Safe and Sound

Well we made it to California safe and sound and now we have had four sleeps in my parent's house. The trip felt longer than I remembered, but we had a lot more to keep track of. Two suitcases, a carseat, two backpacks, the camera bag, the stroller, the baby, the blanket, our jackets, the dog and her carrier and assorted loose baby toys. All of these things were necessary and good, but a lot to keep our two pairs of eyes on.

Ally came with us after all. She is going to be a Californian now. Ally has been losing a lot of weight and hasn't wanted to go outside in the cold to go potty (so she's been making messes in the house!) and gets the shivers for an hour after being forced outside. We made the decision to take my Mom up on her offer and bring Ally down to live on "The Ranch" to keep Nellie company (Nellie's my mom's fourteen year-old dachshund).

We were worried about the weather driving from Los Angeles to Shafter, but it turned out to be gorgeous. The storm just missed the Grapevine, so we got to watch the huge thunderheads turn purple and orange and pink as the sun set on them over the mountains to our right. Derek and I rented a car which so far has been really lovely. It's such a luxury! Not that it's a luxurious car - it's not, it's tiny. But when we drive somewhere we get a few moments alone together as a family. And that's really a blessing.

Luke is getting passed around just as much as we expected. We don't see him terribly much. But thankfully I am still breastfeeding him so he has to come back to me every three or four hours for that and we get to snuggle and sit quietly together. I really love passing Luke around. I don't mind at all having everyone taking turns with him. He should know how much he is loved by people all over the globe! It's amazing, it's perfect, and as his mother I think all the fawning over him is totally appropriate! He's a great kid and gets along with everyone very well.

All of our big family gatherings are over now, and I even made it to a murder mystery bridal shower which was themed "Spa Day" (hence the slippers). It has been a whirlwind and we are looking forward to a few days of relaxation and visiting with my parents. We haven't planned out the rest of our week completely, but we are heading to Fresno on New Year's Day and are possibly going to the beach...? if we decide the drive is worth it.

Thanks for all the prayers and emails! I will try to answer them as soon as we get home, but for now I am treating this like a real vacation. After all, I think I've only changed three diapers in the last five days! That's something to celebrate!