Christmas, Part 1...

We spent Christmas with my family in Wisconsin this year...well kind of. There were some unexpected changes in plans this year, but we'll get to those in the minute. First we'll focus on the fun stuff! Here come LOTS of pictures!!!

Christmas started the morning of the 20th. Santa had to bring Noah's present before we left because it was too big to bring home on the plane.

Drew reading Santa's letter of explanation...Noah checking things out...Then off we went to Wisconsin! After 10 horrible hours on a plane (Noah started running a 103 fever on the plane and threw up all over me - turns out he had double ear infections too) 2+ hours in the airport going through customs and waiting for luggage and a 2 1/2 hour drive (which took more like 3 1/2 because we were driving through a blizzard) we finally made it to Sheboygan...

We'd hoped for a white Christmas, but this was ridiculous!! There was SO MUCH snow and it was COLD! The first couple of days we were there, it was -30F with the windchill...thus the snow blowing gear below. I'm not even sure who that is! Hard to tell when you can't see a face!

Anyone want to join me for dinner out on the patio???After a couple of days it warmed up a bit (relatively speaking) and Addie decided to brave the elements...My brothers built this toboggan run in the yard. They spent HOURS on it (I think they needed a project - not much happening in Sheboygan). Unfortunately, it was so cold, it didn't get much use.Addison gave it a go... So did Rocky!The dogs didn't mind the cold. In fact, they love the snow! Here they are with my sister, Tessa...
Christmas Eve! We had big plans for Christmas Eve...the whole nativity and program type thing, but my kids fell asleep at about 6:30, Wade had picked up some kind of stomach virus, and I was sick and throwing up too (for other reasons, of course), so we kept it pretty short simple this year.

Here's Noah "admiring" the tree (again) in his Christmas PJs...
Christmas morning - before the wild animals were let into the room...Here come the animals...
Don't I look enthused?
Drew and Dad...
Noah with his favorite gift of this year...it has wheels...what more can you ask for? Grandpa Scott with the kiddos...Grandma and Grandpa bought themselves a Wii for Christmas for everyone to play while they were home. Drew spent pretty much every possible minute like this...What is it about little kids by the Christmas tree?
Noah sharing his lunch with Rocky
Grandpa Scott always builds rockets with Drew when we visit. I love this picture of these two boys with their toys!Ready to launch! Oh, almost forgot...Drew got glasses over the break!Perfect weather for launching rockets!!Blast off!!The whole clan. Not a great picture as Ryan drug himself off of his sick bed for the picture and Wade ran to the bathroom the moment the camera clicked to throw up again, but we got one!

So...despite the fact that we were plagued with illness (by the time everyone left - Ryan, Tessa, Matt, Amanda and my mom and dad all had hard core cold/flu kind of stuff, Wade had a stomach virus, and Noah was on his second round of antibiotics and had a stomach bug on top of it), were snowed in much of the time, and had other issues (I'll get to those) putting a damper on our holiday spirits...Wisconsin was good. The kids had a great time playing with Grandma and Grandpa, the dogs, and the rest of the crew (Addison adores Tessa even more now) and it was really good to actually get the whole family together.

That's my Noah!

It's all about the cars with this kid!

HOLY CRAP!!!!

OK - so I said we've had a lot going on these last couple of months and the thing that kind of seemed to kick things off was the very much surprise discovery that we are expecting baby #4 sometime in early August. Yeah, yeah...I've been reminded repeatedly that I said I was done and that the only way I was going to have another was if there was some sort of holy manifestation telling me to do so. Well, I guess the big man upstairs wasn't in the mood for all of that and decided just making happen was easier! Don't worry, although in complete shock and not excited about the fact that my toilet and I are intimate friends again, we're excited about our little birth control malfunction! The kid's obviously meant to be! Now we just have to figure out where to put the kid! A tent in the backyard perhaps?

Time to play catch-up...

OK!!! So since I haven't blogged in about 2 months and more has happened in those two months than has happened all year (the reason for my lack of blogging) - I've got work to do! So here's a few posts...and a promise for more in the next couple of days! So check back often!

The School Nativity...

One thing I really like about British school is that they're not afraid to celebrate their diversity. They celebrate things from all different cultures and religions - including Christmas. They put on a very impressive full scale nativity play complete with Mary, Joseph and even Baby Jesus! They even had an opening and closing prayer!!!! I was amazed! That would NEVER happen in the states! Here's Drew being the narrator (pronounced narr-A-tor here...he was very adamant about that). Drew did awesome! He had all of his parts memorized and said them loud and clear...Addison's class was the angels...
Addie with her friend Alice...
Headmaster Morris closing things up...

Gobble, Gobble!

So the pics are lame for this, but I wanted to make sure I at least mentioned our first British Thanksgiving...even though there's no such thing! Our friends, the Ashton's, invited us over (on Saturday of course as Wade and the kids didn't have Thursday off) for a full blown American style meal. Shannon even sprung the 90 pounds for a turkey (is that insane or what?!)! For just those few minutes while we ate sitting around the table all decorated for Thanksgiving, we almost forgot we were in London...almost. So thanks to the Ashton's for a great time and a little reminder of home!

Wrestle-mania!

One of the kids favorite things to do with Wade is "wrestle fight". Here they are in action...