Ah, Christmas Vacation

 ah, vacation...

the  packing, the cleaning, the driving...

the weather, the car fights, the driving...

the friends, the sightseeing, the driving...

the unpacking, the repacking, the driving...

time with friends, time with family, the driving...

did I mention the driving?

I enjoy family vacations,

I enjoy meeting up with friends that I haven't seen in almost 20 years

My best friend from primary school, Telynn (left) and I

I enjoy seeing beautiful sights that I have never seen before

Salt Lake City Temple

Multnomah Falls, Or

Umpqua River Lighthouse

I enjoy capturing moments of fun that we haven't had the opportunity to engage in in a long while

Christopher and Nathan with "Tom"

"Are you ready to rumble???"

 I enjoy the time with family that we do not get to see very often

Almost ready for supper

The Adolf clan that could make the party...

I enjoy wandering along the beach with my sons and Grandma

I enjoy sharing the sourdough bakery with my children in San Francisco

this mixer holds over 300 pounds of dough

I even enjoy the crazy rain that made the cable car ride such an adventure

these four decided to hang on the outside of the cable car for the first leg of the ride

But I absolutely do not enjoy the driving...

It. takes. forever. to. get. to. our. destination.

At least, that's how it feels to me...

So, at the end of this vacation,

I am glad for the new opportunities and experiences

the boys learn how to crab off the dock

until an aggressive sea lion chases them off to another place

a herd of elk stop traffic as they cross the road in southern Oregon

I am also glad to be back at home.

not trading off driving shifts through the night,

and not even thinking about getting back in my car,

never.

ever.

again.

until the next vacation...