Happy 2009!

• Okay - I realize it has been a while, but now I'm back to it. After a fantastic Christmas with my brother and his family and then Todd's family, we've had a rough start to the new year. But let me start with Christmas. My brother and family arrived on Christmas Eve. We took the kids to the 3:15 children's mass at church and Santa came while there. When we got home we celebrated Christmas and opened presents. The best was Val actually hugging the box that Santa brought with the Ponyville Amusement Park in it. She got so excited about gifts she was shaking. After presents we had fondue dinner. Santa on Christmas Eve is Todd's tradition, fondue is mine. After the kids were in bed the adults and older kids went to the basement for some Rockband and pool.
• Christmas day was a slow morning of breakfast, pictures and packing up the car for heading out of town. My brother went back to celebrate with my parents and we were heading north to celebrate with Todd's family. His parents rented a house on Crooked Lake in Northern Indiana that was big enough for all 25 of us to sleep relatively comfortably. 7 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 2 fridges, 2 ovens, 2 dishwashers, and 2 microwaves. One of the bedrooms had 5 bunkbeds in it so 10 could sleep there. It was perfect! It was also close enough that a group of us went to Pokehagen State Park and went on the tobaggon run. 2000 ft long. Nothing like reaching a speed of 37 mph on a tobaggon! I'll try to post pictures soon. I'm way behind on the photos, I know.
• Now on to New Years! We had friends over for a kid friendly early celebration on New Year's Eve. We rang it in at around 8:30pm. Kids were in bed by 10pm. Then New Year's Day was time for Football! More friends came over to watch the bowl games. Kids got to bed late again. We were awakened around 6am by Val when she said she got sick in her bed. Went and checked and found a little, thought perhaps she had just gagged on some drainage from her nose. Changed the pillowcase and put her back to bed. She came in about 30 min later saying she was cold. I let her climb into bed with me and all I can say is I'm glad she wasn't facing me. In about 5 min she had coughed which then led to her throwing up all over my pillow. Got the trash can, changed her pjs and went to sit up in the family room with her. She kept going about every 45 min until around 2pm. Meanwhile, Sam and Ron got up and seemed fine. They had breakfast without incident. Sam and Todd went out to sell GS cookies around 9am. 9:45 they were back, she had gotten sick. Now started her rotation of throwing up. Todd and I managed to get showered and are rotating through the other two. I ran to the grocery store first thing to get a few supplies. Around 1pm we decide to give Ron some crackers and get her down for a nap. Now it is her turn to start! That is how we spent Jan 2nd...caring for 3 sick kids. Everyone napped on and off and were finished getting sick around 7:30pm. Everyone went to bed at 8:30, we lined the hallway with towels and made sure the older two had buckets.
• We survived Jan 3 without a problem. Lots of plain, bland food when asked for. All seem to certainly be on the mend. The good news...it wasn't Christmas or Sam's birthday.
• Quick update on my friend with the Trisomy 13 baby...she is currently in the hospital and will deliver tonight or tomorrow. She is the full 40 weeks, which is a great thing. Say some prayers that all goes well and they get to meet little Jeremy. Many blessings to all of you and Happy New Year!