Where have we been?

So I think its been over a month now since I've written anything up here. It's also not a very good indication of what our life has been like over the past month.

The middle of December we hopped in our car and headed north. I know there is a lot north of Austin so I'll tell just how far we headed. We drove to New York to visit my parents for Christmas. Our kids are really good road trippers. We start them young so they did great. I bought a car adapter for my pump so Charlotte was able to take a bottle while we were on the road drastically minimizing our stops. We didn't run into any snow except what had been on the ground for a couple days.


On the way up we stopped at Vicksburg and Chickamauga Civil War battlefields. Hyrum loved it. We spent about two and a half days on the road without any excitement though we were certainly prepared for the worse.


We arrived in New York the Saturday before Christmas and that Monday three of my other siblings flew in. It was so great to see Kallie, Andrew and Adam. It had been a while since they were all else where this last summer when we made our usual trip to Utah. We hadn't seen Adam in two and a half years since he was on his mission in Colorado. While my brothers taught my kids bad habits, I miss them. I had a great time just enjoying my time with my family. It was my first time home for Christmas in 6 years.


We went shopping, got ready for Christmas and of course, we cooked and since we cooked, we ate. My mom had a ton of cookies in her freezer when we got there and by the time we left there were nearly gone. When I say a ton, I mean tens of dozens. It was so bad but so tasty : ) We had so much fun. The kids enjoyed a few play days in the snow. I learned how to make tamales. Yes, I live in Texas but I had to go to NY to learn how to make tamales. We also blessed Charlotte , which means she was presented before the congregation and given a special blessing. It was nice to have my dad and brothers participate in that.


It was hard for me to leave but home was calling. We left for home the Wednesday after the New Year. We left during a snow storm. It was a little worse than we would have liked to have left in but no bad enough to keep us there. We drove a few hours to Kirtland, Ohio and visit the Church sites there. By the time we got to Cleveland and turned south the snow was no problem.


It was another good drive home. We stopped the second day at Mammoth Caves National Park. We went to one cave and that was enough for this trip. We will go back when the kids are older. I have always wanted to go there so it was nice to make on this trip. The last days we stopped in at Hyrum's parent's for a few hours. It was nice to stretch our legs in known territory before finishing our drive home.


It was a great vacation and so nice to see my family. We missed Nathan and his family but maybe another time. How grateful I am for a wonderful family. We can support and help one another. I love my brothers and sister so much. I miss them and I am grateful for any chance we get to see them. We hope you all had a great Christmas too.