Christmas

So, Christmas for us was memorable this year...to say the least.

We had planned to head back Thursday night after Matt got off work, December 18, because Matt's sister, Mollie, graduated for UNK this year at 10AM Friday morning. Well...Mother Nature had other plans when she blew in freezing rain and even claps of thunder (the weirdest thing in December). So, we missed our Thursday night departure but had the car loaded and made it (on safe roads) in time to celebrate with Mollie for lunch on Friday in Kearney.

From there we headed to Wallace to celebrate Christmas with Matt's family until Monday. We had a great time. We did get a family picture but with 4 little ones under the age of 5 only Grammy's camera captured that picture, so I don't have it to post here. Here is Grammy Ruth and Grandpa Monte with the 4 grandkids: Lainey (4 1/2), Sophie (3) , Sawyer (1), and Aldyn (9 months).



Santa also came to visit. I was surprised when even Sawyer ran right up to him. I think he was getting used to the jolly old fellow! (Either that or my little guy has figured out that Santa comes with a reward system.) :-)



Monday brought our trip to Kearney and minutes after walking in the door to my parents' house, it also brought chills, fever and horrible stomach flu for Matt. That night Sophie and Sawyer came down with the stomach flu as well. Merry Christmas from Matt, Wendy and the kids to my parents! :-)

Thus...our Christmas. The stomach flu ran rampant through the house. Sophie had a trip the the ER for fluids finally on Thursday and turned the corner on Friday. Sawyer (I am THRILLED to report) is FINALLY healthy as of today (JANUARY 4th). (thus the delay on my blogging) Matt was sick for about 2 days, and I...thank heavens...had just a 24 hour touch of it. Lainey...somehow...escaped it all. My mom and dad both got it as well. My sister and her husband from Seattle camped out at my brother and sister-in-law's house to try and escape it...and finally came around on Friday (26th) (as we were leaving on Saturday) to celebrate Christmas. We Cloroxed and Lysoled everything we could see. :-)

So, my usual Christmas Eve picture in front of the nativity at church did not happen this year as I was home with a sick baby (and not feeling too well myself)...and Matt went with my parents to mass with the girls (we thought Sophie was over this at the time). I later went to midnight mass by myself. So, my effort...again, to match outfits for the kids, etc...was not all lost since I put the effort into the Christmas picture (because nobody saw them together at church)! :-)

Matt and the girls went to the Sheffield side Christmas in Wilcox without me and Sawyer on Christmas Eve. (I sent the camera, but it came back without pictures.) :-) Matt also went to the Turnquist Christmas solo this year due to Sophie and Sawyer still being sick. I really missed getting to see everyone and visit. Hopefully, next year we'll all be able to celebrate together!

Anyway..we're all healthy now...and thankful for that....and happy we can start out 2009 with the stomach flu behind us now. :-) We hope this is the last we see of it this year! So, Christmas 2008 was memorable...we'll leave it at that. :-)



Since I wasn't there, I'm not sure if Matt was trying to use the reverse psychology approach by telling the girls to close there eyes in hopes they would actually keep them open in the picture here. Who knows!?! :-)


The picture below was taken Sunday, December 28, in Humphrey, NE, at the Keller Family Christmas (my mom's side). It's my Grandma and 10 of her 11 kids (the 11th is in Texas and wasn't here for Christmas). My family on that side is so big that we have to rent a hall or the school cafeteria/gym each year to hold us all. Rather than telling you how many 1st cousins I have, etc...(because I get confused as to what to call everybody once I start talking kids' kids, etc...I'll tell you how many grandkids my grandma has.) I really should call my Grandma and get the correct numbers, but if my counting is correct,

My Grandma has:
11 children
49 grandchildren living (66 including spouses)
31 great-grandchildren living (and 3 on the way!)

It is SO much fun when we get together! We love it!




This is my family...I'm the oldest. My brother, Russ and his wife, Mandy, have Keaton. My sister, Kim and her husband, Brian, got married in May of this year. Scott and his girlfriend, Maggie, somehow didn't get to sit by each other...we were just trying to get the picture taken. :-)


This was the best shot I could get of Grandpa Marv and Grandma Ellen and the 4 grandkids, Lainey, Sophie, Sawyer and Keaton (18 months). There are kids running everywhere to play with and trying to get any of them to sit still for any of the pictures (and this was the last) was a challenge!



I guess this will have to do for our family picture this year since we didn't get one Christmas Eve. Oh well. Next year has to be better, right?!? :-)




Happy New Year to all! Many, Many blessings in 2009!