We were set to leave for my dad's house on Wednesday after school. However, Mother Nature decided it was a good day for a sleet/ice/snow storm. Matt and I went back and forth about whether or not to go or wait until about 5 minutes before it was time to leave. We decided to give it a try and if it was bad enough we would either turn around or get a hotel if we were far enough. So off we went. Usually it takes us about 5 hours to get there. This trip took us 7 hours! It was a rough ride with moments of grabbing the side of the door for me when the car would slip. I think the fastest we went was about 55 mph on good stretches. There were times when Matt and I just both hoped we were still on the road since there was so much ice and snow covering it. Kelsey did amazing and only got fussy about 30 minutes from my dad's. What a ride!
Thursday
Thursday morning we were all up bright and early. My brother and sister and their families all stayed too, so it makes for a full house with 8 adults and 7 kids. We take our showers in shifts and also take turns watching kiddos while everyone gets ready. This year we went to my cousin Tawny's house to see my dad's side. My dad comes from a family of 6 kids and 4 of them made it. It seems like we don't see them all enough, so it was good to catch up. Here is my dad with 2 of his sisters, Susie and Cathy, and 1 of his brothers, Jim. His brother Dick and his sister Mary were unable to make it.
This is all the first cousins that were there--Tawny, Matt, Jolene, Brian, Kristin, Amy(who flew in from Florida) and Sam. (Raelin and Shawn were also there, but were MIA for the picture).
Here are all the second cousins--Soren, Annika, Leia, Lauryn, Miranda, Korrine, Kelsey, AJ, Logan, Carson, Sadie, James. (Danny was also there, but not in the picture).
A Smith tradition is to do something called the "ring test" when you are pregnant. My dad's sisters take the father's wedding ring and a piece of hair from the mother. The hair is wrapped around the ring and dangled over the mother's belly. If the ring swings back and forth, it is supposed to be a boy. If the ring swings in a circle, it is supposed to be a girl. And the results--a boy! The test proved right for Kelsey, but we will have to wait until March to see what this little bambino turns out to be.
Once we got back to my dad's house, it was time for round 2 of turkey and family time. This time around, my mom's side of the family came over. We were also joined by Chris's son, Jeremiah. It was good to once again be able to relax and catch up. I have to admit, I was pretty exhausted by the time they all arrived. With getting to my dad's late the day before and being up extra early, I was a little out of it. However, I did manage to stay awake until they all left. Not by much, but I made it :)
Here are all the second cousins on the Wojkiewicz side--Soren, Annika, Leia, Lauryn, Miranda, Korrine, Kelsey, Emma, Jayden, Kaesyn, and Cale. (Ryley was not there.)
My brother brought his IPad and it was a big hit! The kids really like the hangman game application.
Friday
Friday brought a new kind of crazy. Chris, Jeremiah, and Rolf were up early to shop and brave the Black Friday crowds. I just can't seem to get into that. I do like to shop that day, but I have never gotten up early to rush into a store at 4am. Maybe next year? Anyway, Brian and Molly left for a wedding for the night and we got to watch 7 kiddos for the day/night. It was fun/challenging/entertaining. The kids were all really good and there were enough adults left to make it go smoothly. During the day, we played games and lounged around.
Our neighbors, Paul and Mary, stopped over for a bit to join in the craziness. I also was able to sneak in a little time with my best friend from high school, Tasha. We have not seen each other in awhile, and it was sooooo good to see her and meet her boyfriend, Bryan, and their dog, Lucy. I love that girl and it makes me so happy we have stayed close for so long. 
That night we had a PJ party complete with a movie, root beer floats, and popcorn. The kids watched The Princess and the Frog and loved it. They would get up to dance during the movie and all hold hands and dance in a circle.
Saturday
It was time for us to head back home. Here is one last picture of Kelsey and Grandpa Larry before we left Pulaski.
We were glad to hear the weather forecast looked better than on the way there. We took a new way home because we stopped at my college roommate's house on the way. I have not seen Kristen's house that she and Mike built last year, so it was about time I got there! And what a beautiful place it is! I feel very thankful that it worked out for us to stop. I also love this girl and am so thankful that she is such a big part of my life. 
The rest of our journey home was filled with new sights as we toured the middle of Wisconsin along the way. It was a good change and made for a great trip home.
WOW! So much to share in this post. Hopefully you made it to the end. I thought I would end with a thankful list to round out our Thanksgiving 2010 weekend:
I am thankful for....
*an amazing husband to me and father to our daughter. He is so incredible and I cherish Mattey with all I am. There are not enough words to express my gratitude for having him in my life.
*our amazing daughter. Kelsey brings more joy to our lives than we knew possible and we are blessed and honored to be her parents.
*our unborn child to come. We are so thankful that the Lord blessed us with another miracle and we can't wait to share our lives with this child.
*my faith. The Lord is good and blesses us everyday. This year made me really have to believe in my faith and put my trust in the Lord. How lucky am I to be called one of his children.
*our parents, sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews. They are all so loving and supportive and we feel blessed to call the Skalas/Smiths our family.
*our friends. It seems we don't always see them as often as we would like, but when we do, we can pick up right where we left off without missing a beat.
*our jobs. Matt and I get to share a profession where we help children learn and grow. What a rewarding profession that allows us to support our daughter and also make a difference in the lives of other children.
*all the little things we take for granted and don't say thank you enough for. Food on the table, a roof over our head, our health, our safety, and the list goes on and on.....
Happy Thanksgiving!
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