a gettysburg christmas

Carter expressing sheer joy upon receiving a Pokemon book

Could this boy be any happier with a Thomas train in hand?

Sydney and her new Barbie laptop

We were able to travel to Gettysburg this year for Christmas. It's so nice that Mike gets the whole week after Christmas off so that we can have a few extra days of vacation. With 5 suitcases packed we left for the airport with a friend (side note: my van went crazy the day before--wouldn't start and then after a jump the gages were bouncing all over the place---luckily we have kind friends who offered to drive us). So our first flight was delayed almost 2 hours. We had an hour and a half layover, so you do the math... we were not going to make our 2nd flight. We found out that if we missed that flight the next available one would be the following evening at 7pm. yuck. Mike, Carter, and Syd had seats at the front of the plane and Dames and I were in the very back. The plan was for Mike and kids to run to our connection gate to try and hold it for Dames and me. So as soon as we get off the plane Dames and I start running to the next gate which is clear accross the St. Paul airport. So it's me, pulling a carryon, holding Dames on my hip (he can't run fast enough) and carrying a huge bag full of books, snacks, etc... So there we are running, nay, sprinting through the airport while the March of the Sugarplum Fairies is taunting me over the speakers. We finally get to the gate, out of breath and desperate only to find no one there. Luckily they were holding the plane just for us and we made it. We got on the plane where everyone was sitting, patiently waiting for Damian and me... and wouldn't you know our seats were again in the very last row of the plane so I got to walk past everyone sweaty, red faced, and totally out of breath. But alas! We had made it.

Most of the cousins: Matthew, Noah Elizabeth, Carter, Damian, Sydney, Haleigh, Kalli

Christmas at Lynda and Bill's was a lot of fun! Tim, Mike's brother was there who we rarely get to see and he was kind enough to entertain the kids and let them come in his room to play checkers with him. Michelle and Gavin and their children are living with Lynda so we got to hang out with them lots. Damian invaded Matthew's space and helped himself to all the Thomas Trains, and Sydney and I doted on little Elizabeth. She's such a doll! Matt and Melissa and family drove up for a few nights and then we went to their house for a night. Our kids get along so well with theirs and it's sad we don't get to see them more often. Amanda and kids flew out from Utah and it was fun to meet sweet little Bella!

Lynda and Bill of coursed spoiled us with fun gifts and delicious meals like they always do!!

Mike had gotten the wires from his mouth removed just days before we flew out east and he was ecstatic to be eating anything other then soup! Just in time for the delicious Christmas cookies and Lynda's home-cookin!

Christmas joy exuding from Mike

We packed one suitcase full of boots, snowsuits, gloves, hats, etc... and the kids played outside in the snow everyday! Carter and Sydney were so happy to get to play in the snow out there since we haven't had any here. One day while looking for her snowsuit, Sydney opened a suitcase that I'd put in a closet. Unfortunately it was the suitcase that had ALL the Christmas gifts in it. She came upstairs and said, mom, what's all that stuff in there? and what's that barbie computer for? I was so disappointed that she'd opened it and seen everything in there. And this was on the 23rd so I wasn't going to go and exchange everything. We made up a story that Lynda had bought some gifts for kids who didn't have any and we were going to take them somewhere. Luckily even after Christmas day, no more questions were asked and hopefully she wasn't suspicious... :) I'll have to be even more careful next year!!

Happy New Year!!!