Jenkins Family: December 2012

So happy to be back in Idaho! Tom, Emmitt, and I had a really fun time in Oklahoma, but there's just something about being back where you came from. Tom finished up his internship and we're very grateful for the opportunity we had to be down in OKC for 3 months. Since we've been back, he's passed his written test and his practical, so he's an official paramedic! So proud of him!

The drive back from Oklahoma was so fun. Since we were as far out east as we've ever been, we decided to go up to Jessica and Eric's (Jessica is Tom's sister) for the week of Thanksgiving. They were so kind to us, and since I'd only met Jessica and Eden, it was good to spend time with the whole family. Tom also got to shadow Eric for a couple days. Eric is a PA, and that's what Tom's going to grad school for. Thanks Eric!
While we were there, Eden turned two! Happy Birthday Eden! This little family was so fun for me to watch. The kids get along so well. Noah, Luke, and Logan were happy to have 3 days of school off for Thanksgiving. Since their house is the coolest on the block, all of their friends love coming over. I could see why, since Jessica and Eric work hard to have a friendly and welcoming spirit in their home.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week. Thank you Carriers!

Pretty little lady

Luke

I think Noah, Luke, and Logan were just as thrilled with Eden's bike as Eden was!

Noah

Loves his Aunt Jessica!

We then drove to Carthage and Nauvoo and toured around for a few hours. My favorite part was visiting the graves of Joseph, Hyrum, and Emma Smith. The whole time we were there, it was overcast, but when we reached the grave site (our last stop), the sun came out. The grass was green, the Mississippi was shimmering, and you could hear geese out on the river. Since it was winter time, Nauvoo was pretty quiet. We were the only ones visiting the graves and there just seemed to be a calming peace about it. I can't wait to meet that family some day.

Where John Taylor and Willard Richards hid after the mob left

Where Joseph fell

The drive through Illinois was absolutely beautiful. Even though there were no leaves on the trees, I loved seeing all the farmland and farm houses. It just seemed like a good place to be. We spent that night in Kearney Nebraska.

We then made an 8 hour drive to Wyoming and spent the night with my brother Blaine and Becky at their new townhouse. I'm kicking myself for not getting pictures at this stop. My camera got left in the car. Eliza and Paul were so interested in baby Emmitt and I thought it was adorable. Blaine and Becky made us a wonderful dinner and breakfast and sent us on our way with delicious rolls, cookies, and clementines. Thank you guys!
Next, we were on our way to Salt Lake to visit Curtis, Cami, and little Scott! Scott has grown so much! This was a wonderful visit. Curtis and Cami are always so good to talk to and the cousins were fun to watch while getting reacquainted. Thanks for letting us drop by!

Bluest eyes!

Next, we were Oakley bound! My parents were fast asleep on the couch by the time we pulled up, so we snuck in and put Emmitt right close to my Mom. She woke up with an "Ohh!!" (: Heh heh. We spent a week in Oakley and got caught up on some homework while Mom and Dad went to work. As always, we were spoiled rotten while we stayed with them. I always enjoy talking with my parents and seeing what they've been up to. They sure are busy. Between work, visiting/home teaching, church ball games, school meetings, and helping out in the community, I'm sure grateful they always make time to travel and see family or let family stay with them. They took us out to dinner our last night there. Emmitt cried the whole way into town and back home. (I think he's developed a hatred for his car seat. Can't say I blame him.) Anyway, thanks Mom and Dad for a good time and good company!

What a beautiful lady!

While we were there, we went to visit my Grandma. I always love listening to her stories. She told us a lot about family history. My favorite was when she told us how she met Grandpa. She was holding Emmitt while she told us, "He was engaged to some flashy brunette at the time," here she looks at Emmitt, "but we took care of that, huh!" I laughed for a long time. My grandma is about 5 feet tall, but she's not one to be messed with, so when she insisted we take home a Christmas tree, there was no turning her down. We managed to shove it in our trunk and tie down the hatch good enough to make it home. Our car was probably quite the sight.
We also made a quick visit to Wade and Michelle's house. We didn't see Wade or Kailey, but I couldn't believe how much the rest of my cousins had changed. My aunt Michelle was so sweet and sent us home with some yummy honey.
Now that we're back in Rexburg, we're so relieved to have made the long journey with no trouble at all. Our car ran smoothly and nobody got sick along the way. We really do have awesome family. Everyone is so generous and kind. I'm so glad we were able to see so many of them on this trip.
Here's an Emmitt update.