Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year 2010!

Happy New Year! We wish everyone a joyous and peaceful 2010.

Over the holidays, we traveled to visit relatives and friends in Illinois and Michigan. Some photos and stories about the visits follow.

Carter posing in front of our tree in Lawrence prior to the cross-country circuit.

The first stop was Quincy, Illinois to visit Lea's family. We enjoyed traditional Slovak Christmas Eve fare (oplatke, potato, prune, and sauerkraut soup, fish (fried, pickled, and smoked), and bobal'ki (nut and poppy seed)), exchanged gifts, and attended Christmas Mass together.

Carter set out cookies and milk for Santa, who naturally was aware of our travel plans. He was especially excited when he was briefly awakened by an audible bump on the rooftop around 4 a.m. "It WAS SANTA!" Carter was well-rewarded for his good behavior this year.

Our next stop was Chelsea, Michigan to see Erik's family. Everyone gathered together briefly (his brother Brett and wife Nina could only visit for a short time), but Carter was able to play with his cousins for several days. Perhaps the most exciting activity was sledding. Although we did not see much snow during our few days in Michigan - and were surprised to return and find far more snow on the ground in Kansas - we all had a great time sledding.

Ivy and Jane.

George.

Elijah.

Carter.

Amelia.

Scott and Elijah.

Lea, Carter, and Ivy.

Kristin and Theresa.

A successful attempt to break the day's distance record.

Once again, we wish all of you a Happy New Year!