Christmas Break

Well...it was a break from the routine, that's for sure!  We sure didn't take the 'break' part to heart!  We were on the go...

Christmas night we were lucky enough to have John's brother, Mark and his family come and stay at our home.  They moved to Wisconsin earlier this year and we have missed them!  The next morning several members of the family came up and went shooting at 'our spot'.  Kristina stayed home with me and the girls but when the boys called because they 'accidentally' forgot something we joined in the fun.  I headed home early to get some lunch and be there when the rest of the fam started showing up.

 When the shooters came home they gobbled up some lunch then most of the adults and older kids were off to the church for a little basketball and killeachotherball dodgeball.  Those of us who didn't put our lives at risk watched the kiddies play, pulled out some crafties, and got dinner (breakfast!) ready.  The waffles, bacon, eggs, and hot chocolate makers were a hit! 

Later we whipped out my new popcorn popper (thanks Dawn!) and the games.  Settlers for the brave, and Break the Ice for the rest (thanks Nate!).

 The next day happened to be John's twenty-nineteenth birthday.  He already bought his present a while ago (see shooting pics) so he had to settle for a poorly sung song and a shrimp tray.  He did enjoy a nicely sung song at the Hicken party that night.  We are real partiers...we whipped out the bells and had a grand old time!  It's actually pretty fun :).  You can see Katie Anne bepoppin' around there.

Later we were spoiled by the Jardines (I'll have to do a post on the stretchy bands which have been very fun) and the grandparents (I have enjoyed the tea set almost as much as Jane!)  Justin Beiber made an appearance (ha ha) and there was some kind of fighting over some candy boxes.

I should have another set of pictures here of John and the kids sledding at the Sinks the next day but I stayed home with Katie Anne.  On the way home from the Hicken party she said her tummy hurt, which not too much later gave us the evidence to support her claim.  We thought she had just been jiggled around too much but when the next bout came and the next clear on through the night, we knew she'd been hit by the bug.  We enjoyed a quiet day at home instead, and forgot to send the camera with John.  It's a bummer too because he could have taken pictures of the culinary delight when they ate at Golden Corral on their way home.  Jeffrey had three cotton candy's for dinner.  Oh my.

Other pics I can't put in because I don't have any include:
John and the boys surfing the waves at Flowrider with some of the fam.  Sounded and looked like so much fun!