16th Anniversary Weekend in Napa

Our drive to Napa was long... Jeff had to work on Training Center homework so I put the music on and started on the open road. After getting through the traffic, the scenery consisted mostly of open fields, after several hours of open fields I couldn't help but imagine myself running through them. When there are hours of driving ahead, I mostly think. My brain goes a million miles an hour. All I could think about was how excited I was to be free to do whatever we wanted for a couple of days. Then I started to see myself running free through those ugly fields on the side of the 5 freeway and suddenly they became these beautiful fields full of fun. Freedom is such an amazing word. Because in this life we feel that bondage to sin that reigns in our bodies, freedom isn't completely free. Like Paul says in Romans 7:18-25, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin."
Those fields were a great reminder that one day I will run and be completely free from this body of sin when I am with my Savior one day. The things I struggle with will no longer hold to me like they do now.


Finally after the long drive we arrived at our hotel. The next day we decided to drive to San Francisco with our bikes and ride across the Golden Gate bridge. It was so much fun! We rode our bikes all around the bay, stopping in Fisherman's Warf to grab some fresh clam chowder and Ghirardelli Square for some chocolate! It was definitely an exciting and adventurous day!
Sunday we followed the Napa Valley Vine Trail bike path through different parts of the valley... a 16 mile ride! I think that is my record so far! It was beautiful! This was probably our most adventurous anniversary weekend yet and I loved every minute of it!

Ocotillo Wells weekend

We had such a fun time with our family and Jeff's sister, Stephanie's family in Ocotillo. I love getting away from the busyness of life to camp and play in the dirt! The kids have a blast every time we go. And life is just a little bit slower when you are in the middle of a desert! ;)
Only 3 casualties this time! Jake was the first, followed by Cara and Pat. The doctors think Pat broke a rib! The young kids can handle crashes much better than the old ones. ;)

Christmas 2011

As each year passes and my faith grows deeper and I become more in love with my Savior, Christmas seems to become simpler by every passing year. Besides all of the splendor of the holidays, Christmas brings me to a place of amazement... God sending His Son to this wretched place to save a horrible sinner like me? I do not deserve this kind of love... but my Savior draws me to a place of thankfulness for this exact love I so desperately need.


December was met with special family time...


In 2010 my parents started a new tradition... Christmas at the Crocker's! So every year my brothers family and my family spend the weekend before Christmas at my parents house. We have a family dinner on Friday night and the granddaughters decorate Christmas cookies with grandma. Then we wake up to breakfast and presents on Saturday morning. And we can't forget family pictures! I love being able to "get away" from all the busyness and celebrate Christmas with my family. I wish we would have started this tradition many years ago! 


Another special treat... Jeff's brother, Jason, his wife, Debbi and their 2 boys, Ryan and Kyle, flew in from Virginia on the 17th to spend Christmas in California. We had a wonderful time with the entire family together for 2 weeks. Lots of shopping, bowling, playing games, baking, sitting around talking, and the sound of cousins laughing together. We were really sad to see them leave. Kailee really misses playing with her cousin Kyle.


We also have spent my whole life since I can remember at my grandparents house for Christmas Eve. There is something about traditions that make up those wonderful memories you have as a child.


This year I decided we were going to do a couple things we haven't done before... I printed out passages of Scripture and taped them to the gifts we opened on Christmas morning so that before we opened our gift we could focus on the reason we really celebrate Christmas. Also this year Kailee and I decided to try and make a gingerbread house out of graham crackers, icing and candy. Let's just say it was really fun irregardless of the way it looked!


December came and went really quickly... but it was truly a memorable time.

Crocker Family Christmas

Bowling with the Price Family

Christmas Eve at Grandpa Jim and Grandma Claire's house

Christmas Morning

And the gingerbread house...