Recitals, and gifts and sickness, oh my!

I did not know it was possible to cram so much goodness into a single week, but we did it! Our big Christmas present showed up early. It is a CNC router.  I've been told it is super cool and can do anything. When I see it cleaning bathrooms, I'll be impressed.  Until then, I'll be happy my people are happy.

Sariah had a Christmas piano recital. She was sick, but she still did great!

The next evening, Kate had her gymnastics performance.  She also did great! (that back handspring is still super close... maybe she will have it for the spring performance!)

The next evening, Jakob, Corrine, Sariah,Hayden & Kate all played in a piano recital. This was the first time ever all 5 kids played in the same recital!  It was so much fun!

We have a tradition of racing the Fox family to Arctic Circle after the piano recital. This is the car load of WINNERS with their proof of winning selfie that was happily sent to the LOSERS.

Have we had enough fun yet?  No, no we have not.  Corrine had a group of her friends come for a game night. I LOVE these kids! I love them in my home. I love them all so much!

Game nights are so fun with them! Sadly, Sariah did not participate because she was still recovering from bronchitis that had been diagnosed between recitals.

Are we done having fun, now?!  No, no we are not.  The next morning we were off to the Schramm Family Christmas party.

Corrine helped the little girls with their trains.

Christmas trains done!

After the Schramm family party, we raced downtown to watch the Star Wars movie. Keiths work bought out the theater so we were not going to miss this opportunity. Sadly, Sariah was DEATHLY ill by this point. But, we were downtown, had a movie to watch and we did what any responsible horrible parent does.  We told her to bundle up in her coat, suck on an old pocket cough drop, and we would take her home to bed as soon as the movie was done. Do you like the photobomber?

After the movie, we raced Sariah home and told her to sleep while we went to the Cain Family Christmas Party. Are we done having fun yet?!  No, no we are not.

Kate made a book for Grandma and Grandpa.... here she is reading grandpa his copy.

Are we done having fun now?!  Yes.  Yes we are. I called Sariah to check on her and as she cried, she asked when I could come and get her.  We raced home, and I took her to the doc. Sadly her little preemie lungs just couldn't recover from the bronchitis and she needed some extra O2, and steroids. These we also the same things she lived on while she was in the NICU.... hum... about 16 years later we are doing this all over again? I call this picture "She who smokes peace pipe." She prefers to call it "Smoking kazoo."

Corrine LOVES to give Kate bedtime kisses. Kate.... tolerates them. Kate has enjoyed having Corrine home all day for Christmas break.  It has been nice.

THIS.   This is an amazing group of kiddos. They went to several rest homes to share their musical talents. They got invited to come back. To quote Cannon "Service is LIT!"

We are to Christmas now!  HOW? We have been so busy having fun I didn't realize how close to Christmas we are!