HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Nov 10th. Collins & I decided to change our travel plans a bit. We were planning to go further north & stay on Whidbey Island the rest of the month. We planned to store the RV not too far from there at an RV dealership who also had storage space. However, we were able to get a storage spot on a nearby air force base so we’ve decided to stay put until we leave for IL. Since we couldn’t get covered or inside storage we’re going to buy a cover for the RV, & hopefully, all will be fine.

We did take another trip to Seattle & went to the King Tut exhibit. I thought it was really interesting. Collins said he was a little disappointed. He thought they would have more of the gold items found in the tombs. They showed pictures of what the site looked like before they removed anything. It looked like a huge storage shed with stuff just piled inside. At that time, people thought they would need things for their afterlife so they put it all in their tombs.

Collins at the museum

We weren’t allowed to take any pics so nothing to show from King Tut. 

There was another part of the museum that had a butterfly conservatory, so we did go thru that while we were there.  It's amazing how many different colors & sizes of butterflies there are.

We spent the last week getting the RV ready for storage & packing for IL & Panama.Trying to pack for 2 different climates is a real pain. Luckily, we had left a trunk of misc things we usually take on our winter journey in our storage unit in IL. I had also left a few winter clothes at my brother’s house, so it was a little easier. I think I may leave a few more things there when we leave in April.

Nov. 24th we took the RV to the storage lot & got it all covered. I forgot to take a picture before we left. We spent one last night in the Tacoma area & set off toward IL on Sunday the 25th. We planned to take our time & hoped for good weather. Since it had rained most of our time in Washington, we were worried about the trip thru some of the mountain passes, which had already had snow. Luckily for us, Sunday started out dry & we had sunny weather the whole way to IL. 

It took us 4 days to make the 2100 mile trip. We don’t like to drive at night, so we’d usually stop just after dark. Some of the areas already had snow, and the road would start to ice at night, so we decided it wasn’t worth risking an accident to travel a few more miles. Some of the areas were just beautiful with the snow covered mountains. 

We took turns driving & enjoyed the scenery along the way. We arrived at my brother, Rob’s house, late Wed evening. It was good to be back. Snuggles was a good little traveler & spent most of her time in the passenger’s lap. Once in awhile, she would climb on a pillow, set on top of the luggage in the back. I think she was glad to finish the trip also.

Dec1st our 10 yr old granddaughter Katie was in a cheerleading competition. We were able to see her team perform. They did a great job & came in 4th out of 13 teams. 

This was Katie’s first year cheering & I thought she did a great job. She really enjoyed it & plans to do it again next year. 

Pam, Katie, Aaron & Ryan

Becca & Tyler

We also had a chance to watch our 14 yr old granddaughter, Becca, play basketball. I forgot my camera. She’s a freshman this year playing on the Varsity team. Becca is also 5’10 & towers over both of us. 

Another day, we watched 11yr old grandson, Tyler, play basketball. He did a great job & made a few baskets. 










17 year old Danny just got a job & isn’t playing any sports right now. He & his 12 year old cousin, Ryan, both have a love of baseball. They will start practicing soon. Since we were home for a month, we had time to spend with all of the kids & grandkids. Unfortunately, they & teacher Paula didn’t get out of school for break until Dec 21st, so we didn’t get as much time together as I would have liked. However, we did get in some shopping trips, meals & other family time with all of them. Collins & Doug even had time for a few games of chess. 

Becca, Katie & Tyler

I also had my now annual Gingerbread Decorating Day with Becca, Katie, Ryan & Tyler. 

Ryan & Tyler

I was pleasantly surprised the two boys were still interested. They all had a good time & got very creative with their projects.

The girls' finished train

And their house

Tyler & Ryan's finished village
 

We spent Christmas Eve with my brother Rob, his wife Lisa & their family. It has been a tradition with us for quite a few years. They prepared a delicious meal & we all enjoyed our time together. 

Lisa, Courtney, Vicki & Megan

Rob got a new softball glove

Christmas Day started fairly quiet at Rob’s house, since his girls are now in their 20’s. We had a nice breakfast & were able to relax a little before heading to Paula’s for our family gathering. 

Tyler, Katie, Becca, Ryan, Danny

Danny & his dad, Dave

Ryan & Tyler

Pam, Katie, Aaron, Ryan

Pam & Katie

Becca, Collins & Katie

Becca & Katie



Kerry & Doug

Collins & Doug

Dave, Tyler, Paula, Danny & Becca

Pam, Paula & Karen

Becca & Paula

It gets a little chaotic with 13 people, including 5 kids. We all brought food for the dinner, so it made things a little easier for everyone. Before we knew it, the DAY had come & was almost gone. I think everyone had a good time. By that time, we had 6 days left before leaving for Panama.

Dave & Paula

Luckily, we had a chance to spend one last time with the kids before leaving.  We went out for dinner with Paula & Dave & Pam & Aaron.











Pam & Aaron



After we had dinner, we went back to Paula's to celebrate Dave & Collins Birthdays. It was soon time to say goodbye to all of them & the grandkids.

The next day, we were able to meet up with Doug, Kerry & her daughter, Emily for lunch. We had an enjoyable meal & it was time to say goodbye to them. (I forgot my camera)

Snuggles doesn't want to be left behind

Snuggles & Collins take a nap at the airport

Dec 31st arrived bright & early for us. We had an 8 Am flight for Panama. My neice, Vicki, was nice enough to give us a ride to the airport.