Getting ready for our big outing!

We've tried getting the kids haircuts for almost 2 weeks now but we are all under the weather still, so the idea of going out to do this was low on the priority list. 

But heading to the Chemainus theatre this afternoon to see "A Christmas Story" with the grandparents warranted a little more effort so the boys looked nice for this special occasion. 

We even got them matching sweatshirts so stay tuned for some nice pictures of the afternoon. 

A Christmas Story!

My parents Christmas gift to us was tickets to see the Christmas Story at the Chemainus Theatre!  We thought it would be a great idea to bring along the grandparents to enjoy it with us as well!!  So here we are waiting to go in to the dining room for the lunch buffet before the show.

Almost starting!!!

 

The boys had 2 friends from their class in the show!!  Isaac appeared quite embarrassed for them.  It was pretty funny to watch how uncomfortable Isaac was watching his friends ....

The show was great!!  And a quick picture of the whole gang afterwards!!

Post Christmas pass out

Elliot was still fighting something, or just merely exhausted, because he just laid down on our bed, and fell asleep .......

Christmas 2017 at the Burdges

Christmas this year was interesting given that we had gotten home on Christmas Eve and were all pretty run down or sick.  Christmas morning was super low key as the boys brought their stockings into our room around 8 or 9, opened them up on our bed, and then we all fell back asleep for another hour before going to the livingroom for the main gift opening.  Considering past years where the kids can't wait for everyone to get up to get Christmas started, this was a pretty different feeling one.  We were all SO excited to be home!!  And SO TIRED!!!!  Dragging ourselves from room to room .....

After a low key morning at home, we wrapped the Burdge family gifts and headed out around 2.  The Burdges had a really nice itinerary planned of immediate family from 2-5pm with additional friends and family arriving at dinnertime.

So here we are, opening our gifts to eachother! Gordon plays Santa and gives gifts to people, slowly, one at a time, so we can all enjoy what they received.  It is really nice.  You can see our boys still have their jackets on and I am wrapped in a blanket and the nicest cowl that Jenny knit!  I guess Arizona to BC was quite noticeable to us.

And here is the whole gang!!!  Please note the huge pile of gifts in the middle of the room!! Jenny bought 30 gifts!!!  And we played a 'choose a gift' game.  You either could choose a gift from the pile or steal someone elses gift....




Chris opened some sweet spatulas!! And I opened a nice tiara at one point and a cute little stuffy!!

As you can see, Mohammed is spying my stuffy which he promptly stole at his next round!!

Oscar stole the spatulas.....he appears to think they are good weapons to whack people with.  Thankfully, they didn't stay with him!!

 

Faten enjoyed dressing Trent up .....

He is quite pretty, isn't he?

Laura wanted a copy of this picture.....probably because she is the only one that looks great in it! lol

 

Marg purchased "The Secret Life of Pets" which the kids enjoyed.....

Here is Aisha and Faten hanging out ... Faten loves her phone .... ;-)

The end of the evening is nearing, and our little elf was resting .... those slippers from Auntie Jenny are so adorable!!

Saying goodbye to 2 hard working grandparents!  They pulled off another beautiful Christmas .... almost 30 people fed and gifted and everyone felt very spoiled and loved ....

The ride home .... this was not staged .....

It was a wonderful day ....

Bring on Christmas

A fevered Elliot sleeps beside me on the floor while Isaac snores on his new top bunk spot.  Looks like Santa came. 

Wrapping it up .....

Well the upside is that no extra money was spent on excursions, restaurants or gas this week. 

Scottsdale was a beautiful resort but very remote in the desert.  Nowhere to walk to or visit .... We took a few walks together and I went for one run in the sun, but we really stuck close to home. It was a large unit and we all kind of had our own space. Chris ended up having the room to himself, and by last night, Isaac was with me in the second bedroom. The two new sickies!!! We both fell at the same time on Wednesday night. We both slept on and off all day Thursday. Elliot was quiet and happy having nobody tell him to get off the computer.  Even in sickness, this family is a good team. Isaac is the most polite patient you would ever see. It's always please and thank you ... So sweet. And at one point, I had to call Elliot (not easily given my circumstance), but I said, 'honey, you need to check in on everyone and see if they need anything.  You're the only healthy one left!' .... And after that, he would periodically come in and ask how I was and if he could get anything for me.  At one point, I had a coughing fit, and he opens the door and asks if I'm ok.  

At 5am this morning I couldn't fall back asleep. Mind was racing (I'll never sleep again!  I'll be sick forever...)....so I started a bath and crawled in. Chris came to check on Isaac and I. He kept me company for awhile. I felt so bad I wasn't much more sympathetic to him when he was down!! Nothing was comfortable, I even felt nauseous, skin hurt, it was all inescapable.  The bath brought some comfort .... He stayed with me for quite a while and rubbed my back and talked to me.  He then dried me off and tucked me back in.  It was the worst night I've had in a long time.  Pretty glad that Isaac slept straight through ..... I slept til 9:30 and when I woke up, Isaac was in the bath and Chris had gone back to bed.  I checked out reservation because Chris thought we got to check out tommorow (so we could leave at our leisure today).... But the form said 23rd and check out was at 10am!  Sigh.  That's not good. Everyone (except Elliot) is sleeping again at this point and the drugs had kicked in for me, so I started packing everyone's suitcases. 

We left Isaac in the bed til we were almost ready to go. I made some more chicken soup and we all had something to eat and were in the car by 10:44.  Not bad hey?  

The resort let us take one of the fleece blankets to wrap our sick kid up in for the long drive to Vegas.  So we're in the car now. All of us (except Elliot) hacking, blowing our noses and just being disgusting!  We are exactly who we hate to see on our flight!!!  Sorry everyone.  Here we come. 

In line now for In n Out milkshakes.  She was surprised nobody wanted a burger.  I would if I could lady!!

******

D-Day!!  Departure Day!!

We are tired and sick and spent.  December 2016 adventures - check!!!!

We got to the Embassy Suites, had a nap and took some drugs and headed out on the town.  Americans know how to decorate! And we love the bellagio!! Their fountains! Their lobby!!  Beautiful. Way too much humanity, but it's fun for awhile.....

I love their glassblown ceiling!!

Fountains to Christmas music!

Dinner was Chinese stir fry at the indoor mall that has the beautiful sky and the rain show. 

Chris wanted a departure selfie! In the elevator leaving Vegas: 

On the plane now. Still have an hour to go before we land.

 Gordon is picking us up and that made Chris happy to know that someone else would be driving half was home.  

Thankfully there was an Asian place at the airport that served won ton soup. So, the 3 of us had warm broth (oh sick souls unite!!!)....and Chris had a salad (I know, weird right?)

Arriving to our island!

In the Burdges van....so close yet still so far away!!

After a tea with Marg and a quick catch up (the woman has mastered Christmas-28 for dinner tommorow and she didn't seem flustered at all....admirable!)....we headed home. 

Home now, had to unfreeze our tree;

Elliot is fighting this bug, so he went to bed and the rest of us decorated the tree and watched A Christmas story. 

My only Christmas wish tommorow is that Elliot will have just needed sleep and that he wakes up healthy. If that happens, all my Christmas dreams will come true.   Merry Christmas .... Sleep well. 

Day 18 - tried a few things ...

Tried to go to Target

* lasted long enough to get milk and juice before Chris needed to get back to bed. 

Tried to go to the pool

*it rained. I didn't know it rained in the desert?

Tried to send the boys out to explore!

*lasted1/2 hour before Isaac came home complaining of being light headed. 

Tried to have a nice night. 

*ended up in bed with a cough and sore skin while watching Isaac take his 4th bath in 2 hours as he fought a fever and exhaustion.  

Tried calling Westjet to come home early (because if Isaac and I are in for what Chris had!!!??)

*all flights are sold OUT til the day we originally leave. 

It's 9:45 Arizona time and we're all in bed hoping tommorow is better?

Well, we've had a great holiday!! (Up until Scottsdale!!)....

Day 17 - good morning !

I slept with Elliot last night, leaving Chris in his sick room on his own. He says he's feeling better this morning, which is good. And here is Isaac. Finally awake and continuing reading his book:

I had a nice long catch up with my mom this morning which just makes me feel so much better. I don't like going for days and days without talking to my family. Love my mom. 

Who knows what today will hold?  Sunshine for sure!!  Will chime back in tonight. We have nothing but time today. :-)

They should be in bed...

But Christmas Vacation is on so we're watching it!!

 

Day 16 - resort day as we still have a man down!!

We watched movies, cooked food, read books, caught up on the blog and all while Chris slept. He's so sick. I tried to keep the kids outside while we did the day!!! So beautiful outside!!  Here we are after a good swim and lunch .... I blogged while the boys read and played on the iPad. 

Shortly after this, we tried our hand at Uber!!  Since Chris was down, I am not insured to drive the rental car, so I downloaded the app and tried to call for a ride. Unfortunatly it didn't accept my Canadian cell number so I asked the consierge for help. This sweet girl, who actually had grown up in Nanaimo, ended up using her account to order us a ride. So, this random Uber driver shows up .... Turns out it was such a fun ride!! This Chicago based driver had moved to Scottsdale 6 weeks ago and was doing uber full time. I was so curious if he ever gets weirdos in his car, and he's like "naw! Look at me!!  I can handle myself!! I'm the beast from the east!!  Plus, if I can't, I have THIS!!" As he whips out his little can of mace. Lol

Humans are super interesting.