A sneak peek of our CHRISTmas break!

UPDATE: I got word on my van. The computer is shot, they have to order it. It will be done on Monday... ONE WEEK! Praising God that is is UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY ARE LETTING ME KEEP THE VAN NO CHARGE until mine is done!!! Can't believe we blew another computer (we had issues with the impalas computer... twice.)
CHRISTmas cards are done and I have twenty more ordered. When those are gone, if you didn't get one, sorry. Out of luck!
Please pray for Stellan who has RSV and has been admitted to the PICU. And Auntie Mary who is going to attempt to get home tomorrow. SNOW + Airport = a need for migraine medicine!

Well, we made it. We survived the CHRISTmas weekend with everyone in tact. I did not even have to use my migraine meds... although the events of yesterday... nearly pushed me over the edge.
As soon as I get my house cleaned and the stink out I will post photos of our weekend. But here is a sneak peek.

• CHRISTmas eve day, driving north in a blinding snow storm... trip should have taken less than three hours, took four. Arrived safe and sound to a warm home, a BEAUTIFUL ~ huge CHRISTmas tree, and a 52 inch flat screen TV. Merry CHRISTmas if I ever saw one!
• Snow gear on. CHECK. Sleds hooked to back of snow-mo-bile. CHECK. kids in helmets. CHECK. D eating his share of snow. CHECK. winter fun... Absolutely.
• CHRISTmas morning, "Santa" spoiled. CHRISTmas church. CHRISTmas naps. More snow fun. Wait for in-laws. Open gifts, spoiled again. Standing rib, riced potatoes, and all the fix'ns. A day spent with family.
• Friday, SNOW! Trip to Escanaba for the the ornaments that I "needed". Nice time spent with sister-in-law. More snow fun! I even got to ride on the sled... until I broke the string and L and I got booted to the other snow-mo-bile.
• Saturday, RAIN! Can you say sloppy mess. Alumni basketball game, fun to see hubby play ball. Slip in parking lot (H gets soaking wet). In safe, that's where we stay. Address all 100 CHRISTmas cards, realize we are 11 or so short.
• Sunday, SNOW and ICE! Packing, ready to go home! 11:45 "our time" we set out... van stuffed to the gills... can you say spoiled. 10 miles down road, phone rings, I forgot my "backpack" (diapers, meds, vitamins, more meds, more vitamins, wipes, camera, did I mention diapers... the kind you can not buy in the UP) we turn around and head back. Head out again, fifteen miles back down the road... WAHM.... van jolts into "limp home mode" let's just say, 25 mph on a busy, icy highway isn't where we wanted to be. Pull over, cycle the key call our mechanic... what the heck is he going to do three hours away? Not a dang thing be we needed him to know we were in deep trouble. Jeremy gets it out of "limp home mode" and we are off again... five miles down the road... WAHMMMMMM... "limp home mode again... this time we can't get out of it. We drive very carefully back to the in-laws. Arrive back at 1:15 "our time". Can you say, Mama might need some migraine meds soon.... actually I was fine... We called our jobs and let them know the situation. Call my parents to "brief" them. Get back to grandma not needing us there for three more days. You know it would take that long for us to find someone to fix it and then wait for them to get it right... Might I add, this was "fixed" in September(but that is a whole nother story). Grandpa and Jeremy head out to borrow a car trailer. We were NOT paying for a tow because we did not break it. Our plan, take it to the local (45miles away) dealer Monday morning. Grandpa and grandma's plan, take us home to our house... Van loaded. Grandpa's truck loaded with him, Jeremy, H and W. Grandma's vehicle laded with her, me, D and L. Oh, yah, I didn't mention, the only vehicle we all fit in is our van... which is on a trailer. Drive three and a half hours, we get home.
• HOME, STINK! We left the neighbors with a house key and asked them to get our mail, paper and take care of the snow. OH and boy did they ever. BUT, they must have seen a light on in the house (snaps tank) and came in and unplugged it. BUT, they unplugged the filter too.... one dead fish, and a whole lot of stink! You think my house stinks of dirty diapers on a normal basis, you are right, let's just say, this did not come close to comparing to that smell. And even though we changed the filter and got it running... the house STILL STINKS. Oh, and my beautiful wreath on the side of my home no longer lights up either, they took care of all the lights... he hit the cord with the snow blower!!! Oh well, the house is still warm and standing.

Got work to do, I will update this post with photos and an update on my van, soon. Oh yah, the place the broke it and "fixed" it last time has it again... and I have a rental... again. We are not stranded!

I might add that we are ALL healthy and safe so there are no complaints. Praising God that I have in-laws that love me enough to bring me home... Now if we can survive the kids week off of school!