New Year Trip

It was the day before New Year's Eve (so is that new year's eve eve or just plain Tuesday?) and Mike realized that he had no plans for a whole week. No one to report to or file leave requests with. No one in the world (or at least the Air Force) who cared in the least about where he was spending his time for the next week. This is the first time in about 6 years that has happened, so he must have been feeling free.
Anyway, he passed me in the hall and asked what we were doing the next day. I said nothing, but maybe we could take the kids to the zoo since it was 70 degrees and pretty nice out. He agreed but then passed me going the other way and said "Lets go to Maryland tomorrow! I'll call my mom and see if it is ok." I guess he felt like the zoo wasn't taking advantage enough of his new found freedom. A 600 miles each way road trip was more what he needed.
I was hesitant at first but the idea grew on me. All his family there had yet to meet Rebecca, it was a holiday, his parents had just had company so didn't need to do any last minute cleaning or furniture arranging to be ready for us, and we would be there on a Sunday to do the Rebecca's blessing with family members there. I admit I was also tempted with the opportunity to share some of the baby care chores for a while. And with Mike starting a new job, who knows when we would have that much time off again to travel. So off we went! Well sort of, we did have some last minute packing and laundry and cat feeding and such to do first.
When we finally left it went pretty uneventfully. We went from 70* in GA to about 30* in one day, getting colder and colder at each bathroom stop. Brr! Rebecca did ok the first 8 hours, but gave up for the last three, letting us all know how un-fondly she considered her carseat and backseat view. It was so very nice to get there! I personally enjoyed changing diapers on a clean bed, instead of trying to change diapers or even whole outfits, in questionable gas station restrooms, trying to cover everything within reach with paper towels and not actually put skin or clothes in direct contact with any surface. We were all so tired no one even bothered to stay up to ring in the new year, tho I caught it in the mountain time zone while doing a middle of the night feeding.
We spent the next few days just hanging out with Mike's parents and siblings, mostly eating and passing the baby around. I am amazed she didn't catch something, but sometimes you have to take a risk with family members you won't see for another year. Lenna and Andy enjoyed a bear hunt with their dad in the backyard, a trip to the movies with Aunt Tammy, and several game nights and lots of good food with everyone.
Sunday we did Rebecca's blessing in Mike's parents' ward. It was nice to have his bother-in-law and dad there to participate. He also had some men who were his teachers and leaders when he was a young man participate which was nice as well. He also got to watch his best friend from high school be sustained as a member of the bishopric. That made us both feel a little old, to have high school friends in bishopric's. It will be nice if we move to that area in the future to get reacquainted with them. Rebecca, of course, looked beautiful in her blessing dress that her Nana made. And she was considerate enough to sleep through the whole thing!

I scooted her out after the meeting to feed her and change her- just in time. She had a huge blowout through her onsie and tights only minutes after I took her dress off. She seems to have a knowledge about when would be the worst time to leak- she soaked two Christmas dresses the week before at church as well.
For the drive home we decided to break up the torture into two days instead of one. We went half way and stayed the night in a hotel, which went pretty smoothly. The next day felt lots longer. Rebecca decided to cry us over the state line, and exercised her lungs the last half hour. Our driveway has never looked so good. If only someone had fulfilled my dream of breaking in while we were gone and cleaning up all the Christmas mess. Oh well, there is always next year!