Noise level. Nothing louder than normal conversation. My family was much louder. Although our girls are true to their mixed heritage and in social settings, their loud Italian genes dominate.
Conversation. Mostly consisted of small talk and no hands. My family loved discussing polarizing topics, thus elevating the noise level as passions mounted and conversation escalated to shouting matches with lots of hand involvement.
Food. Nice, simple comfort food and just the right quantity. Had I cooked for my family, I would have had to cook 5 courses for 24 adults to feed 6 adults and 2 children, and everyone would have been stuffed and immobile by the end of the meal. Not to mention the leftovers! I would have had to pack away leftovers that would have fed my family until Wednesday.
Either way, getting together with family is nice.
