Christmas Present Weekend

So.  I have the hardest time trying to figure out what to get my parents for Christmas sometimes.  I have those years where it just comes to me!  Then I have those years that I stew over it for months.  Yes, I plan Christmas MONTHS in advance.  Anyway.  This was a superb idea, but it didn't come until super last minute.

We sent them a letter in the mail that was to arrive on Christmas Eve.

That didn't happen.

But they eventually got it.

Our letter said, in basic terms, that their present would come in the months to follow.  That the Christmas spirit could be kept alive and well, until their present arrived.

Well.  Their present arrived on their doorstep on January 28th in the form of five and a half people. We decided that for a Christmas present we would spend quality time with them by our onsies!!

We had a blast!  I told my mom right when we got there that Stephen and I were in charge of all of the meals and dishes for the next three days.  AND we had some yummy prizes in store.  (Stephen finally made my mom a cheesecake. ;) )

Thursday night we had Stephen's famous White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake.  Yum.  Stephen really has made this into an art.  He is good.

On Friday we took my parents to help us teach the kiddos how to ski.  That was a lot of fun.  Really. Maycee and Cooper had the time of their lives.  Oliver hated it.  He cried the entire three times that we took him up the magic carpet and down the hill.  He wasn't having ANY of it.

To give Ollie a little bit of credit, it was a miserable day for skiing.  It was really windy and snow was coming down hard.  As we were driving up the mountain, my spirits just kept sinking lower and lower and lower.  The higher we drove, we just didn't come out of the storm.  It was extremely disheartening when every worker, of their own volition, told us that today was not a day to teach kids to ski.

HEY!!

We'd been planning this for a month and this was the only time it worked!  Sometimes you don't have the convenience of waiting for good weather....

Anyway.

Again.  Maycee and Cooper loved it.  That made my heart happy.

Favorite picture.  I really wish I could have gotten a happy Maycee going down the hill, but I was never able to catch her!

Before we drove down the mountain, my parents were positive that the kids would fall asleep on the way home.  Nope.  Not my kids.  They were completely hyped up and yelling for food the entire drive back to Grandma and Grandpa's.  Good thing I had a sausage, crackers, olives, and bananas!

On Saturday we hung around the house.  I love this picture.  My dad was showing the kids pictures of cool farm equipment.  The kids were all glued to the screen.

My mom really wanted to make a Valentine's Day craft with the kids.  Unfortunately she chose one that ended up being a project made by me, my mom, and my dad.  Maycee did as much as she was able.

Saturday evening we headed out.  Merry Christmas Grandma and Grandpa!!!