Our last days in Oklahoma were spent packing, cleaning, hanging out w Luke, and saying goodbye to friends. On Wednesday night, we picked up my Dad from the airport and all of us started our trip staying in a hotel since all our stuff had been packed away. The next morning [Lester's birthday!], we headed out in the early morning when it was still dark and did the first day stopping in Amarillo TX, Albuquerque NM and ending the night in Flagstaff AZ.  Everyone told us to prepare for Addy to be miserable, but for the most part she was an great and didn't complain. We are 'road trip people' and enjoyed it that day. The second day was a little rougher, but we made it through the rest of Arizona, stopped in Bakersfield CA, until arriving back home.

We drove through a lot of beautiful places on our way home, and saw our share of national parks-but I don't think we appreciated how beautiful our bay area home was until this trip. I have lived in CA for a majority of my life but I have NEVER seen the clouds and fog so thick and blanketing as I did when we drove in. It was breathtaking-it felt as close to heaven on earth you could get, being among the clouds like that. We seriously live in heaven and I love it so so much. 

Since then we have spent the last few days as I said earlier unpacking, being with family and enjoying a baby shower for my sister and walks at the beach. I think if we had come back earlier our homecoming would not have been as truly joyous as it was. This year, being the longest I've ever been away from home, has been hard. We have been tried and tested in many ways, but all these things truly have been for our good and have brought us closer in our marriage and taught us a lot about ourselves and being parents. It has made coming home a triumph of spirit for me at least. Now, if we can just work out one or two more things it will be a triumph in every other way as. Anyways-so happy to be back.