Quality Time - Not Overated!

I will have to create a few posts to capture the last few crazy weeks of December! Life got crazy starting with a power outage due to a ice storm here in Salem! When we left for California we still did not have power and we just got back yesterday. Boy is 44 degrees cold, especially when it is in your bedroom! I was packing for the trip with gloves and a winter coat on!


We were blessed with fantastic weather for our trip to California and let's just say that "sunny So Cal" lived up to that nickame for us!


Since I had roughly 16 hours to think on our trip home yesterday, I mulled over a lot of things in this brain of mine! One thing I realized as I thought back over the last few months is how important quality time is really to all of us. I have lived away from some immediate family member almost my whole life and recently left more family and terrific friends when we moved to Oregon. You know with all the great ways we have now to communicate such as snail mail, e-mail, cell phones, instant messaging, and even webcams, nothing can beat actually spending time with people important to me. I am thrilled that all those things allow us to keep in touch, but the rest way in my opinion to reach out and touch someone is still with our arms wrapped around in big hugs!

In October, Grandma Louise (my mom) came to visit...
Then we got to see Kim, Matt and Zack when they came to Oregon to see Kim's mom and us!

Also, in November we had visits from our friends The Johnsons who are missionaries in Mexico!

For Thanksgiving we were so excited when Aunt Lara came to visit....

Then in December we were so lucky to go California to see mom and dad (Bryan's parents)...
Our special friends, The Loomis Family...
The Barker Family..very few pictures because Josiah was sick :(, but Connor, Brody and Caleb had some fun playing football at the park and I got to finally see little Abby! We didn't get to visit as much as we would of liked, but we make due!
Also, one day Caleb, Luke and Morgan came to the apartment to play and I didn't get my camera out for some reason! Plus, we saw the LeVesque's again and the boys even had a sleepover, but Kim has those pictures!

We also saw Kelly and our great nephew Aiden...

I didn't get to spend as much time with everyone as I would of liked to, but it was all good and the hugs alone will last me until I get to see everyone again! Until then, blog on...e-mail away and let's talk soon!