Christmas Break Up North

We left for up north Christmas Day afternoon. The weather was still miserable as it was the night before so we didn't force it. We made it to the bridge and then got a hotel for the night. So we spent our Christmas night at a hotel, but it wasn't worth risking another 4 hours or more on the icy roads. We finished the rest of our trip in the morning and the weather was perfect so it was a good stop. We spent the next week up north having a blast with the family. The first few days were rainy and warm...perfect weather for making a luge, but that meant entertaining the kids in the house. Thank goodness for the Wii and for all of the presents from grandma and grandpa. The rest of the week consisted of a lot of sledding down the luge, snowmobiling, skiing, going to the "Princess and the Frog", and more Wii. I'll let the pictures show the details, although we forgot to take the camera out and many occasions...just too busy with all the kids.

The grandkids opening their presents (9 of the 11)

Mylee acknowledging Jordyn's help

Maddy and Lexi enjoying the new pony and barbies

Santa's chubby reindeer

Mylee talking to a toy car

Maddy and Brooke speeding down the luge
(this picture was taken seconds before this happened...)

...Maddy's head hit the ice going around the corner
(we avoided an ER visit with a butterfly strip,
but it took days for the swelling to go down)
Maddy now has a nice pink scar on her eyebrow to always remember Papa Jack's famous luge

Mylee went sleeding a few times too, just not down the luge

Maddy's second time skiing

She did awesome...by the end of the day she was skiing down the hill by herself just needed Jason to help her stop (So proud of her!)

Good job Maddy!

Izzy went skiing too

Aunz and John V, too

The rest of the pictures are ones that I liked of my nieces and nephews

Jordyn (the oldest) and such a big help with the kids

Brooke doing a puzzle (a rare moment away from the Wii)

Izzy and Lexi looking adorable

Analise is getting so big and so much fun

One of the nights with Jaelyn and Addisyn,
who we were bummed we didn't get to see more often but they have lots of family to visit

Jack playing with a PINK camera