After Christmas Roadtrip

The road trip post is live, (again) and this time it is complete.  Getting all the photos in order and trying to remember what happened when is quite an undertaking.  It was fun to look back on the special memories. 

Wednesday, December 26th:

After a full Christmas Day and a short night of sleep, December 26th arrived.  We got up early and Brandon biked and I showered and walked and we worked hard to get on the road as quickly as possible.  I was hoping for 9:00.  I am not sure what time we left the house, but I am quite sure it was more like 9:30.  

We were originally planning to take the cats with us to MO, but when some wonderful friends offered to care for them we decided to keep the cats home.  I am so glad we made this decision.  It did mean moving the Christmas trees to the garage so that we could enjoy them again after we got home.  Moving the trees was hard on them so we might have to rethink that for next year.  

We arrived in MO around 3:30 (I think).  When Brandon's sister's home came into view we noticed that much of the family was there.  The kids begged to be dropped off, and we said yes.  They hopped out of the van and we drove on to Tom and Judy's to unload the van, get the food in the fridge, and prep food for M and I for dinner. 

While we were unpacking, the kids were having a blast with A and A!

M and T:  It is so good to see A and A again!

T: I wish A and I could see each other every day! 

T: We decided to put on princess dresses right away! 

M: I got to help A with a huge LEGO project. 

M: I sure love my family.

T: I decided that I wanted to be JoJo Siwa instead. 

When we arrived food prep was still happening.  Each year they made a brunch buffet that ends up getting eaten at dinnertime.  This is one of Brandon's favorite meals of the year.  He loves the biscuits and gravy.  They do look good! 

It is fun for Brandon to catch up with his cousin Ben. 

After the big meal the kids got to open presents from Brandon's aunts, uncles and even a cousin.  They are very blessed with very generous gifts.

T: I have a street sign!!

T: Thanks Aunt Jeanette!

M: My street is on a mountain, cool!

The kids were excited to get their gifts from Judy's brother Curt because they helped pick them out in the summer and had been waiting for them.

M: I love my LEGO set.

T: Unicorn slippers and a stuffed poodle!  Yes!!!

M: Thanks for the new hat!

Brandon's cousin T is a college student who happens to love Bass Pro Shop.  He decided to get the kids all Bass Pro gear.  T LOVES her shirt and wears it often.  It is almost a dress on her.  It was funny see how shocked T was by how big it was on her because he thought it looked tiny in the store.  T is so great with the kids and has such a generous heart to give them each gifts!

M and T: We love T!!!

M: Aunt Bonnie gave me $5.  A good gift!

After the gifts we all just hung out and chatted and snacked and laughed.

So thankful for Tom!

We had plenty of room on our couch...

The other couch was a little bit of a tighter fit. 

Each time we all gather together we try to get a family photo.  I think this one turned out quite well. 

A great looking family!

Necessary silly pose.  

We stayed so much longer than we planned which meant it was a late night for the kids.  Every night is a slumber party and the location just rotates.  I think the boys slept at Tom and Judy's and the girls at A and A's house the first night.

Thursday, December 27th: 

The kids slept in a bit, but were ready to play and to eat pancakes pretty early.  Brandon's other cousin T came up early because he and his dad headed home.  The kids love T and were thankful to spend a bit of time with him. 

M and T:  He can lift us both!

M: He could even lift three of us!

He is almost as tall as Brandon and still growing. 

Quite early in the day the girls decided to put on some make-up.  T is wearing a brand new outfit she opened the night before.

T: We are looking so grown up! 

Much of the rest of the day was spent playing and talking with family.  Brandon played lots of ping pong with T.  Every shot is an action shot and so a crisp picture is too tricky for a gal like me!

The both enjoyed playing together. 

M often comes to check in and get cuddles!

Each year the children get matching PJ's to wear while we open presents.  They all convinced Judy that they should get them early that day so they could wear them all day.  They wore them a lot of our time in MO which makes the timeline of events more tricky.  

M: We took turns being on the bottom of the pile. 

T: They all weigh a lot.

On Thursday afternoon the kids all played at A and A's house with Brandon and Adrienne while I walked.  They did a fun LEGO contest and a ninja course.  M had a mishap in the ninja course and wound up with a bump on his head.  He handled it quite well. 

M: The bump was HUGE.. and there was a scrape too. 

T: Ginger reminds me of Sunshine!

Brandon and A are so much alike!

How many coins can it handle? 

Brandon's turn. 

He built it well!

On Thursday evening we celebrated family Christmas, just the ten of us.  We had an annual dance party, tasty food, and presents.  It was a special night for our family.  It is sweet that even though the kids are getting older they still love the dance party tradition.

Everyone is moving...

and they just can't stop...

and sometimes they dive behind the couch...

and do cartwheels!

T brought her disco ball to add to the party feel.  Grandpa Tom decided to give the kids rides in a laundry basket.  It looked like quite a workout for Grandpa!

M: This is fun!

T: Wahoo!  Could you lift me in the air? 

T: This is great!  M: Will you lift me too?

M: My very own roller coaster!

Finally it was time for presents.  M was especially excited because he had been waiting for so long for his BIG LEGO set.  He chose it in August and had been anticipating it for months.

M: It is finally MINE!!!!

M: Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

This year the kids got to look through the World Vision catalog and decide how they were going to spend their money.  They all really thought about it and came up with a great plan for how to spend it.  They also received a surprise when Judy called in the order.  Apparently someone was doing a matching gift promotion so everything they chose to give was doubled!

M: I really think we should get them some animals. 

This was Brandon's favorite gift of the night!  He loves the musical and the book caused him to love it even more.

I remember those years  not so long ago when it was impossible to get the four kiddos together for a picture.  This year it seemed quite effortless. 

The cousins!!!

The boys!

The girls!

Every year we get Grandpa Tom some kettle corn and he winds up sharing it with the grandkids.  This year we bought him a bag just for him and a bag for the grandkids so that they wouldn't eat his bag.  It mostly worked out OK though I think they might have charmed their hands into his bag too.

M and T: We love Kettle Corn!!

Brandon's parents love to dance.  They have gotten to know a couple from their church who used to dance and the couple invited them to their home for dinner.  The woman wanted to give Judy one of her dancing dresses so Judy took it home even though it wasn't the best fit for her.  As they were describing the dress I told them I wanted to try it on.  I tried it on and it fit like a glove.  While yellow is my favorite color, I don't wear it much... but Belle is my favorite Disney female star and I figure this is pretty close to a Belle dress if I am ever in need of one. It was fun to feel fancy and pose with Brandon.

I guess we need to look into an adult prom or something!  

The boys each received a couple of puzzles and did them right away.

M: I am just happy to be with A. 

Friday, December 28th:

The morning started with a coloring contest.  

Hard at work!

Tom is the "best pancake maker" according to our children.  

M and T:  Every day we just love pancakes. 

Both boys love the "I Survived" books and they were given the same one from Tom and Judy.  It was fun to see them sitting together reading the same book!

M: I am glad we like the same books. 

The girls (and the boys for a bit) spent a long time playing with some fancy nail painting thing each of the girls got for Christmas.  I think the best part of the gift was the fun they had getting the paint onto the nails.

T:  You pushed a button and it spun the nails around.  Then you squirted color on them and it spread. 

We had our dentist appointments on Friday.  No one had cavities this time!  I was able to walk in town during the appointments.  It was a very relaxing day.  

That evening we had Brandon's uncle over for dinner.  We played Bingo after dinner.

M:  I am not winning!

T: I wanted to do two cards. 

That night was quite interesting as all four kids slept at A and A's house!  They all get along so well together that it really wasn't a problem at all.

Saturday, December 29th 

The morning started with pancakes of course!

T: We love our pancake shapes!!!

After breakfast and some time of relaxation, Tom and Judy took all four kids to the Y to play and exercise and swim and shower!  It was a big undertaking. It was extended time of relaxation for Brandon and I.  Our time there truly felt like a vacation.  Brandon was reading and I was watching the Fixer Upper marathon.

M: First we played some basketball. 

T: We played air hockey. 

T: We love swimming together. 

T: I really love the hot tub. 

M and T: We are glad Grandpa Tom likes the water too. 

M: It was really hot in there.  We only stayed for a minute.  

The kids were very hungry when they returned home.  We had a pretty relaxing rest of the day.  A and A's parents left for a long weekend so A and A stayed at Tom and Judy's.  The kids continued to do well together, but the many late nights were really starting to catch up with them each evening.

M: A is super strong!  

Sunday, December 30th 

Sunday came quickly and it was time to pack up for home.  Packing up usually goes pretty smoothly because everything just needs to get home.  It was nice to have A and A there to play with the kids while we packed.  There was a lot of stuff everywhere because A and A had clothes and things to take to their other grandparents, their gifts, all of our stuff etc.  It was hard figuring out what belonged to which kid.  We had to take multiple trips down to A and A's house to hunt for missing things.  In the end we left a bit later than expected, but in good spirits. 

T: I got in one last morning cuddle with A and A. 

Our ride home was a bit unique.  The Kansas City Chiefs game started when we were over an hour from home.  When we couldn't find it on the radio so Brandon turned his phone into a router and listened to it on his computer.  We have never done that in the car before.  It was honestly a bit hard for me to drive as it was a bit distracting, but it was a good game and fun to listen to.  

Once we got home we unpacked and ate and listened to more of the game.  We were all quite weary.  We had a wonderful time in MO and we were thankful to be home safe cuddling with our sweet kittens.