Wow! We had quite the Christmas adventure! Just like last Thursday (when I did the post on our back porch decorated for Christmas), I am writing from a hotel room so this will be brief, but I wanted to pop in and share a few photos from our Christmas in Indiana. We had an absolutely wonderful time with Jon’s family and I have to say I think it might have been one of my favorite trips I have ever taken to Indiana despite the fact that it turned out to be a bit more interesting than planned. We had a wonderful time visiting with all of Jon’s relatives, ate tons of delicious food, including some divine hot cocoa that Jon’s mom made which I am going to try to make at home sometime and if I do I will share with some links to the recipe, and oh yeah, spent some time at the hospital. There were 11 people that we celebrated Christmas with (Jon’s mom and dad; his sister, Meredith; her husband, Matt; Matt’s sister, Helen; Matt and Helen’s parents, Al and Anita; and then of course, Jon, myself, Lillie and Lorelei) and everyone but me got the flu!
Yup, all of the other 10 got hit HARD. So hard in fact, that Matt and Lola ended up in the hospital. Needless to say that was a wee bit scary. So, although that probably seems like an awful Christmas I have to say I think we all still somehow managed to have a wonderful time. It was quite the bonding experience – haha! I think if anyone had walked into the house on one of the nights they might have passed out at just the sight of everyone. There were people sleeping on bathroom floors, living room floors and my poor mother-in-law was washing sheets and towels at 3 and 4 am just trying to keep up with everything, despite the fact that she herself was sick! And my poor father-in-law was stuck driving back and forth to the E.R. all night and morning. I am so grateful that I somehow escaped it because I don’t know how else I would have been able to take care of poor Lillie and Lola.
Anyway, needless to say, I didn’t take a whole lot of photos and most of the ones I did get were taken at night so they are pretty grainy. Here are a few:
Lorelei and Grammy after the Christmas Eve service:
Grammy and Lillie looking at the nativity scene on Christmas Eve before Lillie headed to bed:
“Coachy Coach” (as she called him this trip) and Lillie on Christmas morning:
Lillie and Aunt Meredith playing with a new toy on Christmas night:
Helen and Lillie reading:
Uncle “Matty Matt” (another new nickname by Lillie) and Aunt Meredith Christmas morning:
Poor Lola snuggling with her Daddy on Christmas morning right after getting sick all over her new Christmas jammies:
Lola out on a walk with her Daddy Christmas afternoon.
Our little Lola Wren:
We still have one more day left on our adventure. We made a short trip from Indiana to Ohio yesterday. We stopped at a high school game to watch a recruit on our way to the hotel. Then Jon dropped us off at the hotel and he traveled to Kentucky to watch another recruit. And then tonight, after William and Mary’s game we will begin our journey back to Williamsburg. We have so much to get working on when we get back – ahhhhh! And I have some exciting news to share in a few days.
I also want to wish my beautiful Mom a very happy birthday today! I love you!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!
Oh, I feel so sorry for you all! Close quarters breeds…germs! Ugh. Glad all are on the mend now.
Hope everyone is on the mend! Poor things, glad it skipped you so you could help take care of the girls.
Merry Christmas and safe travels back home.
Oh no! That is the all time dread of things that can happen when a big family gets together. I've had a bunch of family here, and praise the Lord that hasn't happened! I love the picture of your mother-in-law and Lillie looking at the nativity. The open Bible in the picture really speaks volumes! You were so close to us on your trip. We are in Lexington, KY. Was just curious to know if he was looking at recruit close to here. Love your blog and can't wait to see what you've got to share! Happy New Year! Gail
Lola's red dress is so beautiful!
Yikes! Sorry to hear about everyone getting sick. It is great that you were still able to have an enjoyable Christmas with family! Your pictures are amazing… you seem to capture the sweetest moments like Lillie with "Coachy Coach"… breathtaking. Happy New Year!
Oh and Lola Christmas dress is beautiful.
so sorry to hear that…your little blog and everything is just delightful…i love your decorating style…and have been quietly stalking for a couple years…my brother is a high school basketball coach and one of my good long-time friends is a basketball coach's wife here in oklahoma at ORU… : ) bless your heart…your daughters are darling…your house is darling…precious and peaceful. many blessings!
So sorry to here how everyone got sick with the flu, but I am glad you guys still had a good Christmas! Hopefully everyone is feeling better now! Beautiful pics Jennifer!
Oh my..But you had a great Christmas..Next year it will be a story to tell for sure..Lola's outfit with the hat is adorable..Can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve in future posts..Have a great week..
That sounds similar to our Christmas! Everyone in our house was sick with the flu too! We still haven't celebrated Christmas yet. There is a ton of uncooked yummy food out in the fridge and all the presents still wrapped. We're still feeling it so we're hoping for a new years day Christmas party, finally! Hope you're all feeling better!
Meg
I am so glad you were able to have a great Xmas besides getting sick! It is so awful to have little ones that are sick! I had quite a bad cold, but being 7 months prego didn't help! I spent most of the day in bed on Christmas, but we still had fun too!
Oh, yuck! Glad everyone is better. What a Christmas. But, wow, did you manage to get some great, tender photos. The nativity set one has to be my favorite – captures the genetic and spiritual legacy your girls have all in one picture. Just gorgeous.
So sorry the bug visited you for Christmas. We had three down at our house. (The stomach flu and some pink eye were the main offenders.) Lovely photos. Hope you had some good memories, too.
Oh my goodness! I'll bet you won't be forgetting this Christmas anytime soon!!! That's awesome that you still had a good time! Your babies look adorable as always…even if they were sick 🙁 I hate to see my kids get sick {thankfully we haven't had the flu bug in a looonng time!!}
Hope you have a wonderful New Year!! 😉
We had the stomach virus too. Thankfully it was over by Christmas Day! Your pictures are lovely.
Well that will certainly be one for the record books. One that you can tell your grandkids about one day. And congratulations, you win the prize for having the best immune system around.
I hope that good luck carries you and your loved ones through 2012.
So sorry to hear that the flu bug struck your family. Hope all are on the mend now. What part of Ohio were you in? I live in north central Ohio. Just curious. Have a safe trip back to Williamsburg. We made a brief stop there in August on our way home from Virginia Beach. Have a Happy & Healthy New Year!!!
Diane J./Ohio
Thanks, everyone! Lillie is feeling much better today, but Lola is still a little under the weather. I'm hoping she'll be feeling better tomorrow.
Katie and Becky – Thanks! Its one of my favorites! My mom got it for her for Christmas (I think its from Baby Gap).
Gail – We were somewhere between Louisville and Lexington, not sure the name of the town.
Daine – We're in Oxford, Ohio for the Miami of Ohio game.
Whoops – Gail, Jon was somewhere between Lexington and Louisville, not us. Although we did drive through there on our way from VA to IN
Sometimes it's those crazy visits that are the most memorable, but I'm sorry so many of you got sick! My in-laws visited us in California once and we all got the flu, it was crazy!
I hope you have a safe trip home, and I can't wait to hear your big news. Happy New Year to you all, and a very Happy Birthday to your Mom!
Kat 🙂
Glad you guys are feeling better. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas despite the flu everyone had. How did you not get it? Have a Happy New Year. Stay healthy! Cant wait to see all your new ideas for this year. God bless you all. Donna
So sorry to hear about the sickness, but glad everyone is doing better. Lovely pictures of the children, you have such an eye with your camera. Happy New Year and good health!
I'm so sorry to hear about your family catching the flu! That's never fun. Glad you were spared though. When Mom's sick, that's bad!
You certainly did have an adventure! I am so sorry so many of you got sick and what a blessing that you didn't come down with it. I hope everyone is on the mend now. Darling photos and what a doll little Lola is in her adorable red dress. Happy Birthday to your Mom! Safe travels back home, Jennifer.
Wow this sounded like a nightmare come true~but you seem to have handled it in a great fashion. Even sick, the girls looked cute!
oh im so sorry to hear that everyone was sick- but a bonding experience for sure! and im sure everyone has said the same thing, but those girls are just adorable, even sick! im glad it didn't totally ruin your holiday 😉
Wow!! What a Christmas!!! And what a story to tell!!! 🙂 Glad everyone seems to be on the mend!
🙂
paige
Oh, Jen, I am so sorry that everyone was ill for Christmas, but so happy to see that everyone is well now. Isn't it amazing how the most unplanned times are some times the happiest.
Happy New Year to you and your entire family! I pray that 2012 is a happy and healthy one for all. Michelle