I really wanted to get together with the Franks over Christmas break. They suggested we meet in Leavenworth, a small, German-themed mountain town about two hours away. I was hesitant ("won't it be crowded and cold?"), but the Franks had visited before and they had loved it. We were up for the adventure, especially since it meant we'd get to adventure with our friends. We arrived shortly after lunch time and the town was already packed. It took a long time to find a parking spot. When we finally all piled out of the cars, the sun was shining and it was reasonably warm. Some of the kids balked at the idea of wearing their big coats.
We walked into the cute town and went to check out the Nutcracker museum. Mark and Tyler stayed outside with Nellie and Alex, while Ashlee and I took the rest of the kids into the museum. The owners gave the kids age-leveled scavenger hunts. They broke into groups and had a blast looking for their assigned nutcrackers.
Thane and Max made a good pair.
Bryce and Maggie allowed Graham to tag along with them. Bryce had gotten car sick on the drive up through the mountains, and felt ill on and off through the day. Wearing all his winter gear in the warm museum didn't help.
When we finished the museum, we found Tyler and Mark with very cold toddlers. We explored more of the shops, mostly trying to find a little warmth, but everything was packed with people.
The slight warmth we'd felt when we first got out of the cars was long gone. No one was complaining about their heavier coats, and most were wishing for more layers. Mark and Tyler got everyone hot chocolates, but half the kids didn't like the fancy flavors.
Going to the bathroom meant an hour standing in line (for the girls at least). Even though we'd only been there 3 hours, everyone was pretty much done. Bryce kept saying, "I just want to go home and curl up in my bed!"
We found a set of shops that were inside with a few benches that allowed us to warm up the littlest children. Poor Nellie had been a total trooper, but she was ice cold. We all decided it was time to try to find some place to eat dinner then head home. Once we left the mall, I tucked Nellie into my coat. She put her head on my shoulder and stayed so still for such a long time I thought she might have fallen asleep.
We were a little sad to be leaving before it got dark and we could see all the famous Christmas lights, but not that sad!
We were concerned about finding a place to eat that could accommodate 14 people, but Tyler suggested a burger joint on the edge of town. We got there early enough that we pretty much had the place to ourselves. That might have been the kids' favorite part of the trip because they were able to talk and play with their friends without being frozen.
Plus they had lots of tasty, greasy food.
I told Graham and Max to "pretend like you like each other." They both protested, "But we DO like each other!"
After a day of wearing a hat, sitting in her car seat, and sitting in the stroller, Nellie's hair was a complete rat's nest!
The drive home proved just as enjoyable as the day had been. The kids drank tons of lemonade at dinner, but we had a long stretch of the drive with no restrooms, so one kid ended up peeing his pants. Bryce started feeling sick again not too far from home. As we pulled off the freeway on our very own exit, he puked into a box. Oh joy.
Everyone is always raving about Leavensworth, but I think if we go again we might choose a warm summer day. Despite the downsides of the day, we really did love spending time with the Franks. This trip definitely provided unforgettable memories!
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