December 30, 2012
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Christmas Travels
We left for the long journey to IN on Friday, Dec. 21 at 4:30 AM. We arrived in Middlebury, IN, at about 5:45 PM of the same day. That, my friend, is a LONG TRIP with four young children, in case you’re interested. But ’tis the price of living far away from family!! The boys were thrilled to see their Grandpa Norm and Nana Carol and aunts and uncles and cousins Tyler, Aubrey, and Henry. This was the first I had met Henry, who was born last Christmas in Thailand while we were visiting IN.
A collection of cousins.
One of the fun adventures in IN was the new and exciting cabin that Grandpa Norm constructed for grandchild adventures.
The boys enjoyed several nights of sleeping in the cabin and an evening of roasted hot dogs and marshmallows.
Other activities enjoyed were S’more making -
(Zion was very enamoured of the corn-cob fork he discovered in the silverware drawer that he thought made an excellent marshmallow fork)
and rice krispy trains constructed with the help of uncles Rusty and Wayne.
Aunt Lynette reads to Layla.
Tim and his faithful companion, Zion.
Grandma Polly came to be a part of our Christmas celebration. Here is everyone listening as Grandpa Norm reads the Christmas story before we open presents:
Gabriel was very attentive and participatory in this Christmas story telling, as he had just memorized this passage in Matthew at school.
Henry helps Layla open her present.
Family pictures.
We left at 5 AM on December 26 for Virginia – and drove smack into snow.
Wet, icy, huge snowflake snow and sleet that kept icing over our wipers. Eventually, we decided that it was just the best idea to stop and wait a night for the roads to get cleared off. We stopped in Pittsburgh at a Holiday Inn Express – and honestly had a great time being snowbound.
We watched that marvel known as cable, swam in the pool, ordered in pizza, wrapped ourselves in the curtains,
and had a generally splendiferous time.
We packed back into the van the next morning and finished the remaining five-plus hours to VA, where Grandaddy, Grandma, Uncle Quentin, and SNOW awaited!!
The boys liked to see how large of snow chunks they could pick up.
Gabe was excited that he could even stand ON TOP OF the snow. He found this quite nifty.
Christmas.
The plastic-knife wielding ferocious hunters of the house. They were pleased as punch with these nifty new acquisitions.
Layla’s new stroller and purse set. All that a little Lucy needs.
Before getting together for the Heatwole Christmas (my mom’s side), we met for our annual grandchildren picture, which is one of my Grandma’s yearly Christmas gifts.
Despite all that we had going on, my camera sat unused and quiet and picture-tired a lot this Christmas. So I don’t have much of a picture record as I could. Thank you, parents and in-laws for your generosity and hospitality!! We love you all dearly!
