Christmas Eve Skating Party

After our Christmas Eve morning skating adventure, Anna texted me a photo with the caption: "that one time Anna forgot to check what time the warming shack opened ... but it turned out pretty darn fun." She was exactly right. It was the perfect morning! But let's start at the beginning ...

While supervising the nursery at church on Sunday, Anna and I made a game plan to take the kids ice skating the next morning. There were multiple benefits - 1) Dec and Ott have been dying to get out skating together, 2) the weather looked lovely, and 3) Monday was Christmas Eve and we needed activities to fill the day until the party that evening. We decided to meet at the Southwest rink because there was a nice big warming shack (southern friends, this is literally a heated shack with benches where you can put your skates on without freezing).

Auntie had her annual Christmas Eve brunch with her friends that morning and Fiona opted to go with Auntie and meet us at the rink later. Quinn and Dec opted to not go with Auntie and skate. As we were driving to the rink, Anna texted me that the warming shack was locked (apparently it didn't open until noon). So we moved on to Plan B and got the kids ready in the backs of the SUVs. We were also glad that Mike was with (even though he was working) to help us out - as Ott and Dec wanted to wear full hockey equipment. And man, no warming shack is tough on the bare hands required to tie all those skates!

We skated a while and had so much fun. Anna and I decided to just wear our boots for faster retrieval of children/random items/Milo. Mike popped his skates on for the first time since he hurt his foot and was pleased with how it felt. He even raced Quinn down the length of the ice (while skating backwards to her forward). And spun all the children around the ice on the end of his stick.

Anna had made cookies that morning, so we took a quick warm-up break in her car and had a treat (or two). Fiona and Auntie arrived about this time, so Mike helped Fiona get skates on too. Then it was back out for a little more skating. Without the warming shack and with a bit of a chilly wind, Anna, Mike, and I were fully prepared for the kids to last 10 minutes (or less). Instead we were there for almost an hour and a half and simply had the best time. Nothing beats skating outside. With friends.

We laughed so hard at all the ridiculous things that happened. And Anna's text was totally right. It did not go according to plan, and yet, it was pretty darn fun!

A few of my favorite moments from the morning:

• Milo was occupying himself in the car while Anna helped Otto get ready and found the button to drop her tailgate. This was his favorite trick - and Anna spent a lot of time saving her noggin.
• When we were eating cookies, I couldn't get Dec's face mask unsnapped - and he couldn't fit his cookie through the mask. So I broke his cookie and fed him through the mask. I may be a rookie at this equipment business - but I can get a cookie to my child.
• I mentioned Mike was working ... and skating. He actually got a call while on the ice - and literally skated circles while doing some IT troubleshooting. 
• Quinn decided to pull both Dec and Otto around on the end of her hockey stick and it was quite the sight to behold. That girl is nothing if not determined.

Cookies and Cousins

The girls were extra excited for church on Sunday. First, they got to wear their new super fancy Christmas dresses that Gma had bought them. But most importantly, they got to meet new baby cousin, Beau. And if I had to list things that small Vs like, cousins and babies would be near the top of the list (cousins might actually be the top ...).

Quinn went to church early with Gma and Gpa to help them usher (aka smile at people and be complimented on her beautiful dress). The rest of us scooted in just as church was starting. Otto and Declan were reunited and it was as good as they had both hoped. Mike ended up just referring to the two of them as "the walking bromance."

The kids also couldn't wait to hang with Huxey and make sure he knew that he was just as beloved as the new baby. We even brought up a cool Avengers tent just for him - because being a new big bro is tough work.

After the children's time during the service, Anna and I took the kids to the nursery and Liv ran home to grab Beau. Then in the quieter setting of the nursery, the kids got to take turns holding him and loving on him. It was the perfect place for a meet and greet that wasn't too overwhelming - or germy. He's the sweetest baby and we are all in love. The girls would have held him forever. Dec was very happy to hold him, return him, and get back to playing trucks with Ott and Hux.

After the service was done, we headed downstairs to the Fellowship Hall where all Johnsons were shocked/dismayed/appalled that there were no cookies. WHAT?!?! The cousins were able to rally, despite the circumstances, and joined the rest of the littles running around the basement. Anna and I even managed a Christmas miracle and got five of the seven to cooperate and smile for a picture (the bigger miracle will come on the Eve, when we get all.seven).

After a quick stop by Huxey's house to drop off some hand-me-downs and see Jesse, we headed back to Gma's for lunch and rests. Both Q and Dec were really tired and a nap was greatly beneficial to them. Mike and my dad took advantage of the gorgeous day to head out for some ice fishing.

Once the nappers were awake, we got out the frosting and sprinkles to decorate Christmas cookies. They did a great job and were highly entertained when I told them that Gma didn't love silly things like blue Christmas trees and yellow Santas. Suddenly there were a lot more blue trees. The apples didn't fall far from me ... And because of the cookie disappoint of the morning, my consumption rules post-decorating were more lax than usual. They weren't Grandpa level rules, but I did turn the other way when I saw a second cookie being snagged.

The rest of the day was nice and low-key. Dec tricked me into building a very complicated fire truck out of my Dad's Construx set (Auntie said I was obsessed, but I was just focused. Really ...) and I got everyone washed up. Then it was pizza dinner and back out to the woods for most of us. Quinn and Mike decided to stay back. She was getting a bit of a stuffy nose and his foot was sore after the day on the lake.

Once the kids were in bed, the rest of us enjoyed the fire and watched White Christmas. It was an equally busy and relaxing day. The perfect combination - and just how we like to spend our break.

Walk(s) in the Woods

Saturday night was perfect for our annual moonlight walk through the woods over Christmas break. We had spent a good portion of the day in the car - so fresh air sounded great. It was a lovely night out with just the perfect amount of snow flurries. And, mostly important, there was snow on the ground! We had definitely upgraded from the frozen brown ground of the Cities to the lovely white ground up north.

After dinner, eight people pulled all the snow gear on. You guys, this is no small feat. In the midst of getting ready, I always question whether the outing will be worth it. And it never fails to be more than worth it!!! We sadly left Yogs at Gma and Gpa's house. His legs are not what they used to be and that walk would have been really hard on him. Grandpa made him a fire to lay by when we got back to make up for it. He seemed to forgive us.

We had a full moon and barely needed the head lamps. Grandma and Grandpa had been packing and clearing the trail for a few weeks and it was just perfect. We pulled the kids on sleds and savored the peacefulness of the woods. The sledding hill was ideal and all three enjoyed several trips down the hill. Even though we had an adult guard at the bottom, as usual, Dec's sled ended up in a tree. Luckily, Gpa grabbed D as the sled whizzed by so it was only a sled and not a sled plus rider in the tree.

Instead of turning around and taking the trail back, we continued down the hill, cut across the frozen swamp by following a deer trail, and ended up on the lake. We were able to walk the full length of the lake and came out where we swim at the beach in the summer. The kids's minds were blown. With just a few inches of snow (on top of a lot of inches of ice), the sled pullers were able to send our riders on a few shriek-inducing spins. [Although I may or may not have dumped Q off the sled nose-first onto the ice ... ]

When we got off the lake, we decided to check out the park as well. We remembered how fast the slides were a few years ago and wondered if they were as fast. Yep. Sure were! And the ground at the bottom was packed and very icy. The tall, straight slide was incredibly fast and was very difficult to land gracefully. Unless you were Dec. Dude sailed off the slide, hit his landing, slid on both feet, and made it look so easy. It was not. Quinn was also a master lander. Anyone taller than the short Vs had a bit more gravity to deal with.

Bugs hit a slick spot and smacked her head on the side of a slide, so we decided to head up the hill and back home. Gma made hot chocolate, Gpa made a fire, and bedtime was pretty quiet. We had the most wonderful time - and a few of us even repeated the trek the next night. 

However, it was colder on Sunday night, so we didn't stay out as long. Just enough for a few more runs down the slide so Dec could continue to perfect his landing form. As always, our moonlight walk was a highlight of the trip. You simply cannot beat the crisp air, the peace of the woods, and the time together.

Pre-Christmas Christmas

About a week before Christmas, we learned that Brad's parents - commonly referred to in both the P house and our house as Nana and PopPop - were coming down to the Cities on Friday to spend the holidays with their [actual] kids. Since we weren't leaving until Saturday and we are their adopted children (especially Mike, who spent as much time at their house as his own growing up), we "casually" asked where they were staying so we could "casually" drop by to wish them a Merry Christmas and get some hugs.

Brad's sister doubted our "casual" ability and decided to throw a "pre-Pilcher Christmas" pizza party on Friday night - and just save time by inviting us (she's so smart!). We are so grateful that both B and C include us in their family events. We happily claim Vannestes, Johnsons, Collers, and Pilchers!

The girls were off school on Friday, and I worked from home. My office closed early, so the girls and I also used the time to get us packed up for the trip North the next day. I gave them a list in the morning of things they needed to accomplish. They weren't too happy about it until they read the line "if you can agree on a place, I'll take you out to lunch." Spoiler alert: they agreed - and we had a delightful girls lunch out at Perkins. They were so well-behaved and happily smiled and said "Merry Christmas" to other diners. When I went to pay, we found that a gentleman had left $5 to help cover our bill. So kind and made their day. 

I picked Dec up a little early and got everyone run through the shower before we headed over to Terra's house for pizza. The kids had a blast playing with their buddies and we had the best time visiting with the full P family. I had tried to explain to the girls how we were "adopted Pilchers," which somehow ended with them thinking that Brad was adopted. They eventually decided an explanation was unnecessary as long as our status continues to mean that we get Nana's fresh-baked banana bread. 

We slept in a bit Saturday morning, finished packing up (while Mike muttered a lot about how much stuff we were bringing), and hit the road late morning. Everyone was in a holly jolly mood and we got about an hour of driving in before we decided to stop at Denny's for lunch. We often grab drive thru food to keep moving when we go up, so a full stop at a sit-down restaurant was a big treat. We enjoyed the extra time out of the car, filled our bellies, got Newsies rolling in the DVD player, and pointed the car north. 

The drive was uneventful (hallelujah!), we arrived at Gma and Gpa's mid-afternoon, and ... best of all ... there was SNOW in Rapids! Christmas could officially begin.

Eventful Birthday

Sigh ... that thing we learned when I had to do thirteen blog posts in September to catch up ... it didn't stick. Or - this is a strategic move to keep my memory sharp. Maybe it's that ...

If we rewind waaaaaaaaayyyy back to Mike's birthday (five days before Christmas for those of you who are already fully locked in 2019), a few notable events occurred - perhaps even more notable than it being Mike's last birthday in his thirties!

On my drive to work, my radio station reminded me that tickets for the second Garth Brooks concert went on sale that morning. Garth is basically bucket list for me - to the point where Mike and I even considered flying out to Vegas when he was doing a residency there. My bucket list suffers from the fact that I am also pretty cheap - which meant I was never ready to pay all the money for a trip to Vegas. But the tickets for the concert here were reasonably priced, as long as you could buy them through Ticketmaster and not be subjected to the markups of people reselling them.

Promptly at 10am, I logged into Ticketmaster - to find myself in a queue behind 2000+ people (which was WAY more than that ... it was just as high as it would count). I waited in queue for almost two hours (which sounds more impressive than it was. It was online so I just had the Ticketmaster window open on one of my monitors while I went about my day on the other one. And stressed, of course) and against ALL ODDS, I got tickets!!! They aren't great seats, but they aren't horrible either. After my adrenaline rush wore off, I sent Mike a text to tell him I had bought him the birthday present of being able to take me to the concert. All people should be so lucky to have wives as generous as I am.

Then at the very end of the afternoon, I got a call with an offer for a new job. It's a different role within the same company. I applied for it in early October and have been through four rounds of interviews. I was not expecting to hear anything before the holidays, so was caught a bit by surprise. When I told Mike, he reminded me that he accepted the job for the theater last year on his birthday. I told him maybe next year, we celebrate his day without major life changes.

That was a lot of emotion packed into a work day and I was exhausted. But we still managed to celebrate our favorite family leader with Swedish meatballs and ice cream in a cup (with a candle because we're classy). It may have been a subdued end of Mike's thirties, but if the kids and I have anything to do with it, the forties will not come quietly.