Home for the Holidays

Fortunately due to some last minute travel needs, Annabelle and I were able to fly back to KC a couple weeks earlier than initially planned.  This date could not come soon enough and was counting down the hours by the time it got close.

To spare everyone from the longest blog post EVER considering we were home for 2+ months, I'll just highlight the two month trip home.

Flying Back Solo - We flew as a family from Porto to Frankfurt and then Andy headed to Poland and AB and I headed to the US of A!  I was nervous about flying alone with her for a 9 hour flight, followed by a 3 hour flight, but she was a rockstar.  Our little girl did such an amazing job keeping calm and listening to me as we sprinted through Dulles, seconds away from missing our connection.  We discovered money on our flight, of which kept her entertained forever!  They ended up placing us in the row that allowed for the bassinet, so she took a 2 hour snooze in the crib, which allowed momma to have herself a much needed glass of wine and restore some energy.

Surprise We're Home - Because we got to move our flights up early I wanted to surprise my sisters, so we in fact got to do just that.  The first plan fell through due to sick babies and my sisters being...well my sisters, so we did drop-ins at both Kim and Liz's humble abodes to get priceless reactions!!  Annabelle was over-the-top stimulated and excited that she just shook for 20 minutes straight.

Family and Friends - It was SOOOOOO amazing seeing family and friends.  Every second we spent with them was such a treat.  Going from solitude to non-stop plans was the black and white we needed!  It was so amazing to see friends that don't live in KC and thank them so much for making the trip to see us during such a crazy time of the year.  For those that we didn't get to see we wish we could have and will hope to once we are back in June!

Holidays - There is nothing better than spending time with your loved ones during the holidays.  Andy was able to be in the states for both Thanksgiving and Christmas with us, so loved that we were able to spend time with our families.

Cousi Time - We got LOTS of cousin time!  Annabelle was so happy being with her cousins and getting to play with them almost daily.  She looks up to Avery so much and just wants to nurture Addison and Will.  We also got to finally meet our sweet nephew Finn!  He is so cute and Annabelle loves calling him "Baby Finn".

Eating Out - I jokingly said I was going to gain 10 pounds while we were home for the holidays and I think the joke is on me.  Cactus Grill frequently called my name, while seeing friends almost always consisted of a meal out.  We got to capitalize on the end of football season, watching our Chiefs while enjoying queso and buffalo chicken dip every Sunday!

Annabelle Turned 2 - Yes, our little is 2 years old!!  Unlike her first birthday bash, we kept this very low key and celebrated with close friends and family with last minute plans.  Just being back in KC and being able to celebrate there made this year just as special for us!  I think I celebrated harder than anyone else, but clearly was excited to be celebrating the best 2 years of our lives!!

Flights back to KC:

GO Chiefs:

Thanksgiving and Plaza Lighting Ceremony at Pauls:

 Friends:

Christmas Fun: