Welp, Michael and I decided to stay home this Christmas, well I guess Christmas Eve is always just us because we go to the Cornerstone service, and then down to Jolly Holiday Lights in Des Moines. By the way, if you are looking for a fun tradition, this is GREAT!! It's a fundraiser for the make a wish foundation!! It's something we enjoy, and Cooper likes riding in the car looking at everything as well! Well, we have a tradition, when we return from the lights, we get a warm drink, cocoa, or cider, and then open one gift. This gift is ALWAYS lounge-wear, to wear that night and all day Christmas Day. We look forward to when we have kids, and we will draw names to see who gets to pick our "jammies" for who :) Right now it's us, but we enjoy it. We are excited for the day that we welcome our children into "our" traditions! It is very important to me that we have traditions now, and not just wait until we have kids. That way, when our kids grow up and move out and start their own traditions, we will still do ours.
We enjoyed just staying at home, trying out our new Kuerig machine, which we LOVE! Thanks Nancy!! It was just nice to relax, especially before spending the rest of the week driving up north to Mason, and then to KC.
Our travels started with a hiccup! A funny story, involving Cooper, Police, and Peta. We had decided that since my cousin Ryan from Colorado was doing a wrestling tournament in Waverly, we would head that direction to cheer him on. Welp, as many of you know, Cooper LOVES the car. I took him for a potty walk, cracked the windows, and gave him water. Remember this has been an exceptionally warm winter, so it was about 50 degrees, and sunny. After 1 1/2 hours in the gym, I hear my license plate read over the intercom. My first thought was someone was taunting the dog. So I got up, saw an officer at the door, but just kept walking to the car. Got to the car and Cooper was asleep. When he saw us he got all excited, so we decided that we would just take off. I went back inside to get our stuff and to let our family know we were leaving when the officer and the announcer were getting ready to announce my car again. I told them the car was mine, and the guy was relieved. He kinda laughed, and said, that some young girl had called the POLICE!! yeah, police! She was concerned about Cooper, because he was now out of water. The officer said she was refusing to leave the car. So he told her he would talk to the owners. He had no problem with Cooper being in the car, mostly because conditions were fine. It was a beautiful day, and Cooper didn't seem distressed, but rather comfortable when he approached the car. He kept complimenting Cooper, and saying how his boss has Wheatens, and how is next dog will be a wheaten.
So the officer and I went to the car, because I told him we were just going to leave. He reassured us that we could stay. He told the story to Michael, and Michael asked if the girl was with Peta. The officer chuckled, and said he wasn't sure, she sounded really young, but maybe the mom was. After the officer had been in his car for a while, he returned to our car and told Michael that he had called the girl, and told her everything was ok. The girls response, and he said it was word for word.."I'm so glad to hear that, I'm just really big into PETA!!!" So that's the story of Cooper spicing up our trip!!
The rest of the traveling was nice. We enjoyed getting family pictures with the May's and the McHenry's, and we can't wait to see them!
The week of Christmas and New Years, was hard, but not as hard as I had anticipated, and I know that is due to many of you who have just showered us in prayers. And for that we are VERY grateful! God was so good to just wrap His arms around us that entire week. And our families were very sensitive to our thoughts in things that were said and done.
We had busy week, so we celebrated New Year's with New York! So we could go to bed! We look forward to what's in store for 2012! This beautiful weather has been such a blessing, and the year is just beginning!!
I'll try to do better at posting, things were just crazy this last month!
