OtterPops: Across the nation: Dixon to D.C.

For our February break Jared generously stayed home and worked hard at cleaning the house and making the mula so that the rest of us could go vacation. Thankfully, he is feeling well enough to do that these days. In early January he finished off his round of steroids to test whether the immuno-suppressant that he had been taking would be effective or not. We were both holding our breath, anticipating the bad cycle that would happen every other time he went off the steroids...basically, being at square one with his ulcerative colitis and being in a horrible flare up. Instead, he seems to almost be doing better every month. He is still trying to lower stress and limit his wheat and dairy intake, but he actually had the energy to take on a house project for the whole day last Saturday. This was a project we had purchased supplies for literally a year ago and he finally felt up to tackling a good portion of it. It is a miracle!! Granted, we still have some progress to make in regards to dietary balance and less medication but just to feel like his body has a chance to do a little healing is amazing! Jared also purchased a new car, but that will have to wait for another post. He is thrilled with it and we are thrilled for him.

out with the old

In with the new

More pictures to come soon on the house projects. We are replacing our old yucky brown doors with mismatched doorknobs and hinges with some white paneled doors with dark bronze uniform doorknobs! Yay for upgrading from the 70s. Downstairs is officially finished and the upstairs is begun.

So for the February break Jocelyn and Emma (who had the opportunity to take this trip 2 years ago with me) went to spend the week with Nana & Grandpa where I understand they had their own bag of croutons to share for the week!! Don't underestimate the power of little luxuries. They got to pick out their favorite dinners and "craft" all week with nana. Jocelyn and Nana made a pencil box with with Jocelyn's name stitched in as well as sewing an Indian Princess dress. Jocelyn also hung out with my friend Maggie's daughters to go to frozen yogurt and other activities. Emma apparently had a week full of playdough and duplo legos and cutting yarn into little bits and thought she was in heaven. I am so grateful to my parents for taking such good care of my girls and even arranging face time, etc. so we could keep tabs on each other from across the country. They felt so very loved.

Emma came home and I felt like she was talking clearer in just one week's time. Jared confirmed this. I think it must have been due to the fact that she wasn't just with me who generally can translate for her. She really had to express herself to get what she wanted and needed at Grandpa and Nana's house. We were driving in the car the next week and, out of the blue, Emma said "I play play-doh at Nana's. I play legos at Nana's. So Fun!" I couldn't believe it! It was so fun to see her bloom so much in a short time.

Jocelyn hanging out with Vieira girls

Halfway finished with her pencil box

Playing with Play-doh

Well, the three remaining family members took a journey across the country to go visit my two older sisters and their families in Virginia. Thanks to the generosity of my sister's MIL we flew on some buddy passes there and back which made it much less expensive. We even had really lucky situations and made it on standby for 3 of the four legs of the journey. The last one was miserable wherein we were stuck in the phoenix airport traveling 24 hours straight, being rejected last minute from 4 different flights. If I had known the future I would have just taken the kids to go visit some close friends in Phoenix who were offering their homes, but we had school the next day and no luggage and wanted to get home to meet baby Claire so we toughed it out and made it on the absolute last twice delayed flight of the day due to the kind hearted stewardesses who could see that all three of us were crying by then!

Anyhow, on to the exciting and meaningful part of the trip!! Jonas and Lillian had never flown on a plane before and had also never seen real snow before (except when Lillian was a baby) so they were thrilled to experience both of these first time moments on our trip. My sisters were so generous to host us and take us on the tourist outings they have done a hundred times so that Jonas and Lilly could have a taste for the nation's capitol. It was so much fun spending time with my sisters and being able to get to see my nieces and nephews in their own environments. We had the best luck and due to snow days and holidays the kids only had to go to school and other commitments ONE day that week! We had such a good mix of relaxing, drinking hot cocoa, playing games, and talking, as well as sledding and sight seeing and playing in the snow. What a fantastic time! We stayed half the week at the Titus home and half the week at the Mangum home but we all hung out together whenever we got the chance. Besides taking my kids to the essential sights, I was able to squeeze in a few I had not ever been to on my previous 4 trips to D.C.