Initiation

You won't be granted a driver's license without proving that you can actually drive. It's not enough to just fill out the forms with your name, birthdate, and social security number. You have to get in a car, and with an instructor watching you like a hawk for any mistakes you might make or even think of making, attempt to navigate the roads. And you must pass. Marrying into the Albrecht family is similar to applying for a license. My wedding ceremony was like doing the paperwork - it was necessary, but not the most important part. After the wedding was over and the honeymoon behind me, I had to actually be a part of the family. Prove that I had what it took to not just survive but thrive as a member; get along with individuals and fit into the family as a whole. I needed to step up to my role as the wife of the second-to-youngest, newest daughter in-law, and aunt to five adorable children. Talk about pressure.

There are two requirements for being accepted into the Albrecht family. One, you must own and be willing to wear Texas A&M paraphernalia. Speaking harsh words against the Aggies is equatable to committing high treason - you just don't do it. Two, you must have been on a family trip. The Albrechts are big into family activities - not like going to the park or playing a friendly game of Scrabble, but like going to Italy or Spain or New York and playing tourist.

I have now completed both requirements. Carol (Scott's mother) gave me a white and maroon A&M t-shirt Thursday morning, which I loyally wore to watch the A&M vs. UT game the following day. On Saturday morning the family - all 14 of us - piled into 3 vehicles and headed for Boston. We spent the day walking the Freedom Trail, which took us to some of the most historic spots in the city. We found parking for 3 vehicles, piled out of the cars and bundled up the kids, saw two ships (the USS Constitution and a WWII destroyer), lost a child's hat, found a child's hat, carried the strollers up some stairs to a bridge which we ventured across (the metal under our feet rattling every time a car drove past us, which of course was often), walked past the town cemetery, saw the Old North Church, laughed when Porter and Taylor roared at each other (either like dinosaurs or like tigers - I'm not sure which they were being at that moment), walked through Paul Revere's house, fielded the kids' complaints about being bored and hungry while waiting for the rest of the group, found a place for lunch that was able to seat all 14 of us, continued on toward the Old State House - passing the Holocaust Memorial and stopping so that the kids could watch some street jugglers on the way - helped the children complete their scavenger hunt inside the State House museum, found the restaurant Leslie had picked out beforehand for dinner, waited while Leslie argued with the manager about being allowed to bring one of the strollers (which Sarah Ann was sound asleep in) to the table, ate, walked back to the car, and drove home. With 9 adults and 5 children, Albrecht family trips are never simple.

I have now completed my initiation into the Albrecht family, and it was nice to get it all over with in one weekend. I passed. With flying colours.