Happy New Year!

Ha! I'm getting caught up finally:) This makes me so happy. Also, I just ordered my Christmas New Years cards...so those will be getting out. Hooray! This is all extra wonderful as I am the current victim of what has been a quick but not fun flu-like illness. I should be in bed, but I am going to power through this quick post and then hit the sack. 

The week after Christmas Dave had committed to working in Clinton, Iowa as a "locum tenens" at a surgery center. It is basically free-lance work that he gets paid well for, he actually enjoys it and it helps us accomplish some things a little faster financially (this week paid for our new windows and door coming for the sun room - yeah!

Anyway, he had to head down Sunday night (Dec. 29) and wouldn't come back until that Friday night. Though, I know I can handle the kids by myself for five days....I mean, it's not my MOST fun way to tackle that:) In the past, I have escaped to Burr Oak to have some help and see some other people and I didn't want to go for the whole week, but it worked out that we could come down New Years Eve and stay through January 2. I was so happy because it gave me someone to be with on NYE, someone to watch the Hawks with on New Years Day, gave us an opportunity to see the Peterson's and check out the Jan Brett exhibit at the Vesterheim (I had wanted to do that since it came!) Score!

New Years Day!

Adorable. Vests from Andrew and Kylie:)

So, we drove through some snow and snow-covered roads to get to Burr Oak, set up camp at the house and waited for Mom and Dad to come home from work. The kids went to bed pretty easily and then the three of us tried to stay up until midnight:) We were joking how crazy and rowdy we were...Mom and I had had a glass of wine earlier, but by the time we watching Ryan Seacrest, I was drinking water, crocheting and eating lefse. A very happy Norwegian New Years Eve:) I loved it. 

This was the first time Dave and I were not together since we started dating and I wasn't loving that part. But luckily (well, for me) Dave was stuck in Clinton at a hotel room and celebrated by grabbing some Chinese food, a couple beers and Facetiming with me at midnight. Well - New York's midnight. A nice option for us Midwesterners to go to bed early..watch the ball drop and call it a night! So, I Facetime kissed Dave at 11 p.m.:) and went in to sleep with Kate (actually in bed with me) and Collin (in pack-and-play in same room). Well, wouldn't you know, Collin wanted to experience his first New Years Eve, so after him waking around midnight, we rang it in together:)

He was up early the next morning and we had a nice lazy start to the day, watched the Hawks (ugh) caught up with Andrew and Kylie, and then I loaded up the kiddos and we drove down to Clermont to visit our beloved Peterson's. The roads were a bit slow-going, but we got there in one piece. New toys, old friends, burgers and fries...it was a great time. We have the typical issues that arise when preschoolers are playing together, but Waylon and Kate are just so adorable together. They did so well. Collin and Lawson did great too, Collin as the slightly more mobile one was pulling other kids' hair....okay, need to watch out for that. It was awesome to catch up and never enough time, but so glad we were able to stop by for the evening! 

My only pic of all four kids

These two can get a little crazy together!

A great pic of Kate and Waylon!

The next morning, we had breakfast with Mom and Dad before they headed to work and then I attempted to get us packed up, showered and down to Decorah for a few outings. I wanted to get to the Luther Bookstore, Oneota Coop for coffee and lunch and then the Vesterheim. Well, Collin fought me on his nap, I showered, but did I dry my hair?...I don't remember. It wasn't my smoothest morning along, but we made it to Luther to shop (Kate pushed Collin in an umbrella stroller, first time doing that - went pretty well!) I had wanted to make a separate stop to eat, but Collin was so sleepy, I decided to just eat in the Union. Luckily, Oneota (the other one!) was open with limited food. Very limited, but enough to satisfy us. Then we headed to the Vesterheim where Mom was able to meet us for a couple hours. 

Collin at the Vesterheim

We discovered it was better to hold her:)

Checking out The Tradewind

 It was awesome to be there! I love the Vesterheim and it was fun to see it through Kate's eyes. I should have done a little more prep on how to act in a museum, but we were able to wrangle her:) Thank goodness mom was there. I thought I could do it alone, but it would have been much harder! It was also during her nap time, so that is always a little more challenging. 

We saw the Jan Brett exhibit upstairs, did some of the scavenger hunt, made a craft, ate a snack, bought a new book...pretty nice. I again wanted to look at things more closely and for the hundredth time told Mom that I want to do some of these things without the kiddos (Luther Bookstore, museum, etc.:) Mom was sweet enough to walk us down to Java John's so I could get my first coffee of the day! Then we headed back to Wisconsin as she headed back to work. A very full but fun and relaxing trip. 

Thursday night, I was able to get the kids to bed on time (yes!) and get ready for a trip down to Madison to see our beloved Swoboda's the next day! However, Friday's plans changed when Kate got sick in the car on our way. Luckily, we weren't even out to the highway yet, so we were back home in a minute and just rested at home until Dave returned! What a joyous homecoming. Kate took his week away hard and she was so glad to have Daddy back. As was I! 

Red cheeks! (coming to get Mommy...:)

His new favorite place

PS - Did I mention that his new, first and only word is "Uh oh!" My days are filled with his little "uh ohs" all day, I love it.