Happy New Year!!

Yes.  This is happening.  I'm writing a blog post.  Let's not dwell on how big a deal this is.

So we got back to NYC last night, just in time to ring in the New Year on the M60 bus from La Guardia airport to our apartment.  It was actually quite fun and memorable.  The best part about it, I was in a good mood and patient with my kids.  That may not sound like a big deal, but seeing as how the first 30 minutes of our trip out of Spokane (yes, that means checking in at the airport and going through security and walking to our gate) was so incredibly trying that I honestly didn't think I would survive mentally... I was just so grateful to be feeling as happy and energized as I did at the end of the long process of getting home.  I was even able to stay positive on our walk home from the bus stop, when Sayer was whining and crying the. entire. time.  Poor thing was exhausted, but still... 

In actuality, those first 30 minutes were the low point for me... Bart slept the entire first leg, and yes, we did have to book it to our connecting gate, which is hard when your 2 1/2 year old insists on pulling his own suitcase at a snailspace, but thankfully one of those little golf cart drivers saved the day and we got there in just a few minutes.  But we were the last people on the plane, and people around us did not seem too happy that a family of 5 would be joining them.  Especially when Bart started losing it.  Thankfully, he pulled himself together for most of the flight.  During this flight, I was so grateful for marriage... it was really interesting to see how Nate and I work together and compliment each other so nicely.  At the beginning of the trip, I was losing it and he was totally calm and together.  During the second leg of the flight, Nate was having a hard time with Bart, and I was the one that was calm and not stressed.  I love that it works out like that so much of the time. 

From this trip we learned: 

- It is not worth the $50 we saved by not checking bags and having each kid pull their own carry-on.  It was so crazy going through security and walking to our gates, getting on and off the planes (and don't forget we had a layover both ways) with so many kids and so many bags.  Ugh.  Awful.  

- We are cheap.  Well, Nate is. ;)  I wanted to take a cab to and from the airport but Nate didn't want to, and let me tell you, SO much stress would have been eliminated if we would have just done that.  It's not worth the time and energy it takes to walk to the bus stop with all our crap, and then wait for the bus in the cold, and then endure 45 minutes on a crowded bus trying to juggle our crap. 

So next time- take cab. Check bags.

- I also decided that it's worth it to move back West just so we don't have to deal with flying with 3, soon to be 4, kids.  It's so expensive and it's such. a. pain.  But we will keep doing it because we miss our families :)

Which leads me to a more positive note, we got to spend Christmas with Nate's family.  It was so great to be with everyone to celebrate, many of which we hadn't seen for about 2 years. To me holidays are about family and being with those that we love so it was a blessing to be able to be there.  The boys had so much fun with their cousins.  They also more than exceeded their quota of movies and Wii time for the entire year.  I feel like they need a media detox.  Oh well.  If they play Wii a ton at grandma's once a year, I can live with that.  We had a lot of fun in WA,  but are so happy to be back in our cozy little apartment, and get back into a routine.  Thank you to the Olsons and Caziers for hosting us and putting up with our noise and craziness.  We love you all!!

I didn't take a ton of great pictures, but here are some from our wonderful Christmas of 2012:

 Flight out to Spokane

 These are so, so good.

 Playing in the little bit of snow

 Fun at the Mobius

 It snowed a little bit more before we left for Pasco to stay with the Caziers.  Spokane is so gorgeous when it snows.

 Barty loved his cousin baby Gwenyth

 Throwing pots with Papa...

 Asher was pretty put out that he was not already a master at the wheel

 Apparently it was loud

 Of course every single one of my kids had to sit in the taxi strollers at the mall

 Lizza made these adorable Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus nativities for each kid.

 Christmas Eve...

 All the gifts arranged in an aesthetically pleasing manner!!

 The boys browsing the gifts on Christmas morning

 Stockings

 Waiting for everyone to wake up before we begin opening presents

 Enjoying their loot!

 Snack time with cousins

 It turned out to be a white Christmas after all!  Started snowing around noon and went all night.  It was so pretty!

 Three little snowmen that the boys made the next day.  I thought they were so cute!

 This was a very common sight.  There is no shortage of ipads and iphones in the Olson family

 Bathtime!

 Asher threw up about 30 seconds after I took this picture.  We had been in the car for about 5 minutes.  Of course no family get together would be complete without some sort of stomach bug getting passed around.  All 3 of my kids got it :/

 New Years Eve on the M60 bus!  Sayer fell asleep about 5 minutes after this picture.  I practically had to drag him off the bus-he was NOT waking up.

 Happy New Year!

 Asher was clearly thrilled about a new year

 One of these boys is a faker

 Barty SO excited to be home!