Getting into the Holiday Spirit

This past weekend was definitely Christmas-y (against all odds!) We planned to show up to Carter Christmas early on Saturday and rope someone into taking our family portrait but our early arrival was a big FAIL! While we were leisurely getting up and around Saturday morning we double checked the invitation and realized that the the lunch was on at noon vice 1pm (like we'd assumed) and the location (which we've been to already a handful of times for the same Christmas lunch) was 2.5 hrs away vice 1.5 hrs. So, you do the math. We hustled around and got everyone loaded into the car and zipped up the highway.

At the first toll, we didn't have enough cash to cover and no checkbook on hand so we had to stop and fill out extra paperwork promising we'd pay the $2.25 within 10 days or receive a hefty fine. Soon after, one of the kiddos had to pee so we exited the Tollway, filled out more paperwork bringing our owed toll to 75 cents, stopped at McDonalds for a quick bio break and located a drive-up ATM to get cash.

So instead of showing up an hour early, we got there 2 hours late. We lucked out as there was plenty of food left and the kids got to play with their cousins for a while AND we were even included in the big family pictures. We even roped Aunt Patti into taking our Christmas card photo before we turned around and headed home. (sigh). While the event was short lived and the drive to and fro was not, it was fun and meant a lot to Scott's family that we made it at all.

Sunday night we went to the Big Give at the park near our library. It was cold so we only stayed an hour, but the kids had a blast as evidenced in the photos. Emi helped the Little Ones ingest a ton of frosting so they were vibrating after they came out of the inflatable toy to wait for the Barrel Ride.

Aubri was not happy about the ride ending...

But she was quick to forgive and forget...