Seattle, Family, Christmas, Truck Driving

Naomi enjoyed the ferry to Kingston

Naomi would not allow a picture, so I made her say "hi" to Mimi and Papa;
Eden just wanted her mom and dad; but I was happy to be with them

Just got back from Seattle, so fun to spend time with my nieces and sister and bro-in-law, as well as see such a different and beautiful part of God's creation.  I'm terrible at taking pictures, obviously, so what you see is what you get.  We spent most of the time hanging out and playing with the kids, but I got to do lots of fun touristy stuff too: Seattle Center/ Space Needle; Pike's Place Market; fun food/places to eat; Theo's Chocolate Factory; Sunsets; Ferries; exploring; trolls; beaches; snowmen; dress up; babysitting; pimping a minivan; lakes; beautiful mountain views as we were blessed with a number of sunny days; endless dish doing; and lots of christmas music :)

Naomi made this snowman ("Olaf" like every other snowman this year)
and had to talk to him every night we got home to see how his day was.

Eden was not happy, but she looks so cute all bundled up on our
first sunny day... which was also the day it snowed early

She finally smiled for a pic when chocolate was promised

Ally, Eden and I on Thanksgiving

I'm trying to spend more time with my family.  I moved here to do that, but the past year I have been so busy with Fortune and the guys, that I'd go weeks without seeing them- and we only live a few minutes away from each other.  I've always lived with them when I was in Midland until the last couple years, and I don't go to church with them anymore either, so it is easy to miss each other.  Therefore, now that my parents have "normal" 8-5 jobs, we are trying to go to lunch once a week or so, and have game nights/dinner often too.  I am blessed with wonderful parents/family, so I love enjoying their company.

This was my first year to put up lights for Christmas.  I may be years behind everyone else, but I finally have a legit sized tree (with hardly any ornaments, oh well, I don't like the cookie cutter cutesy ornaments), lights, stockings... all the necessities.  It's not much, but I love it.

I just got to go on a work trip with Fortune in his own new 18 wheeler.  "We" hauled pipe to El Reno, Oklahoma.  We left around midnight, and got back 24 hours later.  I was intrigued by all the buttons and knobs and switches and gauges... even the seat was fun with the air pressure/ride... (Idk the lingo).  We stopped for a couple hour nap somewhere south of Wichita Falls, so weird to pull the curtains, keep the engine running and snuggle up on a twin size bed for a nap in a field of other trucks and truckers doing the same in a Stripes parking lot... but a couple very short hours later we were on the road again.  Well, he woke up and drove, I continued to sleep (as much sleep as you can get with him singing his Jamaican gangsta rap at the top of his lungs to stay awake).

I probably should have taken this picture at the beginning
of the trip, and not 24 hours in, dead tired and haggard.  

I woke up about the time we got to the drill site... 9 am.  I had to pee like no other.  Out in the middle of nowhere... with only men around... and I wasn't supposed to be in the truck, so I had to hide on the bed and hold it.  The forklift operator wasn't ready until 12:30 to unload all 13 trucks, but finally we made it.  The lease road was the best opportunity for me to drive... so I did.  It was pretty fun, granted there was no load on the trailer, but I got a few miles in and did just fine.  Then, I was never more happy to see El Reno in my life, thank you Denny's for your wonderful bathroom.  I'm sure it seems dumb to write 2 paragraphs about it, but I enjoy every second I get to spend with Fortune, and getting to see him at work and seeing other sides of him is so exciting for me.