christmas travels

I thought it was time for me to catch up here. I hope you all had a great holiday. We spent our Christmas break actually in several places. 

First, we drove to Ohio to visit Caleb's parents. It was a very short stay, but we were able to exchange gifts. Caleb and I gave his parents a very...clever gift. I asked Caleb to write a poem to go with it, and this is what he wrote:

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad! What an exciting year we’ve had!

There have been ups and downs, loop-the-loops, and turn-arounds.

We’ve laughed and we’ve cried, we’ve helloed and we’ve good-byed

Now once again it’s that time of year, when we share with you a cup of cheer

Even though you live down “there”, with evil people lurking everywhere

And we mourn for your sorry State, we still hope your holiday is great

Christmas should be fun for everyone, even those Buckeye sons of guns

And so we send you this, our love: view it as a white peace Dove

For while lost, you stumble and grope, we know always there is hope

While your allegiance makes us sad it’s true, we’re always holding out for you!

Merry Christmas!

Caleb and Jessica

Here is a picture of our special gift:

So when we first moved to Michigan, I was pretty determined to find some Michigan t-shirts for ourselves. Everywhere you look there is always someone wearing the prideful maize and azure. I decided to walk around the shops near campus and lo and behold I found a store that had a humongous selection of all the Michigan apparel you can imagine. And not only was there a huge selection, but they were also for reasonable prices. I saw these t-shirts and thought it would be a great Christmas gift for Caleb's parents. (It was only September, but my brain was already on it) I got one for Caleb that says "Michigan Physics" and of course I got one for myself that says "Michigan Wife." I just couldn't resist.

Needless to say, Caleb's parents loved the shirts. Even though they still bleed red (Ohio State color), they still plan on wearing them with pride come spring and summer. 

After our visit with them, we flew to Phoenix to be with my family. I was stoked. Here's why:

  Isn't he so adorable?! Well, you all know how adorable Caleb is, but in addition to my wonderful husband I'm talking about the little guy he is holding. Deacon is my nephew, my oldest brother's child. I had blogged about him in another post here. Caleb and I had a great time playing with him.

So basically I can't get enough of this kid. Caleb is really good at playing with him. We also did some other fun things. We went to San Diego to visit some of my relatives and also to do some sightseeing. We also went to Universal Studios, which was awesome. I had been there when I was younger, but they've completely redone a lot of the park so it was all new to me. 

Caleb and I had a really great time. We ate lots of good homemade food and it was just so nice being all together again. My mother was just so glad we could all be home. I don't think she really cared what we did as long as we were together. I think I probably felt the same way. We hope you all had a great holiday season with friends and family as well. It's during these times where I am reminded of how grateful I am for my family and the true happiness they give me. I am grateful for the Christmas season where we can celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, and remember His life and what He has done for all mankind. It through following His example that really helps us to feel the true spirit of Christmas, of charity, faith, and love.