The Adventures of JAMC: Thanksgiving Memories

Does any one else find it ironic that going on a vacation is fun, but it exhausts you? After being away for over a week, I've discovered that I could really use a vacation to recover from my vacation. Getting back into the swing of school and housework and all the other stuff that makes up life has been a little difficult, especially after the long, long drive we endured to get to Texas. Despite all that, the trip really was worth it and we had a wonderful time. Naturally I want to chronicle our family's Thanksgiving adventures, so here is a little summary of our trip:

Our first day consisted of driving...and driving...and driving some more. Thirteen and a half hours of driving, including stops. How our parents got through a road trip without DVD players and handheld video games is beyond me, but we got through the drive in one piece and the kids actually did really well. Our first stop was Lubbock, Texas...the place where I went to college, met Jodie, and spent our first three years as a young married couple. It's also where Mason was born. We were able to spend time with Jodie's brother, Ethan, and his family. The kids were excited to play with their cousins and truly had a great time. We also got to see one of my best friends from college (Cassandra), and she took some great photos of our family. We used to do things with Cassandra and her family, and it was fun to see them again and hang out at her house for a bit. Jodie was able to see some old friends at church the next day, and we left Lubbock Monday morning feeling that the 2 1/2 days we spent there were too short, yet totally worth it. We felt very nostalgic visiting Lubbock and seeing all that has changed in the 8 years since we left.

Here's a preview of the pictures Cassandra took for us...

This is the only picture I took in Lubbock. Mason and his cousin, Samuel, are bonding over Mario Kart, while Connor plays with Austen and Avery. (Avery is out of the shot.) I should have done better taking pictures!

After Lubbock we headed to Dallas, where I grew up. It meant so much to me to visit Dallas and see my family. I hadn't been to Dallas for three years, and also hadn't seen my sister or brother in all that time. The week flew by, which was sad, but we packed the time with fun activities and lots of visiting. Among other things, we went to my sister's house, visited the Children's aquarium in Fair Park in Dallas, visited my grandparent's graves, and watched the kids bounce around at JumpMania. Though all those things were fun, the best day was Thanksgiving. Not only did I get to see aunts and uncles and cousins, but we got to sample my mom's excellent cooking, and it was the one day we truly relaxed and talked and simply spent time together. All the other activities were fun (especially for the kids), but it meant the most to me to be able to talk with my family and just be together with them. The kids got to open presents early, since we were all together, and I loved actually getting to see my niece and nephew's faces as they opened their gifts. On top of all that, the boys did such a wonderful job over the course of the trip. Our only incident was Mason accidentally soaking himself and having a meltdown at the aquarium. Magically, we were able to quickly move on from that, and that was our only major problem. It was nothing short of a miracle. Two boys, with Asperger's, tired and out of their comfort zone, and we only have one major meltdown in an entire week? I could not be more delighted (or surprised)!

Guitar Hero at my sister's house...

At Fair Park, visiting the aquarium, with Nana, Preston, and Aedan (my sister's boys)...

I grew up seeing this ferris wheel at Fair Park...

At JumpMania, with Preston, Aedan, and Ryann (my brother's daughter) ...

After our week in Dallas we headed back to Lubbock, but this time just made a brief stop before moving on. The trip back to Arizona seemed never to end, and it made us all a little grumpy, I must say. It didn't help when a large rock got thrown up into our windshield, making a large, circular crack right smack in the middle. The drive back made us realize that we really should just save our tax return and work towards flying next time! As it was, we all got back in one piece, thankful the drive was over, but even more thankful for a vacation filled with fun and family! I hope your holiday was just as wonderful! Now back to reality!