Splish Splash Holiday Bash

[Backspace.]  This post has been started and deleted and started and deleted several times. It had the misfortune of reading like a laundry list of what's been done and what't left to do around here with the Chirstmas holiday approaching at light's speed.

There was our first 'make your heart drop out of your body while the ache of panic and terror sets in' trip to the ER with Sophie. Sophie's primary care physician is on holiday with her family. It was hard to digest the words 'possible shunt malfunction' from one of her associates who knows little of the anomaly we lovingly know as our daughter. No offense to Dr. D. It's just hard to make that leap of faith and trust someone you've known all of 5 minutes. After resigning ourselves to a trip to Amplatz Children's Hospital, we headed home to pack overnight bags, preparing for the worst. To make a long story short, Sophie has a UTI, curable with antibiotics and a whole lotta lovin'. Whew! No really. I mean WHEW!!

After our Unexpected side trip, we moved on to bigger and better things. Kuehl Family Christmas had begun in earnest, the last of the sisters arriving while we were waiting for chest x-rays. There were cousins to play with who hadn't been seen since our trip to sunny Florida last May.

Presents were unwrapped amid a tangle of doggy legs.

Aunties and uncles who had yet to meet Sophie had their hearts stolen. Those who had already had the pleasure found themselves wrapped just a wee bit tighter around her little finger.

'Papa, come,' was heard repeatedly as grandsons basked in the light of Grandpa Doug's attention.

We ate, played and splashed our way through three daysnof non-stop loving and fun and craziness, only to find that snow prevented weary party goers from making the long drive home.

Did you know someone so tiny could be so glamorous?  

We ate chili and hot pretzels while watching Monday night football. The wind howled. The snow flew. We savored every last bit, until tumbling into bed. Exhausted and HAPPY.