Christmas Happenings

I thought I should write down a few highlights of Christmas 2009 before the baby brain attacks and I forget everything that happened. So here's a little top five action for you.

1. The above photo (taken by Jonathan's cousin Sherri -thanks!) is from the Bartel family's Christmas Pageant this year. I got to be Mary, and I rode in to town on a Donkey who looked suspiciously like Jonathan. Other important roles: Isaac as Joseph/director, Aspen as The Star of Bethlehem/narrator's helper, Katina as Narrator, Megan & Chris as lambs, Isaac's stuffed bunny as Baby Jesus, and Richard, Joshua, and Joel as Wise Men.

2. The Pageant was followed by a surprise baby shower! The Bartels gave us lots and lots of love and warm fuzzies, as well as a whole stash of awesome diapers, diapering accessories, teeny tiny adorable baby clothes, etc. AND we found out that our Baby B is going to be the 50th Bartel in the family (counting from Jonathan's Grandfather Paul).

3. On the way home, we flew out of Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. Always an adventure. We were scheduled to leave at 5:20 AM and we got to the airport at about 3:45 AM. We waited for the ticket counter to open... we waited for the TSA folks to open so we could be screened... we waited for somewhere, anywhere, that sold food of any kind to open so I could eat before getting on the plane... but no place did. We walked out on the tarmac to board, as you often do in Wichita. We waited forever to get de-iced. A guy behind us puked all over the himself and his seat. We waited for the flight attendants to figure out what to do. We went back to the gate to drop off the ill passenger. We waited (on the plane) while they cleaned the plane. We finally made it to Atlanta, then Raleigh. And home. With our freshly-broken duffel bag that we paid an extra $90 to take home (it was over the weight limit and at 3 AM we were too tired and wanted to go home too badly to unpack the whole thing at the airport to figure it out)... well the bag is now out of commission as the airline broke off a wheel. But we were home!

4. We got to see almost everyone we wanted to see, and we even got to catch up with some bonus friends and family! This was most definitely the highlight of the trip and the reason for going back to Kansas.


5. We had a white Christmas.


... and I know I said top 5, but I have to remember all the delicious food we had. Since the midwife was fine with my weight gain, I can smile at the memories of Dillon's Chinese food (seriously. SO GOOD.), Nu-Way, The Donut Whole, The Beacon, my grandma's recipe for crab mold made by my brother, Auntie M's cheese dip, my grandma's recipe for Danish coffee cake made by me and mom... and all of the other delicious food I'm forgetting!

It was a wonderful Christmas and we were sad to go home. But soon we'll be preoccupied with our own growing family - and we get to see our moms again soon which always helps! :)