The Five Days of Christmas

If you've seen my posts on Facebook from the past several days, you are already well aware that Andrew, Franklin and I were snowed in at his parents house over Christmas. We were originally going to spend Wednesday night through Friday in Hiawatha with his family and then head to my parents in Iowa early on Friday morning to make it to 10am church with Noel, Hillary and Quinn.

Well. Change of plans.

The blizzard of 2009 really scrooged me.

Let me share a brief recap of our five days of an unexpected Hiawatha/Moore farm Christmas.

Wednesday:
Adam and Emily Griffin arrive in Wichita around 4pm. Their puppy Tyson and our puppy Franklin play for about 45 minutes. Franklin looks really rolly polly compared to Tyson. Tyson runs circles around Franklin. Andrew gets home and we load his truck up with suitcases and presents and drive to Hiawatha for the night. Feel like Santa in his sleigh. :)

Thursday:
I get up, get ready and drive into town (with 4-wheel drive on the entire way in Andrew's truck) to pick up Halley, Megan and Katie for our annual Christmas Eve morning "us eight girls" breakfast. High school friend reunion! It was so much fun, but it couldn't last forever because the snow is really picking up. Spend a bit of time at Noel and Hillary's with Quinn and Halley, drop Halley off and head back out to the farm. Andrew does chores with his dad for 3+ hours. Butch, Ruth, Andrew, Zach and I pile into two trucks to drive across the frozen country for a family dinner with Butch's cousin and family. Had so much fun, drank too much wine and stayed too late! On the way home, about a mile from the farm, both trucks get stuck in snow drifts. Boo. Work on not getting too claustrophobic as we sit in the truck cabs waiting for Butch and Zach to get back with the tractor to pull us out.The tractor arrives to save the day, and we finally make it home well after midnight. Exhausted...sleep in the "snake room". (Haven't heard that story before? It's a good one, just ask.)

Friday:
Merry Christmas! It is still snowing and still blowing 30+ miles per hour. Open gifts, eat lunch, watch the Hangover. Andrew is convinced he, Franklin and I are "the three best friends that anyone could have, we're the three best friends that anyone could have..." Watch TV, throw myself a pitty party that I am stuck and don't get to see my family for Christmas and go to bed.

Saturday:
Still snowing, still blowing. TV, Facebook, solitare on the computer, TV, Facebook, solitare, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. No snow plow truck. Andrew leaves me inside again and does chores with his dad for 3+ hours. TV, Facebook, ..."hey you can come outside to the shop with me!" Yes! Something to do!

Watch Andrew work on his brother's truck. Blaaaahhhhhhh.

Watch The Proposal, TV, try to convince Andrew to play cards with me. Pitty party. Bed. Did I mention typically dogs aren't allowed inside the house at the farm? Whoopsies.

Sunday:
Stopped snowing! A bit less breezy! And, what's that? SNOW PLOW! Go into town for a change of scenery. Hurry up and get the truck ready or I will start walking there myself.


Exchange gifts with Noel, Hillary and Quinn.
Read a book with Quinn and play with Dora stickers. Really excited to see new faces!
Back to the farm. Exchange gifts with Luke and his girlfriend Lori (who were stuck in St. Joe, in their own house). Pack up. HOME! Not so fast...Andrew forgot his jeans in the laundry...back up...

Finally, by 7pm we are HOME! Franklin and I felt the same way - it is so good to be back. :)

YES!