I have got to get back in my routine! This 10 day stuff is too hard. But hopefully, no worries, I'm writing late, so that I can actually get to bed, as that is my goal at this point :)
Short Version: Jeff had fun with Tim and Hans the weekend prior to Christmas. I had fun visiting with Lisa and her family while she was down in Omaha. Quick work week. Traveled to MN on Thursday. Brad flew in Friday. Went to a Wings Vs. Wild game on Saturday. Jeff found out he passed part 3 of CPA exam...very exciting! Christmas Eve we played pictionary, went to Church and exchanged gifts. Christmas was spent up in the cities at the Great Lodge water park and hotel, which was a ton of fun and neat way to spend Christmas.
Longer:
Well, it was a short week at work, but prior to that it was the weekend. We had Tim over as I think you know, and Hans came in late on Saturday night and the boys had fun together. Sunday, I got up and on my way to Omaha to visit with Lisa and Keith and her folks, by eating at Olive Garden and heading to Westside Church for a Christmas Pageant. It was wonderful to be with them, and on the way home I stopped in Lincoln for a Cheerwine...yea! I headed directly to Ryan and Megan's for our TNT Christmas Party and White Elephant gift exchange. I received a Christmas tree that you are suppose to put cheeses and Vienna sausages on with toothpicks...it's one of a kind for sure. Jeff received a "Property of XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXL" t-shirt...too funny! We had a fun time fellowshipping with our group around the holidays!
Monday was back to work...boy was there a lot to do to get everything ready to go when I got back...I really faced that music on Wednesday, when I stayed late at work. Tuesday night we packed Christmas dinner bags at Salvation Army with the youth group, to be handed out to underprivileged people in the community. We had a good assembly line going, so it was fun. Jeff had off Wednesday, which was probably good with freezing rain we got...glad he didn't have to drive in on that. Like I said I worked late on Wednesday, so I didn't have to go in on Thursday, and we could just get on the road before the Denver storm started heading our way. Glad we did! We packed and got ready until after midnight, and got up at a decent time on Thursday morning to get on the road.
Thursday, then of course was driving, but Jeff did have a special thing in mind for lunch...Jimmy John's. It was great! We got to Rochester for dinner and socializing. Watched the Viking's lose, which I'm sure was fine with the Whaley's who were at the game!
Friday, Jeff and I slept in and did some last minute shopping for his folks, and got back for dinner and that's when Jeff's mom and Bradley arrived in from the airport. I know Jeff really was glad to see and spend time with Brad. We did pick up one surprise...a cookie from the cookie company at the mall...oh boy is that yummy! We saw one of Jeff's friends, Nate at the mall and caught up with him.
On Sunday, all five of us went to have lunch at this great restaurant, The Hubble House. It was sure a great treat! Nancy and I afterward, glanced through a few gift stores. We stopped back in Rochester for a little while, then started making the drive up to the twin cities. We went into the Xcel Center for a battle between the MN Wild, and the Wiitanen's favorite team, The Detroit Red Wings. We got real close to them during warm ups and I snapped some pics. Then we went to our seats, to watch a very uneventful two periods, and a more exciting, third period, and disappointing overtime. Oh well. It was great to see live hockey that's for sure! They even had the mascots play on the ice at half-time...Merry Christmas to me! I watched TV for awhile, while Jeff headed to bed. A little while later, Jeff came out to the computer, and after a minute, he was jumping up and down. I looked at the screen to see he passed the 3rd part out of 4 of his CPA exam...so the excitement made sense. We talked about his plans and motivation for awhile and went to bed. What a great Christmas Gift the Nebraska Board of Accountants gave Jeff this year. He plans to take the next test in late February, and will find out (hopefully positive results) in March. He has until July to pass this part, so it seems pretty feasible, if he cracks down on the book here, which he is quite motivated to do. So proud of what he's been able to accomplish with this test in 2006---three parts...very impressive!
On Sunday, Jeff got up and told the family the good news, and of course they thought that was great. I talked to my family back in SC for a little while, which was great. We went out and picked up some stuff, and came home and the five of us played a mean game of Pictionary. Bradley found out what it was like to be on the guys team. Just a little FYI...Nancy and I win every time because, for example, if the word is the Rockies, instead of drawing mountains and pointing to the CO area of the US Map you would draw, Jeff starts drawing baseball...it's always entertaining. So all the boys draw their sports analogies, and Nancy and I...well we just draw thing that are coherent and we win. It was still a fun game, but so funny to watch how Bradley comes up with some of those dingers too, like his brother. We surely know they are all related! We played twice again tonight, and the ladies continue to be victorious. OK, so after Pictionary, we went to church, then came back, ate dinner and opened gifts from one another. The Wiitanen's, Bradley, Janet and Grandma and Grandpa Lack were quite generous to us. Thank you for the wonderful gifts. After Midnight we called it quits and went to bed.
Monday morning, Christmas morning, we got up and packed and looked in our stockings to see what Santa brought us. More fun stuff! Then we were off to the cities to visit the Great Lodge Hotel and Water park. Nancy and Glenn reserved a room there as part of our Christmas. We unloaded our stuff and changed into our swimsuits and enjoyed the largest indoor water park in America on Christmas. This place had maybe around 6 slides, one was a family ride, where you sit in a giant inter-tube and ride it down a big tube, which was probably my favorite...when Bradley's knee doesn't clobber me in the head...and there were several speed slides, and other slides where you ride down in a tube. Then there was a lazy river, a wave pool and the coolest, newest thing in the water entertainment, and surf machine thing, where water rushes up and you jump on a boogie board and simulate that surf feeling. Jeff, Brad and I tried that. We did better than we imagined. I took a fuzzy picture of Jeff, but will send that when I get home. The whole park was fun and entertained us for probably 4-5 hours...it was fun. We showered up and Jeff and Brad played this Pacman game Glenn got for Christmas for awhile, while Nancy and Glenn sat by the fire down in the lobby. I began not feeling well around 9...don't know if it was exhaustion after doing all the stairs, the chlorine getting to me or what, but stayed close to bathrooms and trash cans until the nausea passed after I feel asleep. While I was beginning to fall asleep, the four played a Texas Hold 'Em tourney which Nancy will be glad I mentioned that she ended up winning.
We got up this morning, Nancy and Glenn went and enjoyed the park a few more hours. I was feeling better, but still had a headache...could be from my knock in the head, or dehydration, but much better none-the-less. Then, we packed up the car and went to IKEA across the street. It's fun to look through that stores...bought a few things, then headed to the Mall of America across the parking lot, to eat and do a little shopping. It was busy, but not as busy as I could have imagined. It's nice to get over there when we can though. We headed back around 3 or so. Then tonight we watched some TV, played Pictionary as I mentioned, then I've watched some TV and am coming close to finishing my cross-stitch project. I've also had some time to look at people's profiles and pictures on Myspace and Facebook...which has been fun.
At the moment, no big new year plans...just renting movies and snuggling I think are on the agenda...so much for this e-mail being short...it took nearly 45 minutes to write...need sleepy...
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed your families as I'm learning those get-togethers are now fewer and far between, so worth much enjoyment!
Have a great rest of the week, and will probably wish you a Happy New Year in a few days!
Gina the Squid, Jeff the Seal and Brad the Fish