Despite sulfurous stench, Killian Christmas was wonderful

Last Saturday, when Sadie and I pulled out of the driveway at 7 a.m. and embarked on our journey to the north country for Christmas with the Killians, I could only imagine what excitement was in store for us. Our drive up was uneventful -- well, except for the severe winter weather that provided Sadie and me with an extra seven hours of white-knuckle driving excitement.

We were both ecstatic when we finally plowed into the snow bank where her bother's driveway should have been located. Sadie and Lizzie barely waited for the vehicle to stop before they were out of the car and leaping like gazelles through the deep snow toward the house.

It had been quite a while since Sadie and I have been able to visit her family in New York together. For the duration of this trip, our plan was to stay with Sadie's brother, Joe, and his fiancé, Tiffany. I was very excited to see little Joey, their eldest son, and looked forward to meeting the most recent addition to the Killian Clan, Gabe Killian, our new nephew and godson.

Upon our arrival, little Joey met us at the door and at first glance, I thought what a little angel. Within minutes of our arrival, little Joey, my adorable nephew, transformed into Joey the dog destroyer and, with a focused intensity seldom seen in a child of his age, he began his mission of small dog termination. For the next week without reprieve, our dog Lizzie dodged the crushing blows of the child executioner. Undeterred by threats of punishment, little Joey chased, kicked, clubbed, and pounced on poor Lizzie throughout our stay.

Next year, I think my present to little Joey's parents will be a behavioral modification tool, perhaps a shock collar like the type used to train a unruly dog.

Joey and Tiffany were splendid hosts and made every effort possible to make Sadie and I comfortable and feel at home. Both are very kind, generous and have a warmth to their personalities that sure made it easy for this ole southern boy to assimilate smoothly into this northern family's Christmas traditions.

They provided us with the prefect base camp for Sadie and me to work on the impossible task of completing Sadie's list of planned activities. The daily schedule she had developed prior to our trip typically began around 8 a.m. and continued until around 7 a.m. the following day. She explained to me that there was just entirely too much to do and too many people to see for us to waste our time sleeping. On about our second day there, Sadie's list mysteriously vanished from the night stand.

I will say that I was happy to help her complete another schedule for us ... a schedule that included occasional naps for Jack.

The house where we stayed was large enough to accommodate Sadie and me, Joe, Tiffany, their two children, Tiffany's three sisters, their children and Tiffany's mom. I felt a bit guilty that Tiffany's sisters had to sleep on the floor while Sadie and I were provided with a comfortable guest room in the basement. I think Sadie's family either felt sorry for me because I am old or maybe just wanted to keep me locked away in the basement.

The house, an old, country farm house, had only one working shower, and I was concerned that with the large number of people staying there that there may be conflict over shower times and hot water. With toothbrush in hand, I made my way into the bathroom, turned on the water and instantly felt certain that there would be no problem with me competing for the shower. The water had a very strong stench, a sulfurous odor.

Next year, I think a water filtration system may be a better gift for the Killians.

On Christmas Eve, the Killians had a family dinner at a local restaurant. The food was good and the fellowship was even better. All in attendance were cheerful and very much in the Christmas spirit.

We spent Christmas morning at the Killian family farm. The house was filled with the sounds of playful children, laughter, happiness and joy. Little Joey even took a few minutes away from his ruthless pursuit of Lizzie to open gifts.

The delightful smell of Christmas treats filled the air -- well, at least until it was time to start the shower rotation.

Dinner on Christmas evening was provided at the Merchants' home, on Sadie's other side of the family. It was an amazing spread with such a variety of delicious food that it would have been impossible not to find something appealing to your taste. Both the Killians and Merchants go all out when it comes to food.

Though exhausting, spending Christmas this year in New York with the Killian family was a wonderful experience. They are an amazing family bonded tightly together with the fibers of love. They welcomed me with open arms and laughed with amusement every time I said, "hey y'all." They did a great job putting up with me, "that annoying person that every family has."

I look forward to our next trip to New York, but hope that we can plan it when the weather outside is a bit warmer.