Way out west....

Jazz jumping for joy to see the ocean for the first time ever.

Visiting #3 son on our way

Pulling the 5th wheel has been interesting!  Grandpa G is very capable thank goodness!  This is what you find when you go WEST instead of SOUTH in January!!We were able to spend a night with J on the way west.  He and Grpa G had fun relaxing in  the house where Jerm is staying.

It was very snowy and slick, but a pretty view tonight.

Heading West

We have had enough driving in snow, so stopped for the night.  ID-OR border.

Time to print the year book

This blog is an online  journal of our year.  It probably gets boring to people who check in, but just don't feel you have to read it all and look at all the pictures.  The grandkids enjoy seeing themselves and I sure enjoy the memories.  Now that I have the year finished, I will send it electronically to a place that prints the year of pictures and text in a hardbound book.  We really enjoy comparing the years, the grass, the snow, the size of each grandchild, etc.  Now on to 2012.

Journal of a December 2011 Family Adventure all 20 of us!

               This is Rattlesnake Road December 18, 2011                  We met Jeff's family, Scott's, and Chris's families in Denver Dec 18. Jeremy and Amy and boys flew to Ft Lauderdale direct from Kansas City.

The kids enjoyed a relaxing afternoon swimming in the hotel pool after we got there.

 We caught a shuttle to the Islamorada Seafood Restaurant and ate outside on the deck!  We had it all to ourselves....so relaxing and warmer than home!  Jerm and Amy and boys are getting in later tonight.

The grandkids having fun posing in the shark's mouth.

Sail away day...Dec 19, 2011

Everyone is excited to be all together and in the warm air, and on a trip!!

 We hired our own mini bus to take us from the motel in Ft Lauderdale to the Port of Miami.  That was nice!

                      10 adults, 10 kids, MANY bags, somehow they all got on the bus with no problems.

                                  Grandpa G. , loving it all and recording it on his movie camera.

                    So nice to have 20 people on a 26 person bus, so plenty of room, all to ourselves.

                                Dads relaxing and enjoying the view, not having to drive for a change.

       The driver rushed into the motel and borrowed a bunch of scotch tape to put his tipping sign up.

                                                Unloading at the cruise port, 11 am.

It was too early to get into our rooms, so we started the lunch process.

                                                                            Allison

                                                 Dusty, the youngest  cruiser in our party.

                                                        Ranchers, catching some rays!

                                           So many interesting things to see and share with cousins.

Clayton shared our room with us, his bunk folded down at the foot of the bed.

We had a towel decoration and chocolates on the bed every night when we came to the room.

        Beginning the 24 hour free ice cream .                           

Dec 20, 2011 Early morning coming into port

                   George and Scott checking in at home as we got cell service coming into Key West.

There were lots of people on the boat, but we never felt crowded.  Just had our family around us most of the time, visiting and watching the water, watching the boat pull into the Navy base dock here.

                                               The breakfasts were great...and healthy!

                                                         Good times with Grandpa G.