About 15 years ago, Jamie's parents bought a condo in Keystone, CO which is a lovely ski area kind of near Vail. They bought it with the intent their sons, wives and kids could all come up and have big family vacations. We've come up a few times in the summers and even been here when Jamie's brother and wife were here too but this past week was the first time we were all here with kids. (My mom came too.)

The trip started out nice enough, Jamie and the kids flew out and met his parents, brother, sister in law and their 1 year old. My mom and I flew out on the 26th. Jamie let me know that pretty much after they landed, Kacey started vomiting but the next morning she appeared fine. By the time I saw her she was ok but then around 5ish she told me her tummy hurt and if she took a nap she would feel better. So she actually went to bed and covered herself up and went to sleep. This was a hint that things were not ok with her.
A couple hours later she woke up and started vomiting again and again and again. Jamie and I got concerned enough that we took her to the ER. Three hours, some oxygen and a popsicle later and she was feeling better. They also said she was a bit dehydrated and suggested we keep watching her, which we did. She was fine from then on.

Unfortunately, while we were waiting to see the doctors, I started feeling queasy. About an hour into the wait I ran off to the bathroom to vomit and the other thing that is not pleasant. For the next 2 hours of the wait I ran back to the bathroom several times and ended up getting Kacey to sit in a chair so I could lay in her bed. The nurses kept asking if I wanted to be admitted. I remember calling my mom and letting her know in case it was food poisoning, "No way, I feel fine!", she said.  The drive home from the hospital at 1am was torture. I really wanted to be dead instead. By the time we got home I could barely make it up the stairs and Jamie had to help me to bed. I spent the next day in bed. It sucked. But it got worse...

Around 1am my mom woke up with the same thing and spent 3 hours on the bathroom floor. (Fortunately she and my in-laws were in a friends condo.) So she spent the next day in bed too.

Thursday night, David was running around and tripped or fell or something. He was on the floor and said his foot hurt. We held him for a bit and then he seemed fine. Friday morning when he woke up he complained that the fire engine was broken. Huh? Well he was wearing pajamas with fire engines and he pointed to his ankle and said that fire engine was broken, he then climbed down from the bed and started crawling around. By the afternoon, I got concerned and off to the local clinic we went. David was amused.
So 2 hours and some x-rays later, it was determined nothing could be found wrong. Nothing broken, just a mild sprain perhaps. So David, very pathetically, crawled around for the next 3 days and did not start walking again until Sunday night. Not much snow play for him but he seemed content to play with his new train anyways.

On Friday, Jamie, his brother Dave and sis in law Kristie went skiing, well they attempted. After the first run Dave felt like crap and sat in the lodge. Another run and Kristie felt awful. Jamie was the driver so they all left. Dave and Kristie pretty much were in bed the rest of the day. Jamie's dad also developed a low fever and went to bed early.

Saturday night Marie went home to bed early as she was feeling off and later that evening she was vomiting and laying on the bathroom floor. She was in hiding all day Sunday. Also on Saturday night, Jamie got hit with it and spent a few hours on our bathroom floor. and was in hiding all day Sunday.

By Sunday evening Baby Ria started vomiting and then around dinnertime David started too. He was our last holdout for not getting sick (except the ankle issue) Both he and Ria were at it off and on all night.

So our vacation started with Kacey sick at the airport and ended with all 10 people getting sick, 8 of which vomited and had other very bad things happen. I think the last vomiting occurred around 2:30 am and it's been ok since. Everyone is flying today except Jamie's parents so we are crossing fingers that the trip home is as uneventful as possible.

Fortunately there were some good times too! I will post those next, I just wanted to seperate the bad and the ugly from the good.

Kacey sat down and got David next to her. She then asked me to take their picture because they were so cute.
"Helping" me make cookies. I almost had a nervous breakdown. I don't know how the "good" moms do this!
Before.....
During, which is significant because this was the first time he sat in a chair and not on my lap. Fortunately they had the Cars movie on.
After!!!! He looks a year older. Don't know if that is a good thing though.
Kacey made this outfit herself with bubble wrap and lots of tape.
Since Jamie and the kids would be out of down on Christmas night, my Aunt and Uncle had a pre-Christmas dinner for them. Both kids really enjoyed Megann playing piano.
After dinner we drove around to look for lights and found this street with 2 amazing houses that would do the Griswalds proud. In front of one of them was Santa!!! He was fantastic and the kids were so excited.




Very happily wearing her new horse t shirt from Aunt Sue.
Picking up Uncle Derrick at the airport. Kacey was soooooooo excited!
Christmas Eve at our house. Doesn't she just look so grown up?
David got a couple trains and a Cars Mac truck. He liked having the truck go alongside the trains and crash into them.


Christmas morning someone got the horse she has been asking for and we don't even have to feed it!!!!
At GG's house, Kacey got to work filling blintzes. She did a really great job and actually was helpful. She was so proud of herself too. It's so surreal to see her so grown up.



David actually likes the blintzes!

A train!!!!!!

Big hit! Uncle Derrick got them both Innotabs

Design N Drill. Super cool, highly recommend this.
Nanobugs from GG!!!! I think we will all be playing with these!!!
And of course another horse.

Oh my... and now to catch up with December so far.....

Our Holiday card.
A bobcat in our backyard after he caught a squirrel. He then hopped over the fence and disappeared. Yep, our backyard is a fun place!
Today Kacey was in charge of sharing the letter "I" She had to pick something that started with "I" then come up with 3 clues so her classmates could guess what it was. We helped her come up with insects (she brought some plastic ones) She actually thought of all 3 of these clues herself!
1. Some of these hop because they are afraid of us.
2. Some of these bite us because they are afraid of us.
3. Some of these can sting people because they are afraid of us.
Sense a theme?
The kids in front of a very lit up house in Altadena.
David at gym class. :)

So proud!
Kacey was very quiet one day so I peeked in and found her laying on her bed and knitting. She decided she wants to have a table and sell scarves for $2 each and then she can buy something.
We won this at a white elephant exchange. Awesome!
Alex's new backyard view. Just lovely!
Getting ready to go to Disney On Ice, mommy daughter day.
At Disney on Ice, do you think she liked it?


After going to Disney on Ice, Kacey passed out.
Kacey's school holiday performance. So different from last year. She sang all the songs and did the hand motions.



Taline waiting for Kacey's Holiday show to start. She wanted to sit on the floor in front of the stage to watch.
Daddy and David watching Kacey
Here she is making a heart during Feliz Navidad when they sing "From the bottom of my heart..."
I LOVE THIS PICTURE!!!!
The kids calmly and quietly drawing together.
David and Lorelei fascinated by Lorelei's train.
Going into Beckett's birthday party!! Fun times ahead!!!
Fun times at Beckett's birthday party!
A nice orderly line for cake.
David spent almost the entire party at the train tables.
What's going on?
Oh but I want some cake now!!!
Isn't this train awesome!!!
Such an amazing display!!!
So sad Kacey was too sick to go to Beckett's birthday party. She would have loved the petting area!

Is that really a reindeer behind me?
SNOW!!!!
Best friends :)
Snow? I don't know about this....
With Lilli and Ollie
More snow!

Waiting to see Santa
So excited to see Santa!!
Giving Santa their letters.
After seeing Santa we all went to lunch together. It was a fun but noisy lunch.
Fun at a friends house. They are just so cute together.
Painting time.
This year we decided to walk in the Montrose Christmas parade with The Little Gym. We met some interesting characters while waiting for the parade to start
Wheeeeeeeeeeeee

Kacey liked getting to pose with these 2 big girls.
What is rudolph doing up there?
Kacey getting ready to do more monkey jumps.
David running down the parade route with daddy.
At the end of the parade and soaking wet.
David is not amused by all the rain and the late night.