: It's like
Wal-Mart, but better because it's in Michigan and isn't a publicly traded company--it's family owned.
Merry Christmas, Dear! A very cute and sleepy-eyed Meghan on Christmas morning...
Tony's. Think of it like Al's on Happy Days. Straight out of a bygone era, Tony's is famous for its marinara steak sandwich and huge portions.
For example, here is their banana split. It's literally a salad bowl piled high with ice cream and toppings. It easily fed six people.
The babies! Well, not all of the kids were
babies, per
se, but there were eight kids under the age of five running around the house. Here they are recreating the nativity with some success.
La
Casa de Deibel and its "face" greeting me the way the Deibels intended. Yeah, it's big. Seven bathrooms!
On the last two days of the trip we went to the
Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City. While there we enjoyed a huge indoor
water park, outlet mall shopping, window shopping, and a Phase 10 game that just wouldn't end.
One of the little shops we perused on Traverse City's main drag had Uglydolls--a Katie favorite.
The first night I arrived the annual Deibel caroling party was held. The unseasonably warm weather allowed for the singing of many a Christmas favorite to almost everyone who was home on the street. Around 150 friends, relatives, and wardies attended--no small shindig. That's Meghan and I in the the right corner belting it out.
Look at that clean-cut kid... In the end, "meeting the fam" was a pleasant and stress-free experience. But the fauxhawk was tamed for a while for image purposes...
Meijer's: It's like Wal-Mart, but better because it's in Michigan and isn't a publicly traded company--it's family owned.
Merry Christmas, Dear! A very cute and sleepy-eyed Meghan on Christmas morning...
Tony's. Think of it like Al's on Happy Days. Straight out of a bygone era, Tony's is famous for its marinara steak sandwich and huge portions.
For example, here is their banana split. It's literally a salad bowl piled high with ice cream and toppings. It easily fed six people.
The babies! Well, not all of the kids were babies, per se, but there were eight kids under the age of five running around the house. Here they are recreating the nativity with some success.
La Casa de Deibel and its "face" greeting me the way the Deibels intended. Yeah, it's big. Seven bathrooms!
On the last two days of the trip we went to the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City. While there we enjoyed a huge indoor water park, outlet mall shopping, window shopping, and a Phase 10 game that just wouldn't end.
One of the little shops we perused on Traverse City's main drag had Uglydolls--a Katie favorite.
1 comment:
Good gravy thats a lot of Deibels... lovin the face on the house, thats pretty sweet.
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