Christmas Break Up North

This year, Christmas up north felt a little bit different with my parents house still under construction and with my parents not getting home until the day after Christmas. Jason and I stayed with my brother John and his family (Nicole, Jaelyn, and Addisyn), so that when my sister and her family of 5 came home they would have some room. We had a great time staying with my brother.

Nicole and John

It was a nice chance for us to spend time with Jaelyn and Addisyn, who we don't get to see very often. Maddy and Jaelyn were terrors together, running around the house nonstop. Addisyn was as sweet as ever, walking around trying to keep up with the other two.

Jaelyn and Maddy in their purple pjs

Troublemakers

Maddy changing Addisyn's diaper

Nicole's family took really good care of us too. Not only did they have us over for Christmas dinner, but they also invited us over the next night for homemade raviolis (the best I've ever had). We even stayed up late a few nights playing smear, which was a lot of fun. Thanks John and Nicole for your great hospitality.

Wednesday we managed to convince my relatives (the Momonts) to have us over for left over polenta for lunch. Polenta is my family's traditional Christmas Eve meal at the Momonts and since we missed it this year, I was really bummed. It was my first time ever without polenta on Christmas Eve so I just had to have some. After lunch, we played seven games of sequence girls vs. guys while Maddy napped, before heading to the Dodas for dinner. My parents finally made it home so we stopped over there to say hi before heading to bed.

Thursday, Jason and I went skiing with my cousins at Ski Brule. We had a blast on the slopes. Maddy got to hang out with Grandma Simone and Grandpa Jack while we were gone. I think they had a good time. Maddy doesn't get to spend a lot of one-on-one time with my parents so it was nice. My sister and her family made it in town by the time we got back from skiing. We had a great dinner at my parents with the whole family. The kids got to open a few gifts too.

The new train station
(John, Brooke, Izzy, Jordyn, and Maddy)

Friday morning we had a professional photo taken of the family...all 19 of us. I'm not sure how it is going to turn out but the kids seemed to do really well. The girls were all in sweater dresses with boots...they were so adorable.

Jaelyn, Maddy, John, Jordyn, and Izzy

When we were leaving to head to lunch after the pictures I couldn't resist trying to get a picture of all the kids in their coats. They just looked so cute.

Where's Jack???

Where's Maddy???

Oh forget it!

It is seriously impossible to get a picture of all the cousins together. I thought it was cute that all the girls, except Addisyn, had the same Old Navy toggle button coat...it wasn't totally planned that way either. We went to lunch at Hardee's so that the kids could play in the playground.

John V, Jordyn, Maddy, Izzy, and Brooke

Maddy loved playing in the balls

After lunch, we headed back for some rest and relaxation before venturing out in a snow storm to watch my cousin Elizabeth play in a basketball game. The game went into overtime, but the kids all did really well considering.

Jaelyn, Maddy, Jason, and Addisyn relaxing together

Saturday morning we went and played volleyball with my family. It was so much fun, yet so depressing to realize how old we are all getting. My poor brother Joe could only tip in the front row because he was so out of shape, oh yeah, and he has a bad back/hip. Maddy stayed back with my folks and sister's family. They tried sledding and snowmobiling but apparently Maddy wasn't interested. That afternoon we relaxed a little and cooked. We had our big family dinner that night at my aunt and uncle's house since my parents don't have room for all of us in the garage apartment, so we had to all bring a dish. We had a blast at the Momonts although it was a bit crazy with the 9 grandkids running around, in fact, a few things got broke...sorry Momonts.

Uncle Mike and Auntie MaryJo

Auntie MaryJo, Grandma Simone, and Auntie Marie

Cousin Christopher and Lexi

Cousin Elizabeth and Grandpa Jack

Grandma Simone and Great-grandma Doris

Cousin Michael and his girlfriend Jamie

Maddy had a great time over at the Momonts playing with all of her cousins. After all of them left we stayed awhile to visit. I think Maddy was on a sugar high from all the gum drops she ate because she was still running wild all by herself.

Maddy playing with her new magnetic storybook

Sunday was our day to play in the snow and watch the Packers. We had a great day...the Packers beat the Lions and we had a ton of fun snowmobiling and sledding.

We love our Packers!

Jason and Izzy driving...

....Jaelyn and Maddy riding

and riding some more

Maddy and Daddy driving with Jaelyn riding

Mommy's driving and Daddy and Maddy are riding

Jordyn, Aundrea, John V, and Izzy

We ended the trip by going to Dina Mia's for our traditional pizza and games night out with the whole family. We sit in the game room so that the kids can run around, otherwise there is no way the 19 of us could sit down and eat together at a restaurant. We had a lot of fun although Maddy ended up with a good shiner under her eye from running into a table.

So it was a great christmas break just not very relaxing although it never is so I shouldn't be surprised. Oh, we also found out that my sister is pregnant again with her fourth child in four years. We think she is crazy, but we are sure excited to have another niece or nephew.