There's just something about it.

We're back from another holiday road trip to Oregon.  On our way home, the hubs and I estimated how many road trips to and from Northern California and Oregon Bug has been on and it turns out that she has traveled a minimum of 7,000 miles in the car going north.  She is an all star on the road and this trip was no exception.

There's just something about Grandma and GPa's house.  Well, there are lots of things about going to Grandma and GPa's house that make our time there so special.

1- Their home is filled with all the things we need to entertain a toddler for up to a year.

 2- All of the neighbors already know who Bug is and show her so much love.  Here's Grandma walking Bug down the street to meet the neighbors.

 3- We can visit a reindeer, elk, alpaca, and pig farm all in one day, within half an hour of their house.

4- There is an endless supply of sweets.

 5- No matter how few times during the year we see them, Bug feels more at home at Grandma and GPa's house than her own.

 6- Christmas feels like the kind you only see in movies.

7- Grandma and GPa's bed gets more movie time/use than the living room couch.

 8- Their house is complete with a giant Christmas tree in the front yard and reindeer.

 9- And the front door! Well, there's just something about that front door.  You know you're walking into a home filled with so much love.

10- We always manage to celebrate a birthday. This time, Grandma's!

 It was a sad day when we finally had to leave Grandma and GPa's house.

And the only place to stop was in freezing Klamath Falls, Oregon.  (See frozen lake picture below.  FROZEN.)  Oh, the kid discovered the Burger King crown.

 As far as it is to drive to Oregon, there is just something about it that allows God to speak to me louder than ever before.  Maybe it's the lack of noise, the majestic mountains, the long stretch of clear roads.  I don't know what it is, but I love every moment of it...all 12 hours. 

I feel really lucky that we have a Bug who is able to handle the long drives to see our families.  Now that we're back home, we're currently trying to get back to our routine.  It's been rough.  Bug now thinks she can stay up late every night and sleep in every morning like she did at Grandma and GPa's house.  She also begs to fall asleep next to us.  The last couple of nights she has fallen asleep on the floor in her room, next to one of us and we put her back into her bed.  ::sigh::  As much as I would like to get her back to her routine, it's kind of nice that she wants to be so close to us.  I also understand that we were gone for 8 whole days and each of those days, she wasn't on her schedule so I can't expect that she'll be right back to it as soon as we get home.  We have some work to do as far as her routine is concerned, but the trip to Grandma and GPa's was worth it.  She stayed up until 9 or 10-ish each night, running around the house, laughing with Uncle Scott, and watching movies with Grandma.  Because we don't live nearby, those moments aren't easily replicated.  So, when Bug is able to spend time with them, most routines get tossed out the window and are replaced with long days of no naps, lots of snacks, staying up late, and sleeping in.  We'll start fresh when we get home. 

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

God Bless,
Kat