Happy Holidays

(Avoiding the fact that it has been over three months since the last post) we'd like to say, "Happy Holidays to All!" (meaning simultaneously "Happy Halloween", "Happy Thanksgiving", "Happy Christmas", and Happy New Year"!)

Karsee and Maddie went to Colby and Lisa's costume birthday party (which was coincidently held on the Halloween evening) as Kanga and Roo. I went as the Gorton's fisherman and confused many people form afar. Once they saw the corporate logo, most figured it out though.

We spent Thanksgiving in Indianapolis with Karsee's mother's side of the family. Below, Karsee is snacking on leftovers with her cousin Danielle.

Christmas preparations included a wreath-making party at Mark & Cora's house and the precarious hanging of the icicles on both levels of our house. Notice the two ladders. My father and the Boy Scouts taught me to Be Prepared. Karsee was incapable of lifting either of the ladders so I put them both up just in case one somehow "failed."



Next, is our annual side-hugging-in-front-of-the-Christmas-tree picture. My mom is the photographer. Karsee's doctor suggested that the 16 hours of driving over the Christmas holidays (going back to Oklahoma City and back) might not be a great idea this close to Madeline's expected arrival. At the very least it would have been extremely uncomfortable for Kars, so we decided to stay in the STL for Christmas. It turned out to be an incredibly great decision, as we were able to attend Edgar's wedding!!!

Karsee's dad called the Sunday before Christmas and asked if we wouldn't be able to keep our lunch and dinner plans open that coming week. They had decided to tie the knot but had yet to set a date. We said sure and it happened that following Friday. Sorry, no pics of the blessed event, there was no room in my kilt for a camera.

Anyhooo . . . we had a great Christmas. Kip came home from California and he and Edgar and Patricia and Karsee and I went to see the Chronicles of Narnia Christmas Eve night. On Christmas morning, Edgar and Patricia, his new wife, were catered to by all the kids, that is Kars and I, Kip and Kamron and Patricia's children Brandon, Christopher and John. It was quite a breakfast and gift exchange. We then had lunch at Uncle Larry and Aunt Shirley's house with the rest of the extended family (30 or so people this year I believe). Great ham, great turkey, great deviled eggs (made by Karsee every year).

Later that evening my mother arrived. When we told her we weren't coming going to OKC for Christmas she decided to drive up. She and her two Keeshonds, Sugarbear and Sheyane (sorry if that's misspelled mom). We had a great Christmas and time with mom, visiting Edgar and Pat's cabin the day after Christmas for an open house. Mom and I even had lunch with Karsee Tuesday when she had to go back to work.


We spent New Year's Eve with some the friends with whom we went to Italy last year this time. Jeremy, Colby and Lisa, and Mark and Cora joined us at Edgar and Pat's cabin, about an hour and a half from our home in Saint Louis. We had a quiet night of Trivial Pursuit and swimming in the heated indoor pool, pizza and Harry Potter. Not quite the same as being on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, but fun with some of our best friends just the same.

Well, I hope that makes up for the last couple of months. Maddie continues to grow daily and successfully made it through all of this holiday excitement with her health intact. She is very, very busy every day (and night), moving, kicking, pushing, wiggling and twitching with the hiccups at least three times a day most days.

More soon . . . really.

-Brian