All of the Lights II

This pic pretty much sums up the shenanigans that went down. At one point, I was laughing so hard we had to pull over at a gas station so I could keep from (1) crashing the car into a tree because I couldn’t see past the tears, and (2) from pee’ing a little. They were on their #WorstBehavior.

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Does the above paragraph seem vaguely familiar? Well it should because it was Cape Giuredeau, MO all over again minus most of the miles. It really should be unlawful for the five of us to be in the same vehicle for more than 10 minutes. 

For the last 20 years my family has made the journey to Tilles Park to see the Christmas lights prior to the big day.  But this year we decided to hit up Our Lady of the Snows.  It was a bit further out of the way but also less focused on Santa and more on the reason for the season.

I’m more than familiar with the foolery that ensues on even the shortest of family road trips, so I packed my trusty snack bag despite the heckling. ‘You act like we’re going cross country!’ But I know what it is. Needless to say, it wasn’t TWO minutes into the thirty minute drive that everyone was all, ‘Nikki, where the popcorn at, tho’.  

While scanning the radio for a Christmas station I reflexively stopped when I heard a familiar whining. I asked Syl, ‘is that Keith Sweat?’ And before she could reply Grandma shouted, ‘who sweatin?’ To which Momma responded, ‘Oooh, I’m hot too, can you turn the heat down?’.  At one point, entirely tickled, Grandma, in the most serious of tones, stated that she was going to write a story about our adventure. I sighed and reminded her that that was my job.

After 40 minutes of bad singing, friendly bickering, talking over one another, and going in on all the snacks (or ‘smashing’ snacks as Momma put it. She learned a new word, y’all), we jumped off on the exit and very quickly came to the realization that the mile-long line we were driving past was for Our Lady of the Snows.  Backing up wasn’t an option so I cut on my blinker and slowly pushed forward hoping to find a kind soul in the Christmas spirit willing to let me in.  Yeah, no.  But I did find a break and it just so happened to be at the front of the line.  Momma was freaked out by my maneuvering but I told her that if someone else in our position was driving up and needed to be let in, I most certainly would oblige.

Shortly thereafter we rode Ollie the Camel and took a tour through Bethlehem.

Peep the view-