we did it!

We (okay...maybe I) made it through a crazy busy holiday season!! Luci seems no worse for the wear. But we are home again and I am LOVING it.

In short...my camera arrives this afternoon with my sister Baylee & her bf Drew so I'll save the photos for another post.

Luci & I spent Christmas in Iowa with my family. My wonderful dad, sister & grandma drove 6 hours in one day to pick Luci & I up in Des Moines on Tuesday the 23rd. We played at Recess (an indoor play area) to wear Luci out for the 3 hour drive home. It worked. After watching Choo Choo Soul on repeat (maybe 3x?) she slept the rest of the way to Mom & Dad's. We had a blast visiting Harold & Myrtle the Great, Benny the Great (my grandparents & Luci's great-grandparents), all of my aunts & uncles on the Rosonke side, as well as Brenda & Mike the Great on the Halvorson side. We also got to visit our very good friends Renae & David Engel, as well as several of my high-school friends & their kiddos. It was a VERY busy trip, but also productive in that we got to see lots of people. On Sunday the 28th Mom, Dad & Baylee again drove 6 hours in one day to take us to Des Moines so we could fly home to see Clay. I actually bought a ticket because I knew if I didn't there was no way there would be space, and that Luci & I would be on our own for Christmas. I held Luci on my lap, and in short, I'll never, EVER do that again.

After a few days at home catching up with work & laundry we were off again to Indiana to see our Pierse family. We got to see all of Luci's aunts & uncles & cousin, as well as spend lots of time with her guh-ma & guh-pa. It was more relaxing than Iowa in that in Indiana everyone comes to Barb & Don's to see us, whereas in Iowa we are the ones making the trek....so that was nice. We also got to see some of Clay's cousins & some great family friends of Barb & Don's. Logistics to Indiana are MUCH easier, as the post airport drive is only 45 minutes compared to 3 hours in Iowa. We picked flights with lots of availability, and we managed to finagle 3 seats together both ways. Luci did GREAT with her own seat...so from now on that's how we'll roll.

I'm going to wrap up this post with a big THANK YOU to both Grammy & Grandpy Rosonke and Guh-ma & Guh-pa Pierse for so wonderfully accommodating us. I know I can be high maintenance & easily stressed & maybe even a bit grouchy at times during travel with my tot, but as I told my dad...I have an excuse...I come by it naturally ;)