We spent last week in Indiana visiting James’ family, before returning to Kentucky for our last wedding of 2013. This was my first Christmas with that side of the family, and along with upholding all of their traditions (fresh baked cookies by my stocking in the morning? Yes please!), we added a new one: a day of pre-Christmas tobogganing at Pokagon State Park. We spent the whole afternoon racing down the track, trying to beat our former speeds and experimenting with every possible way of going faster. We paused for cider and s’mores, warming our hands over the outdoor fire-pit before racing down in the dark, snow falling around us. It was an absolutely perfect Christmas sort of day, and a reminder that I have pretty amazing in-laws.

The very first picture that James and I were ever in together was taken at Pokagon over six years ago, when our group of friends drove down from Michigan to toboggan one weekend. I’m actually posing with someone else in the foreground, but he is there smiling in the background. Sometimes you revisit a place where you never expected to find yourself again. I couldn’t help but think of all that had changed since that first trip. Then, he was just some guy on a weekend adventure. Now, we were there as family, surrounded by more family. Sometimes life is funny that way, and you find yourself back somewhere the same, even though everything else is different.

Oh, and obviously I spent all day also thinking about this movie.