Our trip began on Friday, December 18th. We left Houston at 10:30 am after Jack's last final exam for this semester. We headed north to St. Louis for the funeral of my 92 year Grandmother, Trudy Bouzek. It was an emotional start to the Christmas break as we buried her next to my Grandpa who died when I was twelve. My Uncle Les and my mom, Dianne, shared some great stories about Grandma and I cried and I smiled as the memories were revealed. I was grateful for the beautiful day we had. The snow had just fallen and the trees were coated with white. It was a winter wonderland. I saw cousins from all over the states that I hadn't seen in many years. Catching up was fun as we shared lunch together after the service. I know that Grandma loved seeing us all together.
Early Sunday morning, we headed to Tennessee to see Bill's Grandmother Smith, Uncle Arnie, Aunt Becky, Aunt Kathy and cousins Emily Kate and Andrew. We arrived just in time for a scrumptious dinner of pot roast and vegetables. It was amazing and perfect for such a cold winter evening. We truly enjoyed our visit as we explored different parts of the Chattanooga area. One day we spent driving through the country seeing where Grandmother and Granddaddy Smith grew up in Sail Creek and Bakewell, Tennessee. The hills and trees were so beautiful and we enjoyed hearing the stories from the past and will cherish that time together. We spent another day touring downtown Chattanooga and the festive window displays in the office buildings. We walked along the riverfront and admired the architecture. We ate at Cheeburger Cheeburger where Matt joined the kids wall of fame by eating a 1/2 pound burger. His picture is proudly displayed for all to see :) After lunch we went to "Look Out Hill" and slid down the grassy hill on cardboard boxes. This was so much fun! We stayed there quite a long time. We had many nice meals together and celebrated Christmas on Tuesday evening with everyone together. Presents were exchanged and pictures taken. It was a wonderful time in Tennessee and we already miss our family there!
Our final stop was Huntsville, Alabama, where we visited my mom, step-dad, my two brothers and their families. We really enjoyed the relaxing days we had as we made final preparations for Christmas and ran those last minute errands and cooked and baked and ate and ate and ate! We had a wonderful Christmas day with all the family at my mom's house. We went go-karting and putt putting and bowling and shopping and then more shopping. We played games and watched television (all those fun HGTV shows that I can't see at home!) The entire time was fun and relaxing and we had a fantastic time. But, like all fun, it must come to an end. We headed back home early Monday morning and arrive after dinner to a chilly Houston and our street lit up with Christmas lights. We have a few days here at the house before heading back to work and school, which is really nice, too. We hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas and that your new year is full of hope and peace.
