The Holidays With Babs 2023

It was time for the rest of the family to see Mom's new home, so we set off on Dec. 26 for a few days visit. It helps having 3 drivers in the family now; the 14-16 hour drive goes easily when other people take a turn.

A huge highlight of the trip was a visit from my Aunt Cyndy (Mom's youngest sibling) and her daughters and their families. Some of the cousins and spouses had never met, so it was a treat to get time together. We easily filled up Mom's space, and they were headed for their Christmas present of time together at a water park, so it wasn't a long visit, but it did make me look forward to more visits in the future.

The rest of the time was spent enjoying Mom and each other's company. The kids decided to wait to do the annual gingerbread house creation/consumption at Mom's.

Lots of hanging out:

Games:

I ran over for a visit with best friend Pippi and a stop to visit Cash and the beautiful new headstone/bench that had been installed since my last visit.

And too quickly it was the end of the week and time to drive home.

But instead of arriving home to a dark, empty house, we came home to lights, laughter, and loved ones, here to bring in the new year together!

More to come...