the longest vacation series: Fort Worth

welcome to:

Pt. I

Seriously. I'm dreading blogging about it, I just want to put it behind me and be thankful it only happens once a year. 

I may sound ungrateful for the wonderfulness of Christmas events, but believe me, I am not. 

It just takes a toll on me trying to keep up with everything. Fellow mothers understand.

First city: Fort Worth. 

My sister lives here. And it took us about 4 hours to get there from Houston. 

We were exhausted, obviously.

L to R, clockwise: 

Jonah ready to tackle the holidays // Andrew wouldn't shut up about visiting his Moomie and dear Tia Dawna // The girls packed tight for a lonnnng car ride {they were troopers} // Jonah told his Daddy he wanted to drive, then said, rrrrppppp! and slobbered all over his face // Last minute {I mean, is there any other time?} sewing a Christmas gift. It was a camera strap // And finally, at Tia Cari's house playing dominoes and where we would spend the night. 

But the next day, before we had to leave town, we took her dog and the boys out to a park where we could take pics and run around.

LOVE  heading to the park. 

Top to Bottom, L to R:
Running with Tia Cari and Freckles // Swinging super high // the swans and ducks //
Riding on the purple dinosaur // Digging in the mulch // Swinging super fast //
Family time merry-go-round // Freckles close-up // Take a breather from running super fast //

giggles and high-fives

My heart fills with warm, gushy feelings to see how much Cari loves them.

My heart also hurts to know that this only happens once or twice a year. 

Last time a visit to her was recorded on this blog post here

 
Her dog likes to chase ducks. Hence how she ended up on the dirt.
I thought it was sisterly to snap her picture before offering a hand.

We had fun at the park with Tia Cari.
Freckles the dog. Running. Slides. Sunshine. Couldn't get any better than that.
But it was time to say goodbye. And head to second city next. Stay tuned.