From interviews to covering accidents in the cold temperatures, I have been kept busy this week. With the icy roads and sidewalks, I’ve been attempting to walk as many places this week as possible. Aside from one minor fall on Wednesday afternoon I made it through the week upright.

After hectic days and chilly nights, I am looking forward to a few days of respite with the family. This weekend I will finally be celebrating Christmas with my mom’s side of the family, some relatives of which I haven’t seen in almost a year.

The original plan was to head to the cities in Minnesota for food, games, and shopping at the Mall of America. But after a recent trip to the hospital for my mom, my extended family chose to come to Iowa for the festivities.

I love getting together with the De Kruif side. Each get together is fun, loud, and rambunctious. At each “reunion” I am reminded of the genetic similarities I share with my mom’s side of the family.

I am an outspoken person, like many of the De Kruifs. I also share a darker complexion and brown eyes that have the potential to “sear through a soul”. This look has been passed down through four generations of De Kruifs, starting with my great-grandma. Between inheriting that look and my inability to disguise my emotions, I’ve learned to stay away from poker.

I also see instances in which I can see my mom in my grandma, or myself in my aunts.

My favorite part of these gatherings is watching my mom and her five siblings interact. I like to think of it as the Minnesota version of The Brady Bunch. It’s always a mixture of good-natured joking and reminiscing of times gone by.

I wouldn’t trade the boisterous, wonderful people I get to call family for anything. They may be crazy sometimes, but they’re my kind of crazy.

Who knows what will happen when all 20-some of us join forces tomorrow? All I know, is that is it sure to be an adventure.