12/19/2021
We were very excited to be able to go to NY this year for Christmas! We are going to try out the new car and see if this smaller SUV will work for our trips. If not we may need to trade it in for something bigger. We packed it up and settled in for the drive:
I guess it’s comfortable back there:
We drove until about midnight and then got a hotel for the night.
12/21/2021
Ice in the hotel parking lot!
This year we decided to stop at the Priesthood Restoration Site, a church historic site where several significant events of the Restoration occurred, located in Oakland Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania:
One of the site missionaries came out and welcomed us to the site:
We then went into the visitors center:
Then we took a tour of the historic homestead:
Joseph and Emma Smith Home:
Isaac and Elizabeth Hale home:
We got to tour inside:
Then we explored a trail on the property:
Of course mom finds a trail for us even on our Christmas trip!
We decided to have lunch by the Susquehanna River (where Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were baptized):
It was a beautiful day!
Time to get back on the road and head to NY. WE made it to snow in no time!:
We made one more (unplanned) stop along the way:
A short hike (1.5 miles round trip) to a waterfall!! This was a little waterfall at the beginning of the trail!
Back on the trail with one last look:
It was very chilly, but a gorgeous day!
A frozen section to “play” on:
Can you guess what they are after up there?
We made it to the Big Waterfall!
The happy couple!
There was a lot of ice everywhere. Lizzy fell on the ice because she was running (right next to the sign that said no running due to slippery ice!). No injury and no more running.
We all helped mom slide across the ice to get closer to the waterfall:
One last look!
We made it to Geneva, NY, stopped by the Airbnb, and then went to Grandpa Ed and Grandma Joyce’s house:
Tradition has it that we celebrate Lizzy and Dad’s December birthdays with Grandpa and Grandpa:
Gifts from Grandpa and Grandma:
Birthday dance by Rachel:
It is so nice to be able to visit Grandpa Ed and Grandma Joyce! Time to get back to the Airbnb for some sleep because we have some fun things planned for tomorrow.
12/22/2021
We had such a wonderful visit at the priesthood restoration site in Pennsylvania we decide to go visit the Peter Whitmer Farm and visitors center in Fayette, NY:
We also toured to Peter Whitmer cabin:
We went back inside to watch a new video about the restoration:
Time to go help Grandma Joyce decorate her Christmas cookies:
It snowed while we were decorating the cookies:
12/23/2021
The next morning we went to the lake:
Snowball Fight!!
We went to go visit Aunt Alice and Uncle Ted (mom’s Aunt and Uncle-Grandma in heaven’s brother) in Stanley, NY:
We brought some handmade Christmas gifts:
The girls helped their cousins make Christmas cookies:
It was a big job with a lot of cookies!
We had a very nice visit and we went home with some delicious cookies!
Then we went to Uncle Chuck’s house in Seneca Falls, NY for a visit with him and Gabe (Eric was a work):
We made some personalized gifts for them as well:
Time to go back to Grandpa Ed and Grandma Joyce’s house. They made us a big container of yummy cookies!
12/24/2021
We went to visit our cousins (Mom’s first cousins and their family) in Canandaigua, NY:
We received some gifts as well:
Mom’s cousin John and his wife Nicole:
Back at the lake there was a teeny, tiny bit of snow left for a very small snowball fight:
Not much snow left!
December 25th, 2021
Christmas day preparations. We decided we wanted to do mom’s make-up today and she agreed to let us!:
We took turns working our magic on Mom’s face:
Beautiful! Mom should let us do her make-up more often!
Lizzy’s turn, but she wanted to do her own make-up:
Mother-daughter make-up looks:
Off to Grandpa Ed and Grandma Joyce’s house for Christmas!
We had Shrimp for an appetizer and then a delicious meal ~ Thank you Grandma Joyce! Time to open gifts:
Christmas cards first:
Gifts too:
We made them both hand decorated mugs:
Our turn:
Snack bags are always fun!
Clover really liked the bully stick from us:
We had a very nice visit with everyone in NY but it’s time to head back home to Florida:
Welcome back home! Merry Christmas!
We all enjoyed going through the stockings:
Luna has some more stocking stuffers:
The cats and rabbit too:
Dad got some of his favorites:
Mom’s favorite color!
Dark chocolate of course!
After stockings we always open the gift we symbolically “give” to Jesus. Lizzy started this years ago and so she takes the lead in opening “the Jesus gift”:
Lizzy opened her first gift:
A handmade card from Lizzy to Mom:
And one to Dad from Lizzy as well:
To Rachel as well:
A gift for both of us from mom:
Lizzy gave mom a hiking book she wanted:
Rachel’s gift for mom made her smile big too:
From Lizzy to Dad:
Rachel to Dad:
A gift from mom:
Lizzy really liked this one:
From Dad to Mom:
And Mom to Dad:
Mom gave another one to Dad:
Back to us for our “Bog” gifts:
Dad gave mom a smart watch:
And mom gave Dad a pressure washer:
While we cleaned up Luna played with her gator from Grandpa Ed and Grandma Joyce!
January 2nd, 2022
Christmas with the Araque family:
Something for Luna of course!
Lots of treats in Lizzy’s bag:
Art supplies for Rachel:
A gift for Dad:
A candle for Mom:
What a wonderful Christmas spent with family and friends. We are so grateful for the Savior Jesus Christ who has set the example for us and gives His loves for us and invites us to love one another!