This year our Christmas break is an extended visit....1 week at the Goodman's and 1 week at the Spader's. Christmas started at our house in Wichita which we haven't gotten to experience yet since usually we're home already by then. My parents got to travel to Israel over Christmas this year though so that's why we did it all after the actual holiday. Christmas Eve was a good family day. We were excited to have Keira's first Christmas at our house and watch her "open" (or just chew on the bows and the wrapping paper) her presents. Pete did AWESOME this year and totally surprised me when he brings 5 wrapped presents home from the office (1 being HUGE mind you!!). I was so surprised and excited to see what he had gotten me!! :) He told me he had been "stealing" money from his painting money all year and had gone on quite the shopping spree for me and Keira. That meant so much to me that he had been thinking so far in advance about the presents he was going to get me. It was so thoughtful!! Anyways, Christmas Eve we opened our presents after Keira's morning nap and then went to our favorite restaurant for lunch. Here are a couple highlights...
Pete got me a Michael Buble CD, a fleece electric blanket (which I LOVVVVEEE!), a Famous Footwear giftcard (because I had been recently commenting on how I was in dire need of new black shoes), a pandora charm for my bracelet (a heart with Keira's birthstone in it) and then the big one....three really big framed pictures of Keira for our house. He seriously did AWESOME!!!!!!! It was so fun opening presents together and watching Keira look at her new toys. :) Pete was playing in the Christmas Eve service so I went by myself and got Keira all dressed up cute in her Christmas dress that I had been waiting to put her in! :) We got some cute family pictures.
Our trek home started after the Christmas Eve service and we drove through the night. We were stuffed solid into our little CRV!! haha. Literally there was no more room!! It worked well to drive through the night so Keira and Wrigley could sleep. We made it in 10 hours and 25 minutes. Christmas day we just rested and hung out at the house and the whole family came over the day after Christmas. It was so great to see everyone...I am so blessed with my in laws and 2nd family! We had a lot of fun opening presents together and just spending good time together. Keira enjoyed her new toys and her fisher price stand up toy was the highlight present of the year. She just LOVES it!! :)
Cyndi of course made QUITE the spread of food and it was so, so good...however, I caught the flu bug Sunday night and it stuck the whole week which made things not so good. :( I couldn't keep anything down and was pretty much miserable. We all went to Wisconsin Dells Monday-Wednesday and while it was a ton of fun and I loved being there, being sick while I was there was no good. I did manage to get to the pools a couple times though and get some pictures of Keira swimming for the first time. She wasn't a big fan...all the pictures I got she has a worried/concerned look on her face. Here is what the most of the pictures look like...
New Years Eve we drove to my parents house and met up with Jamie & Brandon and Matt & Anne McClane. We left the sleeping babies with Grandma and Grandpa and went to Houlihans for dinner. It was great and us three girls talked babies the whole time! Matt & Anne have a little girl Rilyn who is only 10 days younger than Keira. It was so fun to see all the girls together!
The rest of the week was filled with more present opening, good family time, lots of good food and much relaxing. I got to go up to Indiana and meet up with my Bethel girls. We brought all the babies and it's so fun watching them interact with each other. They are such great friends!!
On Thursday I met up with Jerusalem and her little sweet boy Eli. Again, so fun comparing babies and talking baby things. :)
By the end of the week we were definitely ready to get back to our own house. It's tough living out of a suitcase for 2 full weeks. I couldn't wait to get Keira back in her own crib and have everything back in it's place. It's very stressful for me to be out of a routine so once we got back it has been nice to adjust back to the norm.
Overall, this years Christmas was great. What a blessing to have 2 families that we just love being around and great friends to see and spend time with. Here are just a couple more pictures that I enjoyed. :)
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