Christmas "Break"

As I was going through our pictures, I came across a trip we took during our "christmas break". Each year, Allen takes the entire week off between Christmas and New Year's. Each year, we have hopes and dreams of taking fun day trips with the kids, maybe knocking out a project or two here at the house, and just having a good time.

And each year, without fail, we all get sick, hurt or some miserable combination of the two. This year, Allen woke up Monday morning, took a shower, and nearly killed himself in the process. I'm not quite sure what happened in there, but at 6:something in the morning, I woke up to him hunched over like he'd just had a c-section telling me he was completely crippled. I will admit, at 6 in the morning I wouldn't have cared what the problem was; I was asleep. I openly mocked him and said, "Why are you whining to me about it? Just get back into bed and shut up about it." I am the picture of empathy.

He did get back into bed. For FOUR days.

To top it off, Emily was just getting over the barfing flu, and once she had successfully kicked that super special virus, the kids all ended up with colds that required doses of anti-snot medication several times throughout the day which, of course, morphed into full-blown infections of one sort or another that necessitated antibiotics which, of course, put an end to all sleeping through the night for every person in our household.

Fast forward to Friday, and we are all practically certifiable. Pain or not, snot rags in tow, we were going to go somewhere and do something that wasn't in this house. We loaded up the crew and drove a whole 15 minutes to the Christmas Village/petting zoo (yes, the same one that doubles as the corn maze and pumpkin patch in October).

Emmy was the first to run to the horses. Of course she was. 

And the goats.

She just loves those goats.

Lexi does too.

 Addie? Not so much. Still petrified.

Not our little Emmy.

Addie finally came to love the goats too.

Allen, though, he's the Goat Whisperer. 

Who can resist a pony ride?

Even Addie braved the broncs.

Emmy, Dad (looking so happy to be alive), and Lexi

She is not afraid of anything!

Daredevil!

Everyone got their turn.

Silly girls.

Cheese!

 P.S. That Saturday night, I threw my back out. In the shower. 

P.P.S. I'm dead serious. It was humiliating. I couldn't stand up straight for 2 days. And, no, Allen wasn't the jerk to me I had been to him.