New Year's Eve

I'm sitting in a motel room in a mediocre motel in Kenton, Ohio.  Mom, Dick, the kids, and I departed from home at 4 a.m. on Saturday morning and arrived about 12 and a half hours later.  For the first time ever, my youngest brother, Trav, wasn't able to come home for Christmas, so we came here instead.  We've spent the past couple of days visiting with him, Kara, nephew Gauge, and Kara's family.  We drove by lots of Amish farms today and got a glimpse of how differently, how simply, they live.  I couldn't pass Goodwill without stopping and found a pile of really nice clothes for Ryley.  Tonight, everyone else is out for dinner, but in order to preserve my sanity, I opted not to take my three munchkins out to a restaurant twice in the same day.  Instead, we are hanging out at the motel, eating candy out of the vending machine, swimming, and watching movies on the iPod and portable DVD player.  For the first time that I can remember, I probably won't stay up until midnight, and for the first time in 14 NYEs, I won't be with JD.  I'm glad we came though, to see where Trav and family lives, to see the house they're renovating and where he works.  I'm also ready to go home and to enjoy the last couple of days of vacation before getting back to the reality of school and work.

I forgot to bring my camera along, but if I had, I'd insert the following pictures:

Trav and Gauge on the snowmobile pulling Ryley and Zeke on a sled
Quin and Gauge playing together nicely (not of the many times Quin tried to hit or body check him)
The Amish farms and the horses and buggies we saw on the road
The kids enjoying the pool at the motel
Me falling flat on my arse (while carrying Quin) after slipping on ice this morning

JD has been busy at home.  We got more snow, so he was able to plow his route again.  In his "spare time" he's been putting flooring down in our dining area/living room.  We had hoped to be a lot further along on that project, hence me taking all of the kids with, but it's taking longer than expected.  His dad has been helping him, and I'm excited to see the progress they've made.

I'm looking forward to 2013 and all of the joys and challenges, blessings and hardships, and laughter and tears that will come with it.  And I'm looking forward to being home!