Handi-Kappy Family

Favorite Quote

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.

I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.

I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

-Marjorie Pay Hinkley

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Christmas

We had a wonderful holiday, aside from all of us being sick and the 10 hour drive to Idaho. We were planning on staying home and having Christmas alone because Steve was supposed to work, but last minute plans changed when he got 5 days off. We wanted to be with my family in Idaho because my little brother had his first baby and my sister had back surgery, but even more, we love spending time with my family and haven't seen them in months!

Tacie, my new niece!

Our plan was to leave Wednesday before Christmas, but Steve ended up having half a day off on Tuesday so we rushed to pack up and head out. We had a few things to do before we could leave and didn't end up leaving until 6 pm. We chose to make the all night drive so we could spend more time with everyone. Thankfully my parents had a sweet hotel room at the Hilton Gardens booked that they didn't end up staying at, so when we rolled into town at 6 in the morning, we got to crash there for a few hours.

We had a great time shopping, eating and visiting. Christmas Eve we had a dinner, the kids had a marshmallow gun war, we watched a slide show of pictures from our childhood, dad surprised us all and dressed in the pink bunny suit from the Christmas Story movie and we decorated cupcakes for Santa.

Maddie had been stoked about Santa for the last month because I had sent her one of those emails from the PNP (portable North Pole) where Santa talks to your child, so she felt pretty special. Christmas morning was another story, she was her shy self and didn't show much emotion. She hates to have people watch her do anything, especially when she is tired. Santa brought her a Thomas the train set, Video Reader, play store, vanity and my parents gave her a kiddie camera, dishes, game of Zingo, legos and some hair bows. She was totally spoiled, but now we can clean the toy room out and trash some of her lamer toys!

We had to head home Sunday morning so Steve could be back to work on Monday. It was a short, but very enjoyable trip. I never did take pictures of Christmas, that was left to my dad, so when I get around to asking for the pictures, I will post them. Here are a few the day we got home.