A fun day for all

Well..., maybe fun wasn't had by 'ALL'

Joel went and enjoyed a little dental surgery down at the VA the other day.

They did a bone graft in preparation for a tooth implant they are going to do in about a year.

We had to leave the house at 5:30am and didn't get home until about 4:30pm.

It was a long day, but I think it was a little harder on Joel than it was on me :)

In the meantime, Seth (and later Ellie) got to go and play at Uncle Dode's and Aunt Stephanie's and have a great time playing with cousins and taking the Jeep for a spin.

After watching Seth at the wheel, I thought Ellie was staying remarkably calm.

The next day, in honor of their dad:

Andrew (almost 19)

Sheridan (17)

Seth (2 1/2)

and Ellie (10 months)

all sported some fashionable mustaches and/or a unibrow,

just as a way to say "we love you!"

Joel appreciated the gesture and found humor in their choices-

but smiles where a little beyond him that weekend!

Poor Baby!

IN OTHER NEWS:

Ellie has recently discovered food

AND BOY DOES SHE LIKE IT!!!

Boy Toys Up-Grade

Anyone who knows him or has followed this blog much, knows that Seth is all boy when it comes to tractors. They were his first love and have proved to be a lasting infatuation.

"TRACTOR!" was one of his first 10 words and still can be heard with predictable frequency.

Living here at 'Great Grandma and Grandpa's' place and conveniently parked next to the barn he passes the riding lawnmowers just about every time we leave the trailer. He jumps on every chance he gets.

His great, great uncle Jared has been doing some work here on the property with his excavator and the other day Seth was thrilled with the chance to get in and "help" operate it.

If you blow up the picture and look close you can make out Seth through the window. Unfortunately I only got one picture off before the camera died so I couldn't try for an easier-to-see shot.

I was a bit worried that this would spoil him in his thrill of climbing on the little tractors in the future, but I needn't have worried, love is still in the air!

Where in the World are the Woodsons?

As most of you have figured out by now, we left west Texas long ago, but my blogging has not caught up, so goes the speeded up version of where we went from there.

ARIZONA

We parked for a week in Phoenix and had the chance to go and see the Christmas lights at the Mesa Temple. It was cold enough while we were there that we actually had to bundle up to enjoy the lights.

We stayed in the driveway of my life-long friend Maribeth and her husband James Lee. They spoiled us and we loved it!

While we were there we went to their ward's Christmas party and Seth and Ellie got to sit on Santa's lap for the very first time. Seth was only willing once he realized that was the only way he was going to score a candy cane. Ellie held his hand for moral support.

From the brown Arizona deserts we moved west into the forests of

CALIFORNIA

First the "green" ones

And then the "Red" ones.

Thanks to some high winds and the chance of snow, we veered off of I-5 in northern California and cut over to 101 along the coast. This added some time and miles, but also some wonderful sights and experiences.

Joel got to see the Redwoods for the first time.

It was a cool morning, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

OREGON

One of the best things about traveling in an RV is: your backyard can be some of the most beautiful places in the world!

(Without the high property taxes :)

WASHINGTON!

Finally home! 12,000 miles and 3 months later.

Just in time to spend Christmas Eve with Joel's daughter Sheridan (16)

and step-son Andrew (18)

And Christmas morning at Grandma & Grandpa's.

I loved traveling and we hope to do some more in the future, but it sure feels good to be HOME!

Back to Blogging: West Texas

After we left San Antonio and 'The Alamo" we headed west to Balmorhea State Park.

It's a little bit in the middle of nowhere, but even here there are interesting things to see.

I've passed many a little roadside chapel, but this was the first little roadside mission!

When we got into the hills there were all these fun rock formations. I thought they looked a lot like those drawings of crowds of people- a little square and stacked together.

While we were in Balmorhea, we took a little drive over to Fort Davis, an old Army fort from the mid to late 1800's.

My desert knowledge is definitely lacking, I didn't even know that these plants bloomed like this. They were huge. They looked like they had been there since the fort was active.

I know these oaks were around!

Now to the park-

The main reason we chose to come here was because the CCC took a spot that has 7 natural underground springs and build a big swimming pool around it back in the 1930's.

The pool is full of fish and people come from all around to swim and scuba dive.

It says that it is 25 feet deep, but Joel's dive computer said it was only 10 feet at the deepest.

He saw some catfish and this turtle...

but mostly he saw hundreds and hundreds of little fish that surrounded him everywhere he went. It was funny to watch; when he was swimming away they would trail him like a big fan, like he was the head duck in a formation flying south.

It wasn't much, but at least he got the chance to get his feet wet.

The Alamo

Remember The Alamo!

We stayed in San Antonio for a few days on our way through Texas, and on Sunday after church we made it in to see the Alamo. It seemed a little strange to head downtown amidst all the high-rises and hotels and see the little old Alamo sitting there.

You really felt like you were walking through a piece of history. In the main building they had a sign asking you to please talk quietly and turn your cell phones off so when you are in there you can feel it is a special place.

This Live Oak and several others on the property were so cool. Any kid would love to have one of these in their backyard.

Even the walls surrounding the compound looked to be full of history.

As a side note: Our Ellie finally learned to sit up!

Louisiana Swamps

After we left New Orleans we headed west further into Cajun Country. We stopped at a state park in Lake Charles near the Louisiana-Texas border. We were delighted to pull in and realize that there was a swamp running right through the campground.

We didn't spot any alligators, darn the luck, but there were plenty of turtles out sunning themselves.

This is a row of Cyprus Knees. They are part of the tree's root system; I don't entirely understand their purpose, but it has something to do with having some of their root above the water since Cyprus trees grow most often in the swampy areas.

I found the trees, often draped in moss, and the still waters of the swamps to be beautiful in a mysterious, haunting kind of way.

I think these must be where the expression "odd duck" came from. They have beautiful green iridescent feathers and the homeliest faces I have ever seen. And their swimming form and sounds they make, leave a lot to be desired!

I can't tell you how often, right along side the spanish moss, we would see a fishing bobber hanging all sad in the trees. A few of these trees looked like they were being decorated for an early Christmas :P

The campground wasn't all swamp, they were kind enough to provide swings for our favorite Mother-Son activity!

This tree next to the swings looked like it had been moonlighting as the local bulletin board.

The best part about traveling the country in our 5th wheel is that no matter how far we go or what state we're in, we are only a few steps from home.