Happy New Year....Christmas break in review!

Well we finally made it home. Saturday C and J arrived back from 2 great weeks of Christmas vacation. We started out in Minot and had Christmas at Pa and Ma Askvigs with Grandma Hoag, Auntie Beth, Greg, and cuz Nick having dinner and opening present with the family. I must say the highlight was when J's brother Ethen got the chicken dance ornament from Grandma. E hates the Chicken Dance so if any of you need present ideas for next year buy him something that plays the chicken dance song....seriously you'll be buying a present for yourself when you see how upset he gets when the song plays!



Christmas Eve C and J spent at Grandma and Grandpa Theisens. Here one of the most ruthless and yet funniest Christmas happenings occured. This side of the family does a grab bag gift exchange that allows for stealing presents or opening one from the pile. Well C opened a present that had work gloves (you know the cheap 99 cent ones) and thought that was all she got. After everything was almost over she traded (not stolen but willingly traded with Ethen for a small electric skillet. She didn't realize that E had brought the work gloves to the gift exchange and when E got them from C he reached in the gloves and pulled out a target gift certificate worth $10.

Next it was off to Williston. We opened gift with Shawn, Kim, Rodger, and Lucy Wenko. We laughed and went tubbing at the hotel when Kim's parents visited from SD. C got a new purse that she hasn't put down since she opened it and J got a gumball machine. The only problem is that it was Arizona State instead of Arizona....ooops! Oh well, it will get returned and the proper one ordered. The best part of the trip to Williston was the annual cake fight. Lucy makes better-than-sex cake every Christmas and the whole family fights over who gets the leftover pieces of cake because it is so good. Well this year C and Lucy got one over on everybody as they hid a piece to share for breakfast on the final day we were in Williston. Shawn was upset but that it the way it goes with the cake!

From here it was back to Bismarck for a couple of days when C had to go back to work. J cleaned up the house a bit while C worked. After a couple of days C and J were joined by their friend Corey and his girlfriend Jeannie where they drove the the Black Hills to stay at a cabin with 13 friends. While J drove everybody down, the others put in a movie and then proceeded to fall asleep in the car. However, we arrived to a beautiful cabin (see pictures here) where we celebrated the arrival of the new year in style and with lots of sticky silly string. Some didn't party too hard though because they went skiing at Terry Peak where a groupe of 8 went skiing on the first day and then a group of 7 went on the second day. 5 including J goofed off on the slopes as evidenced by this photo. It was a lot of fun especially watching Stu lose 7 games in a row only to win number 8 and like any good politician claim victory for the evening! :)

J and C will spend Sunday recouping before heading back to the "real world." C starts here internship with the North Dakota State Penitentiary on Monday as well as working 3/4 time, studying for her comprehensive exams, and going to grad school in the evenings. She will be very busy the next couple of months. J heads back to work and starts at the legislative session where he will be lobbying on behalf of public educators for improved pay, working conditions, and a better education for all ND students.

From C and J Happy New Year to everyone and here is to a fine 2009 for everyone!