Driving and the Holidays...

We left Dec. 18th for St. George (Bill's parents house) and the Las Vegas Bowl (BYU). It is about a 20 hour drive. Thank goodness we are use to driving long distances...our kids have been good car-travelers for many years. We were gone for 10days and spent a portion of 8 of those days, on the road! The details are too complicated to explain...just know that we needed a vacation from our vacation when we landed back in Texas on Sunday night!
It was great spending Christmas with family. We love Papa and Grandma so much. They are the best. We have to admit that the best part of Christmas was speaking to our missionary! We only had 40 minutes. But they were the best! We (I) talked fast...not wanting to waste a single minute. I was strong and didn't cry until the very end! William sounded great and even had a bit of an accent...the cadence in his voice is a bit different too. What joy he brings to us all!
We did miss a White Christmas though. It actually snowed here in Texas while we were in Utah! Go figure! Enjoy some of the highlights of our trip as you look at the pictures below...we do love to be together. We are in the business of making memories.

The Las Vegas Bowl...Enjoying some pre-game fun with Cosmo.


The kids FREEZING at the game!


Garrett hanging in Las Vegas with everyone's buddy, Peyton!


Grant and Christine snuggling up in their "Snuggies".


We enjoyed some time with Bill's ailing grandmother. Certainly we gained more from visiting her than she did. Her mind is going fast. We were grateful for some cherished moments.


Christine had fun playing with her little cousin Marra...You are never too old to play "Princesses."


Before we left Bill's parent's house in St. George, we had a family prayer. Bill's mom offered it. She prayed that our trip home would be part of our vacation and that we would enjoy ourselves. As the following pictures will show, we had a great ride home. We followed our handy-dandy GPS and it took us on a beautiful drive through Zion's National Park. It wasn't the most direct, but it was the most awesome!


Snowy mountains all around us in Zion's National Park.


It was SO cold driving through Zion's...as you can tell from the temperature gauge...-4 degrees!


Christine is giving a "thumbs up" to the ice that is building up on the INSIDE of her back window!


Garrett, our tuba player, had to take a picture by this "fitting" sign...too funny.


Here we are at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.


Most of the family at the Canyon.


Christine rocking her cool Letterman's Jacket at the Canyon!


Inside a cool tower at the South Rim of the Canyon.


Garrett catching up on his beauty sleep! :)