Happy New Year

After Christmas, we made a crazy journey to Canada. It was crazy because our van heater isn't working, and we came across every type of winter road condition. We took lots of blankets and stopped a few times to get hot chocolate. We also stayed in a hotel in the middle of Montana on the way up and on the way down so we could just drive during the daylight.

First we went to the ranch to see Joe & Joan. We exchanged Christmas gifts. Austin helped one of the girls there who is training young horses to get on the horses for the first time.

Hanna, Jill, Carly, Lucy in front of the barn at the ranch

Then we went to see Grandma & Grandpa. It took many guardian angels to get us through about 30 miles of horrible fog. It was scarey. We had a fun visit. We exchanged Christmas gifts, played games, rode on the sled behind Pilgrim (Grandpa's horse), Austin & Buck went to the indoor arena to team rope, Austin took the grandkids to the movie, and the cousins played on the haystacks (Jill got stuck and Taylor came to the house toget help. The whole way to the haystack I was worried that she broke something or was crying, but she was fine. I dug her leg out and pulled her up.)

Jill & Hanna got to see their horses that we bought at the horse sale in August. We will bring the horses down to our house in the summer.

Jill and Lena

Hanna and Spurs

Austin on Pilgrim with Lucy and Julia finishing their ride

Hanna, Kaela, Jill, Taylor playing on the snow hill next to Grandma's driveway

Grandpa Buck as the jungle gym for all the grandkids that didn't go to the movie

For New Year's Eve, we went to Sarah's house to party. It took a few more guardian angels to get us safely there. We went through a horrible ground blizzard near Magrath where you could barely see in front of you. There were tons of cars off the road, and at one point there were emergency vehicles leading the cars through. Plus we also drove through a few snow drifts. We made it 1,025 miles without getting stuck or breaking down, and then Austin got stuck in front of Sarah's house. It took Grandpa's mighty car to pull the van back onto the road.

When we all got inside Sarah's house, we had a delicious dinner, the KidZone Band performed, we had a dance, played games, and toasted with sparkling cider at 11:30 p.m. (We pretended it was midnight).

After driving through more icy roads, wind and snow on our way home, we were very glad to get back safely to our own house. We made lots of memories at a cost.

KidZone Band

Austin and Lucy dancing

Grandma & Grandpa dancing