The holidays were wonderful! We are so grateful to have been able to spend them with our wonderful families. Chris and I were able to spend a lot of time with my family up until and including Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. We were able to go see Grandma, Grandpa, and Seth before they left to see Sam off on his mission. It was so nice to participate and be a part of the Brown family Christmas traditions this year.
In the afternoon, Christmas Day, after everyone had opened presents and rested a bit, Chris and I drove to the airport to get on a plane to Virginia! (HOORAY!!!) Flying on Christmas wasn't my first choice but, now that I've done it I can personally say it was AMAZING! The tickets were half the price that they usually are and the airport was completely empty, which made getting through security a breeze even when the security level is raised to "orange"(High risk of terrorist attacks).
Being in Virginia with the Clarks was a delight. We are extremely happy that Abby and Joshua stayed an extra day so that we could see them. I had never met Joshua but have heard great things about him. Now that I've met him, I can say that he is absolutely adorable and that it's obvious that he makes Abby happy. (And he totally rocks at guitar hero!) ;)
For New Years, we all went out to Pennsylvania where we had some fun adventures. We spent one day driving around most of Pennsylvania's highways until we found Hershey Park. Chris was a bit flustered with all of the driving, as was Dad, who we were following. However, I think the rest of us enjoyed the ride with each other; we laughed a lot, had fun singing with the radio and telling stories. Despite the cold cold weather and crazy drive, Hershey Park was fabulous. We met up with the Hockers (such a cute bunch) and had a blast wandering the chocolate dream world of fun. There really is something there for everyone. I don't even like chocolate very much, but i found out that Hershey makes a lot more than just chocolate. They make Twizzlers!!!!!!! :D So happy!
Pennsylvania was full of a lot more than chocolate however. We spent pretty much the rest of our stay in a quaint little home just outside of Gettysberg. We played games, talked, laughed, stayed up way later than we should have, slept in way later than we should have, and ate a lot of food. :) It was a perfect recipe for a fantastic vacation.
Gettysberg is a marvelous place, definitely worthy of our time. We were able to see the famous sights of places on the battlefield and stop by the Gettysberg museum. The museum was a treasury of the memories and facts about the war. I believe it brought a sense of love, sacrifice, and gratitude for not only the men who fought, but for their families on both the confederate and yankee sides.
After returning to Virginia we just "hung out" with the family and enjoyed being part of the clark "everyday life". Because Mama' clark loves Chris so much she let Chris teach an early morning seminary class. He was definitely born and raised to be a great teacher and leader. It's a joy to watch him thrive and see the way that he smiles while he teaches.
We arrived back in Utah on the 6th of January. Just in time for us to figure out how to get Chris into the classes he needed. Heavenly Father is sure watching over us.
I am now currently trying to find a job and have tried to spend my free time cooking so that I don't bother Chris while he's trying to study.
Things are going well for us and we are so happy and so grateful to be where we are in life.
We love you all!
