Christmas 2014

Uncle Mark and Aunt EJ drove up to our house on Christmas Eve and stayed the night.  We had a nice time reading the bible story and eating treats.  Christmas morning we enjoyed opening presents and eating egg casserole with sweet rolls.  Here are some pictures from the day.

Mistletoe Hunting

As per tradition, Mom took the kids hunting for Mistletoe on Christmas Eve.  We found some of course and enjoyed a beautiful hike along the lake as well.  We even saw a Blue Heron sitting on a rock watching us.

Mom's Trip to Utah

Dad was super nice to Mom and let her take a trip to Utah for a week to see family. It helped her not be nearly so homesick for her family over the holidays.

She has always wanted to take the Amtrack train over the Sierras to Utah so she decided it was now or never.

Mom's experience on the train was less than ideal (to put it nicely).  She will never ride the Amtrack train again and doesn't recommend it to anyone.  Mom will only ride trains not owned by the American government in the future.  The train itself was really fun, but the environment was not good.

 Mom had fun in Utah shopping with her family, playing with nieces and nephews, making gingerbread men, and going for hikes. She flew home after a week and had a much nicer experience.  Here are some of her favorite pictures from her trip.