Home to Idaho to ring in the New Year

2008 ended with me in Ohio and Claigh in Idaho. This was our first Christmas apart since we were married 38 years ago! The arrival of Gregory Scott was well worth the sacrifice.

I enjoyed my time with Steve, Ashlee and the kids. It is fun to see Christmas through the eyes of children again. The kids were so appreciative of every little thing their mom and dad had done for them and Santa did a great job leaving great surprises for each one. And I was particularly surprised with the gift of a wallet size digital photo album so now I can take pics of my favorite favorites every where I go. How cool is that? Claigh sent me tickets for the Celtic Women "Isle of Hope" concert in Salt Lake City in May. Way neat!

One thing I learned for sure this trip is that for some reason I do not get as much done as quickly as I used to. What's with that? My dad once told me there was a good reason that God sent children to the young. I am really getting it. I marvel at how Ashlee manages her home and family. I did my best to be a help but found myself falling short of what I had hoped. All in all though I sure enjoyed the kids.

Gregory is a little cutie. Will is a bit bigger cutie who knows he is very cute! Kes is full of energy and fun. Spencer is tender and so smart. Bryn is growing into a sweet young lady. We did have an extreme jaundice scare with Gregory but thanks to space age technology, two days on a Belle-Blanket resolved that challenge.

Other Ohio for Christmas enjoyments: Ashlee's yummy White Sauce Chicken Enchiladas, trying and failing at making Steve some of the fudge his mom used to make for him (tasted good but was "chocolate crumbles" instead of fudge), listening to Ashlee and Steve read scriptures to their children, Spencer's Christmas prayer, Christmas church (the kids and I did manage quite well thank-you very much), a Cadbury "Fruit and Nut" chocolate bar in my stocking (smart Santa!), and time with Will before everyone else was up as well as the time with Ashlee and Steve after the kids were in bed for the night.

Bryn, Spencer and I read "The Tale of Despereaux" and followed it up with a trip to the theater to see the movie on the 30th. That was really fun. We ended our last excursion together with a shopping trip to Sam's to try and find some tasty easy prepare meals for their mom in hopes of helping her out for the next while as she adjusts to life with five.

Ashlee was already back to a homeschool schedule by the 29th! It is particularly satisfying to see what an excellent education the children are getting. I even got to spend a wee bit of time with Kes doing her math. That was fun.

I still have hopes of mastering the art of fudge for Steve. I believe a candy thermometer will help. Mary Ann was such a wonderful mom and it would be fun to treat Steve to a special remembrance of her.

December 31st marked my return home to Idaho. The trip was pretty good for the challenges that come from flying during the busiest travel season of the year. My flight in Ohio was delayed a full hour but they held the connecting flight in Chicago so we would not miss out on getting home for New Year's Eve. (Did I mention I love Southwest Airlines.) We landed in Chicago and those of us heading for Salt Lake made a hasty run for our connection. While I made my connecting flight, my luggage did not. I arrived at 3:15 p.m. We had planned it that way so we would be able to make it most of the way home before the sun set. With one mountain pass to traverse this was important.

The combination of living three and a half hours from the airport and the fast approaching New Year's Day holiday presented us with the choice of Fed-Ex delivering my luggage three days later or us waiting for the in-coming flights to see if my bags would make it. We opted for wait and see.

Todd and Carey had told us of a great Mexican restaurant in Ogden that I have wanted to try. Having only five minutes to make my connection in Chicago, I had not eaten a good meal yet and so we decided to head for "The Sonora Grill". Good Choice! The stacked enchiladas were fabulous and I don't think we will ever be able to order a banana split anywhere else ever! It was amazing!!

After dinner, we headed back to the airport in hopes that my luggage had made the 7:00 p.m. flight. It hadn't come in. We then drove back into Salt Lake City and past Temple Square but what was already a fifteen and a half hour day left me too tired to get out and walk about. That was a bit disappointing but we did see the lights from the car and they were beautiful.

Claigh and I arrived back at the airport at 8:00 p.m. Thankfully the wait paid off! We headed home with Claigh pretty tired and me flat out exhausted but thankfully the roads were clear and there was no new snowfall. We pulled into our driveway at 11:40 p.m., unpacked the car and welcomed the New Year in together at home! At midnight our neighbors even set off fireworks in honor of my return! Okay - I am sure they were a welcome for the new year but it sure felt like a welcome home for me.

When I consider the thousands of miles our family has safely traveled over the years, I am deeply grateful for answered prayers. I am thankful for our daughters and their families. It is a blessing to be able to share special times together with the miracle of modern transportation and communication technologies. Wow!