Rounding Out The Year

It's the very last day of the year. 

It's been a good year.  Fairly uneventful, which is just how I like it.  Sure there were tough spots, but I think the good far outweighed the bad and that in itself is a blessing. 

This past week has been much like our year.  Lots of good with a little bit of stink thrown in once in a while. 

The kids were out of their minds preChristmas, as you would imagine.  I spent my time finishing up last minute shopping and taking them to museums and to see Santa.  Yes, we already saw Santa at Cabela's but we have a favorite spot to see Santa in our city that has an amazing winter wonderland/Santa's workshop display.  I went there as a little kid and not much has changed.  I love it.  It is a must every year.

Christmas morning came and went too quickly.  As it always does. 

Christmas Eve and Christmas was spent at the grandparents houses.  A good time was had by all.  We had some mysterious vomit show up here and there as a strange 12 hour puke bug made an appearance (to each of us at different times) at our house throughout our Christmases and beyond.  However it all seemed to happen at night and everyone always woke up "healthy" and fine so we made it through fairly well.

The kids had one day to play with and enjoy all of their toys.  They spent all of their time play camping in the basement with their new tents and sleeping bags or building complex LEGO sets in the library.  I spent all of my time cleaning up the Christmas mess and putting the house back in order.

On Tuesday we made the trek to the cabin for some north woods fun.

It was pretty cold but we bundled up and spent all of our time outside anyway.  Todd and the boys checked the ice to make sure it was thick enough,

and when they discovered it was safe Grace came out to join them.  With the help of her big brother, of course.

I even got to ride a snowmobile for the first time in my life.  It was cold. I should have put a hat on.

Todd took turns giving the kids a ride on the snowmobile while Molly chased after. 

And don't worry, he went very slow.  I was super paranoid about not having any helmets (that fit) just yet but Todd was super cautious.

Then, much to the kids' excitement, Todd hooked up the sled and took all four of them for a nice slow stroll across the lake.  Again, Molly chased after them.  I never was one who liked snowmobiles much but I must admit that getting these two sleds at the deal we got them has already paid off.  It was fun.

The next day we all went skiing.  All of us.  Grace even got fitted for her first ski boots (I think they were pretty big on her, but she didn't care). 

Todd and I took turns taking Grace down the hill (we held her in between our legs) and helping Ben down the hill.  The first hour was mass hysteria.  The kids had to remember how it all worked and Todd and I were sweating trying to help everyone get the hang of it again.  The boys kept falling down and couldn't figure out how to get up.  Todd and I would rush over and help one and then another one's ski would pop off and we would have to rush over and fix that too.  It was a workout. 

After that first hour it started to get better.  Joey and Tommy were going up and down the hill by themselves and Ben was getting it too.  He started to learn how to turn and stop and even held on to the tow rope by himself.  Just as it was starting to get to be a lot of fun I got a migraine.  Go figure.  Grace was ready to call it quits anyway so she and I went inside while the boys continued to ski.  I took some medicine right away which helped it from getting too bad, but it was still a big bummer.  It was the perfect skiing day. I would have liked to stay out there all day. 

Eventually the boys came in and had lunch with Grace and I before heading back out for another couple of hours for more skiing.  They did great!  You'd think that would have been enough to wear them out but when we got back to the cabin the boys were right back out on the ice again.  Safe to say, everyone slept really well that night.

Overall, it was a good trip.  There were some tough spots, as usual, but I'd do it all over again. 

When we got back from our trip yesterday I got sad news from my mom that our dog died.  Lucy was the first little baby Todd and I had.  We got our sweet puppy when we were newlyweds.  We picked her from the litter because she was the runt and was constantly being bitten and bullied by the other pups.  Poor lil thing. She seriously was our baby.  The first blanket I ever knitted actually went to her.  She was so spoiled but she was a doll. 

Then when we started having kids she decided she didn't like us all that much anymore.  After we had Tommy Lucy decided she wanted to live with my mom and dad.  Reluctantly, we agreed, since she was starting to get nippy at the kids.  We still saw her all the time (obviously) and when she didn't have to live with the kids she actually liked them.  When my dad's Alzheimer's forced him into a nursing home Lucy was like a Godsend.  Not only did she keep my mom company but she had a way of bringing my dad out of his fog.  Mom would bring Lucy with her to the nursing home every day and Lucy would sit so sweetly on dad's lap, even when dad would hold her too tightly or pet her too hard.  She just knew.  Clearly, Lucy was meant always meant to be my folks' dog. 

For all her sweetness Lucy was a real stinker too.  She barked nonstop.  She ate everything she saw. She would escape my parents' fenced in backyard to eat the neighbors' garbage. Not to mention, she wasn't a very loyal dog.  She went from being the runt of a litter to running the house (two households, actually). She was a little stinker.  But she was our little stinker. And she had the sweetest little beagle face you've ever seen.  I'll miss her.  Little Lucy.



ANYWAY...  the week was good and bad.  But mostly good.

Tonight we are ringing in the new year with the kiddos.  Favorite appetizers and juice in wine glasses!  It's always a good time. 

I hope you all have a very fun and safe New Year's Eve!  And I hope 2012 brings many more good times than bad.

Happy New Year!