Why The Road Trip Background?

Well for starts, isn't life a road trip? You may plan for your trip but you never know what is going to happen on your trip! You could plan for sun, and it rains. You could plan on camping and end up in a hotel...you seriously never know what you are going to get! This winter I have certainly struggled with my road trip plans. I figured we would road trip to Nebraska for a few years, and then return home to a cush job, a lovely home...a lovely NEW home at that, and well pick up from where we left for our vacation. But hence, like I said before road trips rarely go as planned. Our cush job isn't that at all...it is all dependant on our government. Our lovely new home is well, the basement of my loving father-in-law, and well picking up from where we left is hardly as easy as you think. Friends go on their own vacations, people move on.

But the best part of vacation, is coming home, retelling all your unplanned stories and well looking at the pictures. Sometimes as you look at the pictures you think you can't wait to go back and sometimes you think I never want to go back. As I look back at our Nebraska pictures (okay the last 2 1/2 years of our life) I am not sure what I think. I look at the fact that I am older, fatter, and grayer...I look at the boys and see 3 young men in the making and when I look back and see Jim, I see an amazing man who made a huge sacrifice but showing the boys that it is never to late to start again...hence the reason for our vacation.

Vacations are good but really there is no place like home, wherever that home may be.

My Noah is ELEVEN...yes that is a One and ONE

Noah turned 11 this past birthday and I just can't believe it! I can still recall his little feet pittering and pattering down the hallway to our bedroom to hop in bed with us. I can still hear his little laugh as a toddler discovering a new dinosaur. I still see that sweet and tender face looking at his new brothers each time we brought a new one home. Noah has such a tender heart and longs to make people happy. I will never forget when Jim was talking about poverty in Argentina and Noah got choked up when he realized how blessed he is. We have always received such glowing praises of Noah from his teachers about how amazing he is and what a good person he is. I am grateful that he is ours!

I love that when he grows up he wants to be a Biology Professor, I love that he already thinks about his mission, I love the he already thinks about being married. He is a very deep thinker, for being 11, and I love that he comes and talks with me about life. I love listening to Jim talk about sports with him and I love that he loves the Yankees. I love that he can't wait to go to New York City again...he is truly my child!

3 Hours To Make...3 Days To Eat

Every year we make a gingerbread house and the boys have a ton of fun making it. However I think the best part for them is eating the gingerbread house and I have noticed that as they get older, the fast the house disappears...this time, the house was literally gone in 3 days! Three hours to make, 3 days to eat...sounds about right!

Christmas 2010...yes CHRISTMAS

The boys running down the steps to open Christmas Presents. This was our first and only Christmas in Nebraska and we had a lot of fun just chillin, eating, and not getting dressed until the next day! We did leave on the 26th for St. Louis to spend 5 days with Dave and Marianne (yes, we stayed at my sisters house...thanks Lori!) and we had a great time. How many pictures did I take with our new camera while in St. Louis so I could post them on our blog...zero, yes the big fat zero...next time!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2011

Because I didn't send out a Christmas Card this year, due to a rabid case of laziness, I know, I am on medication...it was THAT scary! Anyway if I hadn't suffer from this horrible, horrible disease, our Christmas Card would have looked something like this (see picture above) with some witty written on the bottom (see below)...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May 2011 bring you Peace, Joy, and Laughter...We are lucky, we have all!

Love the Potters

Zip Line in The Yard

Jim...and I am not sure if he meant to do this pose or not?

Mom...

Spencer looking like he is holding on for dear life

Elijah

Noah

When we went to Warrensburg for Thanksgiving, my Aunt Janice's friend graciously let us stay in their home while they were in Oklahoma for the holiday. It was a huge home with a newly remodeled kitchen, 2 dogs, a lake and a zip line...yes a zip line. On Friday, before we all came home, the Haun's and the Potter's decided to have themselves a good old time and ride the line for a while. Seriously, so much fun...so I got the worse wedgie ever known to man but still, it was fun!

Thanksgiving Pic's

my honey Pots...lol

Lori and Dan

Yes...the Omaha air did make me grow, why do you ask?

me and Mom

We ended up spending Thanksgiving in Missouri with my sister Lori and her family, my Mom who flew in from Sacramento, my Aunt Janice and Uncle Bruce (wwbpd...sorry that is an inside joke) and three of their 5 sons. We were in Warrensburg MO which is about an hour outside of Kansas City...I am not really sure if we were south, east or west of KC because I was completely lost the entire time we were there. But we had a blast...we ate a ton, played some killer (literally killer) dodgeball and had an overall great time.