I have way too many pictures to sort through before I am able to post about our actual trip to California for Christmas, but I have a nice story of our adventures of going to and from.
Let me start out with the fact that we were truly blessed to be able to go out, and with so many people whose flights were cancelled during the Christmas season we are thankful we made it at all.
Our adventure began with packing - which took several days. I felt quite prepared as we arrived the proper 2 hours early for our flight. We zoomed through check in and security, sat down only to hear this:
"Our plane is here, our Pilot is here, but our flight crew is stuck in Newark. We are doing our best to get another flight crew"
Long story short, we were supposed to arrive at LAX at 8:15 pm, but got in at 11:45 (which was 2:45 am to our bodies). We got all our luggage - they had plenty of time to get that on the plane - lugged it to the car rental shuttle stop and waited. And waited. And waited. We saw every shuttle bus but the one we needed. After a few phone calls we learned that the company we had chosen closes at 11:00, but another one would honor our order. So we piled all our bags onto the next bus and rode on over. There we were told they didn't have a vehicle to fit our family. Since it was 1:30 we decided on a hotel. Some man who felt sorry for us gave us a ride to the hotel.
All through this whole ordeal there was not one complaint from our kids.
Though TJ did ask what else could go wrong :).
The next day we finally got our rental van and began the 5 hour drive to
Bubba and Nana's.
We had to stop at In-N-Out Burger,
because we are deprived of it in Ohio,
and Kayte had her first taste.
About three hours later she puked it up.
On our drive up Highway 99 we always look for the "Pine and the Palm".
David managed to snap this great picture of them.
This is the center -between the northern most point and the southern most point - of California. Two trees are planted side by side, a Pine Tree and a Palm Tree.
(If you're ever on that route it's just south of Madera).
I don't have a photo for how our trip ended. I only thought of taking a picture after it was all over. On our return drive south, we stopped at another In-N-Out Burger, and an hour later Chatham vomited it all over. Maybe we need to do some rethinking on our dining....
As a "gut reaction" to the sounds and smells, Kayte also threw up. It was quite a mess!!!!
Through all of this we kept thinking of things to be thankful for.
For one uncle Cameron had some plastic bags in his car.
Also we weren't heading to the airport, but to Aunt Kayce's where there was a washing machine!
THANK YOU UNCLE CAMERON AND AUNT KAYCE!!!!!
Ok here is the story to this one. The kids have discovered hot cocoa recently and decided they like it for their snack. I turned to look at Mak during school and had to laugh. As you can see most of the drink didn't make it into his mouth. I sent him to wash his face, but all the kids insisted I take a picture first. 
Kayte was so tired the other night she didn't wake up when we brought her in from the car..she stayed sleeping through a diaper change and being put into bed. 
This is so cool. TJ was talking with his teacher online. She was doing a math lesson with him.
Jack's dinner plate tipped over the other night at Opa and Oma's house. His food all all down the front of him. David decided a picture was more important than cleaning him up right away.
