The 3000 Mile Road Trip

Our 3000 mile road trip started with an 11.5 hour drive from Charlotte to Steelville, MO to visit Audrey's family at her parents home. With our camera dying we didn't get too many pictures but we had to capture the favorite past time of chopping down trees and playing in the woods.

Matt chopping down a tree using an axe. It was part of his Crossfit workout.

Dana, Matt and Boyd try to take down a tree by some force of their own.


Audrey's mom lined us all up for our individual family photos...easier than trying to get everyone (all 25+) of us in one photo together.

After time in Steelville, we traveled 9 hours up north to Minneapolis to visit with Matt's family. I am not sure we were really prepared for the cold weather we experienced but we did get to take part in some winter activities we don't see much of in FL or North Carolina.


Audrey was tuckered after days of traveling and spending time with family. She crashed on the coach after opening presents.

Matt got Audrey a Nintendo DS for Christmas with the Brain Age game. Dominic and Jaden also each had one, so we were competing together on Mario Cart via wireless connection between them. They definitely had me beat.

We had the opportunity to go snow tubing while we were up in Minneapolis. It was a lot of fun but we got extremely cold very quickly. Below our some pictures.



We both had the opportunity to go snow shoeing which was something neither of us had done. It included some snow shoe running, snow ball fights, and lots of laughs.


Matt's sister, Annie, got a snowball to the face and the remnants of the snow stuck to her eye lashes.

Matt's mom on the right, with cousin Andy with Sam following, and Theresa and Lisa and Matt taking up the rear.

We ended our time in Minneapolis with a bonfire to warm us up amidst the single digit weather.


We had a wonderful trip and were blessed with great weather, safety, and so many amazing memories with our families. We don't have much going on for our New Years Eve except to recover from our long trip and get ready for 2008.

a SURPRISE Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving, We decided to stay here in Charlotte and attempt to cook our own Turkey together with all the fixin's. Matt did an outstanding job of planning the entire menu and we spent most of the day cooking. Even though I was enjoying our time together and the time we had to relax together, I was missing our friends and family.

The SURPRISE came when my friend Katie flew up from Florida to surprise me for the Thanksgiving weekend. It was an amazing time. We had a lot of good laughs and no trip would be complete without at least one hike up a mountain.

Saturday after our hike, we cut down a Christmas tree at Penland Tree Farm in York, South Carolina. It wasn't very eventful since we arrived after hours, had to beg to get in, ran out into the field in the dark and cut down one of the first trees we saw, strapped it to the top of my car, and hurried home. You could tell we picked the tree in the dark b/c it looks more like a diamond than a triangle- but we love it just the same and it smells up the home wonderfully. Katie and I spent the rest of the weekend decorating it.

Below our pictures of our weekend!




My little helper who wasn't such a help. The threats of electrocution weren't making it through to her.


And the not so finished Christmas tree...I have since finished putting up the ornaments.
More pictures hopefully to come of Matt and I and the wishbone from the Turkey...