Finally getting around to it....

I know it has been forever since I have posted. Things have been a little crazy since my last post. We left the day that was written to Utah to say our goodbyes to Grandpa Henderson, and with the holidays and everything else that goes on in our little family, I haven't had much time to sit and blog!
We left, Tennessee with the intent to make it to Utah in 2 days, covering approximately 800 miles each day. Little did we know, that weather was not going to be on our side. The first day, what should have taken us about 13 hours, took us 20! Yes, you read that correctly! We came across a horrible snowstorm across Arkansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. The snow was what Val likes to call "warp speed snow". You know, the kind that flies straight at you, and you have very limited visibility! Also, the roads were horrible! We didn't see any plows for hours and hours and there were many people driving like maniacs! For a good 4-5 hours we didn't go faster than 20 miles per hour! Anyways, we arrived at our hotel at 8am and the staff was nice enough to let us still have our room. We slept for about 4 hours and then were on our way again. The second day was a little better, but the weather was still bad, and by that point we were exhausted! We were so happy to finally make it to the hotel and to see Granny and Grampy! There were never two more welcoming faces!
We were able to spend a little time every day with Grandpa Henderson while we were in Utah. Despite all of the doctors predictions, and all of his test results, he continues to amaze us. He is still coherent and even though he has lost a lot of weight, still manages to get out of bed some and do physical therapy. He is truly an inspiration. The doctors said that they had never seen someone with his results last longer that four days. Well, now we are about to enter week 3. I don't know if we will get to see him again on this earth, but I am grateful for the time we got to spend with him, and for the goodbyes we were able to say. I will cherish that forever.
The best part about being out in Utah was being able to see and spend time with family. We love Memphis, but hate living so far away from everyone. The girls were ecstatic about being able to spend time with Granny and Grampy and all of their aunts and uncles, as were we!
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were absolutely wonderful. On Christmas Eve, we were able to perform some Christmas music at the nursing home, and the Spirit was very strong. That memory will be treasured. It was so nice to be able to listen to everyone singing, and to share our talents with each other. Later we performed the nativity story, as always, as Grampy narrated the wonderful story of what took place in that little stable in Bethlehem so long ago. We opened our Christmas jammies, ate some delicious food and awaited Santa's arrival.
The girls were so fun to watch as they opened their gifts. Aleece had a funny comment for every single thing she opened and Madelaine followed her big sisters lead in opening presents and giggling!
We were all spoiled this year with our many gifts. Our family members are so kind and generous and we loved every single thing we recieved! The best gift of all was being in their company and creating new memories that will last forever!
New Years Eve was fun too! We were able to spend that with family also and the girls were both awake to ring in the new year!
We had many adventures while we were out in Utah, far too many to blog about in one sitting! I will have to catch up slowly! Pictures will follow soon!
We are so grateful for our families and the love and support they offer us! We don't know what we would do without them! Happy New Year!