Home Again

posted Jan 3, 2010 5:55 PM by Darc Balog

We've been home from our Christmas trip to CO since the 31st of December.  What a trip and so very worth it.  We finally got to see my mom-- it had been over 4years for all but Chappy, who it had been over 5years.  We were blessed with about a week per area--Balog/Hernandez/Klimeck side in the Springs and the Davis and family friends in Evergreen. The trip to CO was uneventful and even went a bit faster than calculated.  We left from Skamania and arrived exactly 24hours later in Evergreen, CO where we saw the Paynes (our gracious hosts) and my dad.  We stayed the night then moved our way down to the Springs.  We stayed the night with Chappy's mom and the puppy and Ashleigh and John stayed with the Hernandez family (Chappy's sister and family).   Christmas Eve was spent with Chappy's family-- mom and sisters and families.  Then we went up to Evergreen and had an eventful time!  Coors Brewery tour, movie Avatar, Outback steakhouse, ice skating, dvd's and games. Thanks to Chappy's forsightfulness we left about 2 days early in the hopes to hit a perfect window of weather that would otherwise delay our return trip by 2 days--making us late for work and school schedules for Chappy and Ashleigh.  Prayers were said--and were specific, please protect us and help us to hit the weather windows perfect to avoid the snow storms, and if needs be allow the snow plows to guide us on our way.  In Utah, Chappy's very specific prayer was answered, snow plows entered the highway surrounding him and clearing the path for a while.  Then the moon came out and lit the countryside.  The only area we did not specifically pray over, because we thought it would be a smooth ride, was the Columbia River Gorge.  It was here that we met the hardest part of the trip-- plowing our way through a lot of slushy snow.  The trip that normally takes only 2hours, took 4.  The trip ended around 6pm and the house was in good order--yea! Since then, we've been doing laundry and organizing.  Soon I will finish getting all my sewing organized so that I can get back to work on my costumes. God Bless!  And HAPPY NEW YEAR!