Christmas in OK (the rest)

So I failed to mention that by the second night my Dad had caught the flu and was cooped up in the hotel close to the bathroom.  He got it really bad.  Hadlee had also been having diarrhea for a couple days (and did for a couple more) but only acted sick one night in KS.  Suzy and family arrived so we opened presents without Dad.  I obviously stole Maddox's camera and took a few of these.

 Anna got a hood for Christmas from Grammy.  Okay, so she got the rest, Grammy just only wrapped the hood because Anna was with her when she bought it.

 Sugar and Googy enjoyed the Christmas fun!

 I don't think Stacy's ever seen his house this chaotic. Thirteen of us opening presents all at once and throwing all the trash on the floor!  That didn't last long.

Hadlee then decided to get a hold of sister's camera (yes, she calls her sister most of the time) and take a few pics of her own.  She's not so bad either for a 2 year old.

 So that night we were all supposed to go out for pizza and Maddox said her stomach hurt and Anna did too.  So I stayed home with the girls who took turns throwing up all night.  I made Maddox a little towel bed on the floor where she slept all night with the lights dimmed and I slept on the tiny couch next to her so I'd have quick access.  She wasn't very comfortable but I didn't trust her in a bed or sleeping bag to make it to a trash can.  By morning, New Year's Eve day, she was better and much happier.  Anna, not so much.  When everyone got home from dinner Jennifer and Stacy didn't feel well and Mom went back to the motel and spent the night sick too.  Yes, that's 5 people in one night.  And now 9 out of 14 of us that have had some version of this flu.  Only Hadlee and I were the lucky ones that got the lesser version.

 Jennifer gathered the girls that didn't feel well with her on the couch and had some cuddle time.  Three sickies together.

The next day was New Year's Eve....  Suzy's family fled back to Iowa in the morning to avoid getting sick (and have been successful so far).  Mom and Dad hung out at the hotel being weak and recovering.  Stacy and Anna spent the day and night cooped up in the bedroom doing the same.  I think Jennifer was only out for a bit because we were there.  Jeremy and I took the girls swimming again from about 8 to 10, came home and had milkshakes and put the girls to bed.  We watched a little tv (had to get my Anderson Cooper fix) and went to bed about 11:30.  All the big fun family plans with the 14 of us got totally ruined by the flu.  Kind of a bummer.  We were supposed to come home on Wednesday (along with the Lowe's) but ended up driving home Jan. 1 so we could let the Grigg's recover in peace.

Oh yeah, during that Tulsa time and since everyone in Kansas got the flu too.  Happy Flu Year!  Here's to 2013 being MUCH better than the last few days of 2012!

Christmas in OK (Day 1)

On Thursday we drove to Bixby, OK to my sister Jennifer's house for the Christmas festivities there.  The festiveness didn't last long.  By the time we arrived I wasn't feeling well and that night had a much lighter version of Jeremy's flu.  

 So the next day I laid around recovering while Jeremy, Jennifer, and Stacy took the girls to the aquarium.  Maddox took lots of pictures of fish for me but I won't torture you with all of those.

 By that evening I was DONE with being sick, at least that's what I told my mind, and so we loaded up to go swimming at the pool at my parent's hotel.  It took Maddox a bit to get used to going under again but once she did she was amazing!  She was swimming all the way across the pool by herself!  Hadlee, who knows no fear, jumped right in and went under.  I eventually put water wings on her and she never wanted me to touch her again.

St. Joe visits

The day after Christmas we first went to the hospital to visit my dear friends Penni and Jill's sweet Aunt Mary.  I used to visit Aunt Mary a lot when Penni and I were in college together.  She's so sweet!  Now she's in assisted living in St. Joe but unfortunately got ill before Christmas so she was in the hospital.  She still so sweet and I hope we can visit her again when she's feeling better and back in her apartment.

Then we headed to Grandma Barb's to hang out for a while, play with the dogs and nap a bit.  Maddox loved the dogs and carried them around all over trying to get Bo to stay in his bed so she could take his picture.  We have a lot of pictures of Bo.

 Hadlee liked playing tug of war with Bella.

 Who says the dog bed is just for the dogs?

 Here's one of Maddox's many pictures of Bo in his bed.  She's getting less blurry everyday!

 That night we went to Krug Park to see the lights and get our Cherry Mashes.  Of course, Maddox had to take pictures of every display with I kept explaining would not work well in the dark.  That didn't stop her.  Here's a couple of her less blurry ones.  Again, we have a ton!

Christmas in KS

Our first stop was at Angie's mom's house in Wathena KS where we had Christmas with Grandma Barb, Uncle James, Aunt Angie, Gabbie, Hayden, and Baylor, and Aunt Shelby.  Again, pictures are by Maddox.

 The warmest fire ever.... I wasn't moving!

 New Barbies!

 Then we went to Grandma Jo's house in Troy, KS to have Christmas with her, Grandpa Randy, and again Uncle James and family and Aunt Shelby.  Hadlee got into the picture taking for a bit.

 Hadlee  got a pretty new necklace!

 Uncle James is trying to scare the girls?  I guess?  He is kind of scary!  ;)

 The girls' big present from Grandpa Randy.  Maddox is actually playing with it right now in our freezing cold basement while I'm posting this blog in the freezing cold basement.  I have got to get a space heater for down here.  Put that on next year's Christmas list for anyone reading this!

 Cute Grandma Jo and Daddy who stuck to minimal food and 7UP all day.

 Hayden, James, Gabbie, Shelby, and Baylor's little head in front.

 What is it with these Schultz men trying to scare my kids with the evil eye?  Either that or Grandpa Randy is about to fall asleep.

After all these Christmases we went to stay at Jeremy's cousin Lori's house for a couple of nights.  Maddox failed to take any pictures of that part of our visit!

Christmas in Iowa

Christmas from a 4 (nearly 5) year old's perspective.  Maddox got a camera for Christmas which is probably her most used present yet.  It was just an old one of Grammy's but Maddox doesn't know or care.  Actually, she took most of the pictures on our whole trip.  I probably only have a few on my camera but I'd have to look.

We started our Christmas celebration by Jeremy getting the stomach flu on Christmas Eve.  He was sick all day so he skipped work, the girls went to work in the nursery with me for a couple of church services, then just the 3 of us went to church.  By morning Jeremy was weak and achy but pretty good.  So we opened our presents then packed up and headed down to Kansas for the Schultz side Christmases.