Merry Christmas!

Yes, we have been missing for quite some time, but it has been a crazy couple of weeks.

Here is a recap:

Mia catches a cold

Gabe catches cold

Gabe goes to Denver for a week

My mom comes to visit

Mom catches a cold

I catch a cold

Mom goes home

Mia gets ear infection

I get ear infection

Mia has high fever for 2 days

Mia and I sit in the Lazy Boy for 2 whole days

Mia doesn't sleep

We don't sleep

Two weeks = three trips to the dr = no sleep=no christmas shopping=no trip to see santa=no family pictures=no christmas cards=disappointment. Maybe next Christmas.

Presently, I am happy to report we are on the mend. Mia slept through the night the last two nights. Her cold seems to be gone and ear infection waning. Things look to be getting back to normal.
We head to Denver this week. A storm is coming through promising a white Christmas for all, but that also means our plans to leave Tuesday were postponed until Christmas Day. In any case, I won't be blogging until the new year, so from the Schnelle house to yours...


MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Crazy

Yea, things are crazy. Every year it seems they get crazier. This year, the normal craziness is coupled with an infant.

Super-crazy.

This week, I finished up final papers for school, am deep into a project for my "freelance" biz, Mom is here visiting and helping out while Gabe in Denver (that dog) for work, and Mia has her first cold. That I now have. That my mom is getting too. Oh, and Gabe has it too but he is in Denver so he doesn't count.

Uber-crazy.

And I still am trying to figure out how I am going to get the family christmas photo and write the yearly family newsletter for our christmas cards which I need to somehow mail before christmas....hmmmmm.

So please forgive (seems like I do this a lot?) me once again for my lack of blogging.

P.s. - Don't think I have forgotten about pic of the week even though its behind a few weeks. Again..it's crazy.

P.P.S - can you see Mia's new pearly whites?

Thanksgiving

Mia's first Thanksgiving was a bittersweet holiday for us. We were so excited to celebrate this milestone with her, but Gabe's Dad was never far from our minds. Also, a dear family member lost his battle with cancer a couple of weeks ago, so our Turkey Day started out with a short memorial service for him (which we ended up missing because we were running terribly late).

Nonetheless, we all enjoyed our day with family. This year, for logistical reasons around the memorial service, it was held in a ballroom at the Residence Inn in Springfield, MO. All the usual people brought all the usual food and it was fabulous. Between Bonnie's deviled eggs, Kathleen's sweet potato casserole, and Judy's sinful creamy corn, we were in heaven. Mia loved it too!

Of course, Mia stole the show looking so stinkin' cute in this outfit! (thanks Linda!)

Such a big girl eating at the big table!

My favorite picture of the day...

Of course, no holiday at the Schnelle house is complete without a little dress-up...

Having a little fun with Uncle Michael...

A fireside chat with Grandma B...

We have so much to be thankful for this year.