Snow, Sun and Stitches

 

 

A few weeks ago we had a great snow storm come our way.  I know a lot of people despise the freezing temperatures and frosty accumulation, but not Mr. Grant. 

This kid lives for winter weather.  I have to shove him out the door in the heat, but come cold, I can't get him back inside.  He spent 7 hours out in the snow on one day of this storm.   I love it.  Katelee, while she too enjoys snow play, I think she just does it so she can come in and ask...

"Will you make me some hot chocolate, mom?!"

 

Just two weeks after a blizzard, we were on our way to sunny Arizona for Thanksgiving with Dave's brother Brian.  We stopped in Vegas and the Hoover Dam on the way. 

 

 

There's nothing like hearing your two year old yelling Hoover Dam (minus the Hoover part) over and over.  Oh, Brenna.  It was thoroughly enjoyed, much more than her screams of "I want to get out of this car!!!"  at the top of her lungs after a 6 hour stretch.  Overall, the kids did great on the road trip.  We had to pull off the side of the road for some pit stops-not easy with little girls- and we left a string of gas stations with locked stalls along Utah to Arizona because Brenna refused to let me in a stall to help her and then she would crawl out when she was finished.  I formally apologize to Chevron, Texaco, Shell, Holiday, circle K and any other fueling stations I missed. 

We got to go on a hike Thanksgiving morning- it was 84 degrees, people.  The kids loved the cactus all over. 

And Wonka Brian (as affectionately referred to by Brenna) was so nice to take us out on his boat the day after Thanksgiving.  Everyone loved it.  It was killing Grant not to be able to jump in the water, but we had a great time.  Brenna was dancing and hopping about making me a nervous wreck for most of the excursion.  And, of course, she didn't want anyone to touch her and secure her. 

We stopped by the Grand Canyon on our drive home.  I had never been there.  It's awesome.  Someday we will have to go back, explore, hike and wonder at a wonder of the world!

Thanksgiving over, on to Christmas!  We started setting out our Christmas decor this week and in preparation, I took all our regular home decor off the counters.  Katelee didn't notice where I had placed these items and while dancing/jumping about sat right down on this little beauty:

Can you imagine begin stabbed by the Eiffel Tower?  Katelee can, because she was.  She came down on it just below her little bum cheek and the point went right through her clothes and through her leg.  We inspected it and noticed there was fat sticking out of a deep hole in her leg. While holding down a dry heave, I carried her to the car and whisked her away to the hospital.  She had a couple stitches.  I would show pics of the injury, but it's in a very delicate area!  Poor girl.  She was so worried Grant, Brenna and Dave would decorate without her.  They held off, of course, and Grant made her the sweetest card with money taped inside.  She came home from the hospital and he asked her if she had looked on her bed (where the card was located).  She told him no and she asked him if he had something 'sweet' for her there.  He nodded and she extended her arms to him, cocked her head to the side and said, "Oh, Grant, come here."  It was adorable.  Then, Grant, disgusted by the thought of affection screamed as he laughed and ran away.  They did end up hugging and I thought, by golly, they do love each other after all!