Our Christmas 2011 Experience!

January 2, 2011:
On Thursday, December 22, 2011, I packed all day in preparation for the 14 hour trip to Windsor, Colorado. This is where Karl and Bev (the boys' Grandpa and Nana) resides. Kris and I thought we had everything figured out to feed the boys their supper then start the trip as they would soon be tired and ready for bed.. HA! Within 1 hour of the 14 hour experience, Ryan puked all over his clothing and car seat. Change of clothes #1 and complete wipe down of the chair. I happened to "car crawl" back and forth from front to back most of the trip as the boys did not sleep, and well, neither did mom or dad. We experienced 14 hours of crying and let's just say, we made it to Colorado...very tired! Lesson #1 of long car trips in the books..

I know it sounds like it was a miserable trip out there (which it was); fortunately, the rest of the trip was rather nice in Colorado. The boys got plenty of Grandpa and Nana time and were able to meet Bev's extended family and get some fresh mountain air! There were days that were 50-60 degrees!

The boys loved playing the piano keys. I'm thinking we will have to invest in a piano in the next few years.. Then they can follow mom's interest in the piano as she played for most of her childhood.

Ryan enjoyed carrying this mini brief case around the house. I think he thought he had to get some work done while there...

The boys received an alphabet learning game for Christmas in which they place the letter into the box and it states the letter and what sound it makes. It also sings the alphabet to them.. A new toy with lots of pieces to play with and throw on the floor! Yea!

The boys felt that they must keep busy and pay their dues while staying at Karl and Bev's. So, one got the swifter and the other the broom. They were quite content! They love to mimic what mom gets to do quite regularly at home!!

And who doesn't want to see the best part----gift time! Nathan loved being able to finally TEAR UP paper with permission!! He opened up Ryan's presents too as Ryan wasn't that interested in making a mess!

Kris and I were able to go cross country skiing in Rocky Mountain National Park for the day and enjoy a lunch date! Let's just say Kris is definitely more able than I am at skiing!!

Our last day together on vacation at home! Oops! I forgot about the trip home. We decided to flip things around and do a morning start on New Year's Eve. Wait a minute...let's back up a little more. The boys happened to be coughing with runny noses all week. Okay, another cold, right? Maybe problems with the altitude? Who knows.. Ryan and Nathan continued with their coughing jags all week and runny noses. Ryan seemed to be worsening with his breathing and mom's medication stash helped to no avail. Sooo, a trip to the ER (unfortunately, we just can't stay away).. Ryan was diagnosed with RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus and an ear infection. So, most likely Nathan had a milder form of it as well. Steroids were prescribed for both along with nebulizer treatments and antibiotics for Ryan. Bummer! But, they seemed to respond nicely and we were able to make a clean break for home. The boys were excellent on the way back as Mom was able to entertain them in the back and give out snacks and meals. Kris drove the majority of the way from Colorado, but faced major challenges leaving the state. I would describe the experience as first facing a duststorm, then heading into a Tropical Storm (the wind gusts were between 50-80 mph), then a blizzard. We saw multiple trailors and semis tipped on their sides and it was quite again (an experience). I thinked I prayed multiple Hail Marys on the way back while doing lots of deep breathing....

So, in summary, our trip was wonderful. Kris and I were able to spend some quality time together in addition to lots of family time. Karl and Bev were more than hospitable to us and our noisey little ones! Colorado was beautiful (as it always is) and we were able to relax and have some wonderful meals and memories together. We hope you and your family did as well! Cheers to a Happy New Year--2012!