Christmas 2011
This is my attempt to get back to blogging. Sorry that the last few months I have not been posting much at all. We had a great time in Texas, although exhausting! Going to America for vacation is never restful, but Addison had major sleep issues the entire time y'all! She didn't sleep one night all the way through in the three weeks we were there. Towards the end of our stay, I ended up sleeping in an extra bedroom with just her (because she became a Momma's girl suddenly) so everyone else could get some good sleep. Needless to say, this week has been a week of catching up on sleep and getting over jet-lag. I chose just a few pictures from our time to give an idea of what we were up to! (I'm still figuring out the posterous site, sorry these pictures are huge!)
The day we arrived it was my Dad's birthday, so we of course had cake and ice cream!
All three girls also got their hair trimmed, and it was very serious according to Addison!
This is what happens when you go driving to see Christmas lights and you still have jet-lag from arriving!
Christmas Eve at my parent's house!
We spent a few days in Tyler, TX with Marc's brother and family...his parents drove from Atlanta, Georgia too so we were all together! Marc's brother is the Lifeway store manager so we always have fun shopping at his store. The kids went right for the kids area!
The big hit in Tyler was roller skating with their cousins at their church! I even put a pair of skates on, but I won't be posting that picture! I'm pretty sure these skates are the exact same ones that we had at my church growing up. Since my mom was on staff we pretty much got free roam of the Family Life Center and the smell of the equipment room is so distinct, these skates took me right back!
Bailey found my wedding dress!
Another family picture! Goodness, the girls are growing up so fast!
We went down to my little brother's college to see his dorm and hang out. The girls loved it and told me that I could live with them when they move off to college. Ha.
We did a lot of this....
My 35th birthday (gasp!) was the day we would be flying back to Wales, so we celebrated early. The girls went shopping with my mom and decorated the house and made me Banana pudding! (Addison and Bailey are trying to hold up "35" with their hands)
The next day while my mom babysat, Marc took me to the Cheesecake Factory. Wow! I love their white pizza and we shared this Hershey's triple chocolate something cheesecake.
We were able to see one game of my little brother's college career- I thought it was funny to see Bailey carry his size 14 shoes.
My parent's church have an indoor play area, so on our last day we let them run wild for about an hour before having our final meal at Saltgrass Steakhouse! Marc loves his beef.
Caleb and Cerys waiting on their food...
I will now sleep and go on a diet.
It is such a bittersweet time- so fun getting to see family and friends all while having a knot in my stomach knowing I would have to say goodbye just as soon as I said hello. I had a few times sitting in the sun watching the girls play outdoors with their cousins, or watching them play with grandparents that I thought "Why on earth do we live in Wales, this is ridiculous. We have to live here near family." And after a good cry I realize that we do not feel the release to move back to America yet. Maybe we will one day. Maybe we won't. It costs to be obedient. And it hurts at times. But He is faithful. He gave us an easy flight back here (I was so worried Addison would fall asleep on the overnight flight and wake up screaming and flopping around like she had the last 3 weeks!) and we had no issues whatsoever and I'm so thankful. I'm pretty sure if you can travel with small children internationally, you can do anything!!! Oh, and another blessing was that my unlce is a police officer at DFW airport and he was on duty the day we left. He met us at security and he got my parents to go back to the gate with us which was so neat!! Instead of our usual blubbering mess in the security line, we were just a blubbering mess boarding the plane. ;)















