Sunday, January 4, 2009

Busy Busy

What a busy two weeks. What started out as a week back in Missouri, became two weeks and part of which was in Iowa. So here is how it all went down. We drove home to Moberly on December 19th. I graduated in Columbia on Saturday! WOO HOO!! The pictures I have from that are too far away and hard to see. Then we had fun at Sky Hi with drinks and a meal.

Later we headed back to Moberly for Christmas festivities to begin. Janie and Alex got us started with some Karaoke. Of course they did Rocky Top, but there were some Christmas Carols in there as well.



Then we exchanged gifts with the Gary & Joy Steffes Crew. The kids had so much fun. Alex and Adam wrestled. Adam won as you can see, but I think his mom (AKA Aunt Karen) also helped him out.



But later they hugged and made up!



From there we did Joy's side (the Harman) Christmas. Santa came to visit and we had fun visiting and eating as usual.




On Sunday, we headed to Wien, for the Grandma and Grandpa Steffes Christmas. Wien was very icy, but it was also very pretty.



We also exchanged gifts with the extended Steffes crew. Each year we choose a theme to buy and then choose numbers and steal gifts from one other. This year our theme was $25 of Dollar General. Can you guess who influenced that idea? It was lots of fun and there were lots of variety. There was some toilet paper giving, but we did have some fun gifts to share.






On Monday we headed to Jefferson City to have Christmas with the Meldrem crew. On Monday evening we went to Jude and Emily's to see there Christmas tree and have cookies and a drink, then we headed to Jeff and Cindy's to do the same. At Jeff and Cindy's Kristen started playing Christmas carols on the piano and we all started singing. We then got the bright idea to go Christmas Caroling. At 9:00pm on Monday we headed to Wardsville to finish our tree seeing at Matt and Julie's but made a few stops on the way. We stopped at Kim and Bob Drainer's first. Carson thought it was cool. Kim thought we were crazy. Then we headed to Kristy and Louis Geick's (is that spelled right?). Unfortunately Louis was sleeping and Kristy wasn't home. But we were loud enough to wake up Louis and he had to stand and listen to us. Then we headed to Clarence and Arlene Heckman's (mom and dad's neighbor--Kim and Kristy are two of their children) we finished our caroling and headed back to Matt and Julie's. We had a good time there as well. David stole the glass snowman ornament off their tree, (its tradition now) and he also changed the Let It Snow in the bathroom to Net It Slow.

Tuesday we went to Visit Aggie, and Wednesday David woke up not feeling well. We went to Central Bank to visit some of my old friends, and then we went back to the Heckman's for our traditional Christmas Eve snacks and get together. David left early still not feeling well. We then came home to take naps before going to Midnight mass. David felt much better after his nap. I, on the other hand woke up with whatever he had only worse. I tried to go to midnight mass, but didn't even make it through the start. I had to head home early and went to bed. Thankfully by Christmas morning my stomach was better, not 100% but at least everything was staying down.

Of course Santa found us at Grandma's house. He even left notes for Janie and Alex earlier in the week, letting Janie know she was already on the nice list but had to continue to help her mom and keep her room clean. Alex was ALMOST on the nice list and needed to not get mad when he lost and to listen better. Thankfully, he left them postcards telling them they had both made it to the nice list.



Janie had asked Santa for an American Girl doll for Christmas. He got her one. I love the look of shock on her face when she opened up her Julie doll.



Alex wanted Thomas cookies and a boy doll. Santa came through on the boy doll, and Jude got him the Thomas cookies. Aren't they cute?



Later that same day we had Christmas with the rest of the Meldrem Crew. It was a good time, with lots of eating and just fun playing cards. Of course there were a few arguments. It can't be Christmas without Jay starting something. Of course its all done in fun. We gave Mom a rosary with the five kids names in it. I think she really liked it. She also got a digital camera just like mine. I think that was so she could ask questions. This was also Madelyn's second Christmas. Which means she gets a big gift from Grandma and Grandpa. The first child gets a rocking horse, the second a rocking chair. We were all unsure what the third child in the family would get because no one has had three kids until now. Maddie got a baby bed and baby. She loved it. Climbed right in with her baby. There are also pictures of David and I with our God Children. We no longer buy for everyone, we draw names, the adults and the kids, but we do buy for our God Children. I can't believe Jordan hugged me like that! Must be a Christmas Miracle! :-)







On Friday we went to Warrensburg for Jackson's birthday. Jackson is 7! We played basketball and dodgeball at the Community Center, had pizza and cake and ice cream. It was HOT! But it was fun to get to play with everyone again!






Saturday we went to Kristen's basketball game. They won the whole tournament. But the best part was when the referee asked Alex to hold the ball for him during half time. Then when he came back for the ball the bumped knuckles. Alex thought it was totally cool!




On Sunday, David and Gary headed back to Tennessee for a few days. And the kids and I stayed in Missouri. On Monday we went to Iowa to the farm. Tuesday Janie and Grandma Jane and I painted the bathroom. Alex got dirty out in the ice and mud. And Grandpa Jack put up shelves in a closet.






Wednesday David, Julie, Matt, Katlyn, and Jordan made it to the farm. Uncle Denny and Aunt Joyce also came out. We had dinner and rung in the new year. Thursday and Friday the guys went hunting. Janie went along too can you believe it? She also shot Jordan's gun he got for Christmas! Too bad I didn't get any pictures of that!

Saturday we got up bright and early to head home. We stopped in Moberly to see David and Amanda Drew's new baby. Cooper David looks just like his Daddy! We also had lunch with Gary and Joy. We then headed back to Jefferson City to pick up Tinkerbelle, we stopped by Jude's to get an ammo box he picked up for David, met Julie and Matt at the e-bloK office with a few things we had left in Iowa, and then we stopped in Holts Summit at the winery to get a couple bottles of wine for us and David's boss before we finally headed back to Tennesee. As you can see, the kids got use out of some blankets they took from there Great Grandma Steffes' house. But we did finally make it home around 9:30 last night. It was a long day of driving, but we were glad to sleep in our own beds last night and to have today to rest, before heading to work and school this week.




Hope everyone had a great Christmas and an awesome New Year!

1 comment:

Terri Steffes said...

Yawn.... got tired just reading about all you did!

You need to add us to your tree gazing list! We'da loved to have you over and the rest of the crew too! We might be enticed to give you hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps!

It sounds like a delightful holiday!