The Great Christmas Flu of 2012....

So our Christmas this year wasn't what we were expecting.  My whole side of the family was due in on December 21st which I of course I couldn't wait for.  Unfortunately, the week before the two big girls came down with what we now know was the flu.  It was just 4-5 days of super high temps, achy, lethargic, and just icky feeling (thankfully no vomit).  So if we had to get the flu I feel like the girls got off pretty good.  They were both doing well and back in school by Thursday the 20th.  I disinfected the whole house and hoped for the best.  Little Bean was staying healthy.  So the family got in Friday.  Saturday we finished up some last minute Christmas shopping and visited some family friends we've known since I was little.  Sunday morning we went to our church's Christmas Eve service with our neighbors (a day early).  After grabbing some lunch at home we headed downtown to enjoy our beautiful city and hit the Kriskindlemart.  Looking back it may have been a mistake. :(  We were successful with the last of our Christmas shopping, enjoyed some yummy Garrett's popcorn, and then got down to the Macy's windows and the Kriskindlemart.

We visited Santa while at the mart.

Managed to catch one shot while we were walking around.

We did a lot of walking!  The girls were troopers.

So that night is when all went down hill.  Bella woke at 10 saying her ear hurt.  I gave her medicine but thought maybe she had slept on it weird.  However, two hours later (with medicine still in her), she woke again saying it hurt.  So that morning, I took her to sick call and the Dr. said it was the worst ear infection he had seen in a while. :(  He said its pretty common after pneumonia or the flu and from what I described it sounded like that was what she had had.  He of course asked me if I had given them the flu shot, agh.  So when I got home I was informed Little Bean wasn't doing well and woke up hot. :(  So I went and made an appointment right away knowing it was probably the flu the girls had fought, hoping there was something they could prescribe.  Nope, did nothing for me. :(  Nothing like hitting the doctor twice on Christmas Eve!

So we spent a lot of time doing this.  I didn't mind. :)

Christmas Eve we managed to have some fun even with Bella and Brooke not feeling great and my mom starting to not feel well. :(

Our tree was packed with presents!

We cooked up a delicious ham dinner...

Aunt Bonnie helped us partake in a little English (I think??) tradition.  If you look at the centerpiece there are the wrapped rolls.  You snap them open and they have a little paper crown and fun little game or trinket.  It was cute.

In our lovely crowns.

Had our last advent reading!

Then it was stocking time!!

Aunt Bonnie made the cutest little present for Brooke.  She sewed a little mouse, pillow, and blanket that fit into a little cough drop tin.  Brooke loved it!

After presents we made our traditional Glass Scramble, so good!!

And then we put together our gingerbread house!

Didn't last very long! :)

These girls liked being with their Uncle Lec (Alec)!

Next morning my dad and Aunt Bonnie had now been taken hostage of the flu. :(  And mom was doing pretty bad.  However she was still a trooper and made our traditional egg casserole and Hungarian Coffee cake (with help of course).

Then it was present time!!  We passed out every one's gifts so they had them around them.  We sure are blessed! 

 The girls were buried in goodies!

We like to take turns a present at a time, starting youngest to oldest.  Brooke was not a fan of this tradition. :)

She of course had to have everything opened and put on immediately. :)

My bros and SIL sent a pic to this company and had a bobble head made to look my mom, it was hilarious! 

This was Brynn's most asked for gift- spinning Cinderella and changing carriage.

Another big hit was the Barbie doll house.

After seeing the Rockettes in the Thanksgiving day parade, Brynn started begging for a Rockette outfit for Christmas.  Wasn't sure how that was going to work but Aunt Bonnie came to the rescue and found the perfect one!  She LOVED it. :)

Only the best Uncles play Barbies with their nieces. :)

With all the sickies in the house most of the week consisted of a lot of this.  Not what we planned but at least relaxing and with our loved ones.

The girls love their legos!

Uncle Conor and Aunt Bonnie had to leave the day after Christmas so we had one last family breakfast at Wildberries with everyone.  Yum!

With mom and dad feeling pretty crummy we laid low for the week.  Finally on Friday night we felt like the girls were going stir crazy and wanted to get them out.  So we hit the light festival near by (which I had been dying to do, Brooke about flipped a lid every time she saw Christmas lights, it was precious).  We then had a delicious Italian dinner at a place downtown Libertyville.  And then got Gelato afterwards.  It really was a perfect evening.  Too bad I didn't capture it at all! :(

Sadly on Monday, New Year's Eve we had to say goodbye to mom and dad, still not feeling 100%.  It definitely hit them worse than the girls.  We were so sad about that but still love every minute we get with them!

One last story time!

So not what we planned but still a wonderful Christmas with our family!!