Over the River and Through the Woods

.....to Grandma's cabin we go...

We headed to MN late morning on December 27th.  We stopped enroute at Mall of America to do some returns.  Had lunch at our favorite Johnny Rockets and kept on chugging along.  We got to the cabin around 8:30 that night.  Can I just say how VERY much I love electronics for road trips and how much easier it is now that Max likes to watch shows and knows how to find them on the iPad.  Oh my....makes 7 hours go much faster.  I may have napped on the way as well which helps.

Other than spending 2 entire mornings in the Brainerd Urgent Care Center with Jack....we had a wonderful time.  And actually his diagnosis of a swollen and infected gland was a big relief as it was not contagious and he was going to heal.  Poor guy gave us a BIG scare on Friday morning when he woke up looking like he had swallowed a baseball.  He was up in the night telling me he had a bump on his neck...ummm this GOOD Mama told him he would be fine to go back to sleep.  More than once I told him that.  Then in the morning, I put my glasses on and WOW....it wasn't a bump it looked like he had the mumps.   4 injections, 1 blood draw and 1 Ultrasound later....Diagnosis: Infected gland

WE had a blessed time with family...naps, warm fires, snuggles...yummy food.  So grateful

 Max talked Papa into bedtime snacks of Oreo's while we were there.  Papa couldn't be MORE proud of his dunking grandson

 Sledding action with Daddy

 Alice is an amazing skater...she has NO FEAR

 Think we have determined Max LOVES "hock-ski" or hockey.  He plays in our garage a lot and man he LOVED running on the ice and playing.  He shoots lefty which makes me laugh...

 Opening gifts...Captain America sweatshirt

 glove 

 Loving on Papa

 See what I mean about swallowing a baseball?  And this is after 2 days of injected Rx

 Loves her Rubbermaid

 glove

 Mike, Cara, Charlie and Alice gave Max ALL of their old Geo Trax...what a HIT!  

 Sweet grandkids...only missing Veda and Kale.  Ariana flew in on Saturday morning from Chicago

Christmas Day

Not sure where to begin....Christmas day is most definiely my favorite day of the year.  The boys were up EARLY....but were told we were NOT going downstairs until 7 and after we read the Christmas Story.  Santa filled their stockings by their bedroom doors, yes they have 2 sets...so they had some stuff to look through and keep themselves BUSY.  But nonetheless they were in and out 4,999 times between 5:30 and 7 am.

I think I will let the rest of our day be in photos...Max was not feeling great...second Christmas in a row he has had a fever on Christmas Day.  SO he napped a couple of times and opened a few presents but not all.  The rest of the boys had a BALL....Santa stuff filled our morning and after our Christmas Ham dinner the boys opened gifts from us and each other.

Warning...a LOT OF PHOTOS AHEAD....

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...wait a minute....if we each got a kinect game....for our Xbox then....

...Santa must have brought a KINECT!

The celebration of figuring that all out.

 Max had asked for a Bologna sandwich...Santa made a pretend one

 The RV we asked Santa for...

 Every girl needs some sparkle huh?  Thanks Santa

the costco Mickey...my favorite....

FINALLY a little Luther College represented in this house

 

 sick boy was so excited for this pillow pet from Drew.  He laid on him and fell right asleep for 2 hours...in the middle of the room

 Yep it's an Itty Bitty Baby for our baby boy...#boymama

 Jack gave Max a toy Captain America and Spider-Man

 because in this house...there never is enough Buckeye clothing