Kelly Cabin Christmas to Years End

 12/26 -12/28 Gift exchanges are getting harder so we decided to give the gift of "presence."  Just show up. For the Kelly Christmas get together we rented the Sacajawea cabin at Lost Trails Hot Springs in Sula Montana.   4 individual rooms. 2 with kitchenettes, each with queen and 2 beds in a loft plus the full basement gathering room with a room on the side with10 bunkbeds.  There was enough room to play, talk, come together and sneak away.  It was perfect.  All the cousins slept together; laughing and playing late into the night.   Some epic nerf battles ensued.    JD's  family spent the week before Christmas in the hospital. Echo's Facebook post 12-15-21 "McKayla had a rough night last night. She was ice skating with her dad when a big ol’ brute ran into her and then fell on her. She got a linear fracture on her skull, and we spent the night in the PICU. She is doing OK today, is talking to us and even colored a little. There is still some bleeding and some air in the brain cavity so we will be here at least another night so she can be monitored. We are so grateful for all the calls, texts, thoughts and prayers. We love you."  We weren't sure if they would be able to make it.  Thankfully they did.  Wolf (a game similar to old school murder in the zoo or Detective) would not be the same without them.  All our littles are growing up. Most played at least one round.  

Some of JD's family hit the ski hill but most of us just hung out at the lodge. Kids went sledding on the packed driveway. Echo and Malena brought tons of goodies for a Gingerbread building contest (what a fun yummy mess). Mace took a tumble down the loft ladder. I really thought he broke his leg thankfully it was just a skinned back. The twins celebrated their 10th Birthday with an awesome motorcycle cake. There was a hot springs at the main building as a nice bonus to our accommodation package. First in on our first evening swim...Lane dove head first into a partly submerged cement divider (from kiddy wading pool to 3 feet level) in the hazy swimming pool. He broke his nose and chipped a tooth. He was pretty swollen all weekend. We think matching bubblewrap jumpsuits for that family is in order. For a weekend with this crazy bunch we come out mostly unscathed. We only really had one or two Drama Llama moments. And honestly I wouldn't trade any one of them. They're my crazies after all so I think I'll keep'm.

Thursday (30th) the kids and I met up with Mom and Dad (on their way home from Christmas with the Proctors in Utah) at Trujillo's house for a yummy Navajo taco dinner.  Zara loved their new Golden Retriever puppy Ruby.  An on coming blizzard was just added fun for the older kids snow fort adventures.  I preferred the warm house with fun new games like pass the pig while sipping Italian sodas. Trujillo taught the kids Hi Bob yes Bob tell Bob.  My kids had dots an their faces for the next week. We had to have another talk about sharpies on skin. 

And since family is our best/ only friends we met up with JD's family, Brooke, Rhett and Emily at Mike's house for New Years.  We spent the day sledding, eating, and having more cousin time.  Preston and JD took Jade to the Wendell new years dance.  Preston is in YM and threated the boys to be nice and dance with her.  Not that it took much convincing.  She is a beautiful young lady. It was almost 2 before we headed home.  The kids were running around till the bitter end however they didn't even make it out the driveway.  "Well I've been told when I get old I can't keep rocking round the clock as things unfold I will be so bold to go ahead and give it all I've got and party till I drop."- Destroy All The Monsters a 70's punk rock band 

Bring it 2022.