So I posted about Thursday (Dec 20) being a snow day and voila! Friday also turned into a snow day! Joy! So I sent the girls to Mary's in the morning so they could wiggle and play all over before the long car ride and I could get the rest of the packing done. I had anticipated some extra time b/c we were told a 2-hr delay was coming for sure the night before, but then the day off, woo! So pack pack pack and we had a good trip home. It was nice to leave around 1:30 and have all that time to get there without feeling rushed and hoping the girls slept a little in the car. No need - we got there just in time for some play and then bed.
Saturday brought running errands and decorating for Hadley's 1st birthday party. (sorry - for now please reference Facebook for awesome pics related to this entire post.) She had a great party (thanks, Grandma Sherri & Grandpa Al for hosting...again) and received perfect gifts. It was equally exciting b/c she totally gets this whole present thing and stayed with me and helped until they were all opened. The last one she opened was a teeny Disney Princess Rocking Pony and she tried to ride it before it even was out of the box. Hadley was OK with the cake but didn't make too much mess. Grandpa Al tried to encourage her but meh, it was better with the cupcake at home on her actual birthday...until she saw Grandpa Al eating cake while sitting on the floor 15 minutes later and decided to help herself to almost the entire thing by hand. Cake mess complete. It was a great party and we are thankful for all who could join!
Sunday was Christmas at my mom's with just our family and then her giant family. We hadn't been to that (giant) Christmas in about 6 years b/c it was always the weekend before we came home and we just couldn't make that trip twice in less than a week ... then add tiny kids to that mix...it wasn't going to happen. We were thrilled to see everyone and I was especially glad to get to see my cousin and her family for the second time in a month after not seeing her since our wedding. Morgan struggled with sneaking cookies but still has truth serum running through her veins (I don't know where she got it but it's REALLY handy!) so she told me flat out that she and her cousin were sneaking cookies after I questioned the chocolate ring around her mouth...stinker.
Christmas Eve morning, we went to my stepmom's house for brunch and gifts with her and my siblings/kids. Morgan was THRILLED to get her Cinderella carriage and horse and was eager to see if Santa remembered to bring her the Cinderella doll to go with it later that night/Christmas Day. Hadley fell in love with her Disney Princess Castle as soon as we opened it in Iowa and both girls play rather nicely together with it. Both girls received nice gifts (again, as did Adam and I) and I was starting to worry about how we were going to get it all home...little girl toys can be rather large just like little boy toys! We went home to rest up and prep for Santa (cookies, reindeer food, etc) before heading to church. Then it was a quick stop at Adam's aunt/uncle's house before heading to our final Christmas of the day for the Schmidt side. Between the two family stops, Morgan ate about 523.6 cookies and was WOUND FOR SOUND. She literally ran laps around their house until it was time to open presents and even then it was open, run, open, play a minute, run, smile for picture, run, try to steal cookie, run. More thoughtful gifts including an amazing table/chair set for the girls that is not only beautiful but will last them well until they are 8 or older and something we'll hang onto forever b/c of the quality. While Adam was setting up Hadley's pack 'n play, Morgan noticed what he was doing and started crying her eyes out b/c she was tired, too. They both went to bed although Morgan got up once and decided she was ready to play more...I don't think so, sweetheart. We got home late but it was so nice to see the whole family again....love those Christmases.
Christmas Day, Morgan actually slept in a bit and I think was up around 7am...late for her. She saw that Santa had come and did very well leaving the presents and just playing with other new ones she'd received. Princess Hadley slept and slept (the start of something beautiful in the mornings...she now sleeps until at least 7:15 or later if we let her) and finally I had Morgan open her Cinderella doll from Santa so she could see that he did, indeed, read her wish list and bring her something she really wanted. I can't remember if we finally woke Hadley or if she woke on her own, but when she woke up, she chose to lay against Adam and have her presents brought to her to be opened while lounging. After she woke up a bit, she was a little more into it. ;-) Then breakfast, playtime, get ready, and head to Appleton to my brother's house for the Seefeldt family Christmas. The girls LOVED the time with their cousins and we enjoyed seeing everyone since it's always so hard to see them living so far away (sad face). Nap time was a big fat fail for both girls so we left at 3:30 so they could get some sort of nap in the car. Success. More Christmas time with family at Al & Sherri's and big Christmases were over. I can't tell you how much we cherished all that time home with family. (Steph, I'm sure by now you know I mean you, too, when I say family.)
The rest of the time home was spent running errands, visiting others, a trip to Chuckie Cheese, a wonderful visit with Steph and her family (and alone time for the two of us! AH! I can't tell you how important that was and how much I miss her...it almost hurts and we need more of this somehow...) and then we decided to stay one more day b/c we were having such a good time and Al & Sherri are gluttons for punishment (we take over their house and they are so helpful...). ;-) The girls got to go sledding (Hadley on a teeny tiny slant, not really even a hill, at A&S's house and Morgan at a giant hill in Mishicot - only 2 crashes...), we saw more family and had a little time to relax before leaving. Hadley struggled big time with some bowel issues on Friday but after 2 hours of Adam running around in a snowstorm to get "poo-inducing" items, she was feeling better before going to bed and MUCH better on the ride home Saturday... ;-) PS. It MUST be noted that the dual DVD player that Santa brought the girls was KEY to this ride home being a WINNERSUCCESSAWESOME for me since I have been dubbed "girl entertainer, snack provider, toy hander-backer, calmer, reacher for anything they throw too far" on long rides. Hit that one out of the park, Santa. It wasn't even that Hadley watched it non-stop, b/c she didn't, but it definitely provided entertainment from the hold toy 30 seconds, chuck it, get another toy, immediately throw it, repeat...so that didn't happen at all until the last 20 minutes, which I can totally handle.
We were able to get a fair number of gifts in our car along with two kids and two dogs, but Al & Sherri are bringing the rest in a few weeks (Christmas again! Actually, this isn't such a bad deal - then the presents are spread out a bit and I feel the girls will enjoy them more). We were so very blessed by thoughtful gifts and enjoyed seeing others open theirs from us this year instead of from afar via Skype like last year. The time we got to spend with family was priceless and we value that time more and more each year being so far away. I'd die if we were a flight away, I swear. We are also in the process of trying to figure out dates to go down to Florida to visit Adam's aunts and kids and it's looking good for mid-March if the dates work out on their end and Adam can get semi-decent flights. Someone mentioned it would be approx. 20 hours for a drive to which I
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