Leaving Arizona to head to Canada for Christmas sounds crazy. Driving instead of flying sounds even crazier. We’re not totally crazy. We only take on the adventure every three or four years. So we’re good now til 2020.
It was 67*F when we drove away from our cozy home on Dec. 21st. The temperature steadily dropped as we made the three day northern trek, landing at -14*F when we arrived in Blackfalds, Alberta. I donned more and more clothing as the 1,600 mile trip continued. It began snowing about an hour after we crossed into Canada. The last count was 26 cars in the ditch for the final 100 miles. Not my idea of FUN!
Another crazy Crosby tradition is to take egg salad sandwiches on every road trip. Rick and I love them. LOVE them! Two days before departure, I boiled a dozen eggs in preparation for our traveling morsels of goodness. The morning of the trip, I opened the carton to prepare said sandwiches only to be surprised by THREE hard boiled eggs staring at me like nothing was wrong! SOMEONE consumed NINE hard boiled eggs in 1.5 days. What’s a mother to do with starving 18 and 20-year-old sons??? Only three egg sandwiches were prepared. It was a big fat hard boiled bummer.
My over-the-top-planning and organizing gene practically takes over before road trips, much to my joy and my family’s dismay. Our plan was to drive only when the sun was up so two hotel stops were required. Being the nice mom, I booked hotels with indoor, heated swimming pools! The plan was only to take one suitcase into the hotel each night. Everyone was instructed to put two changes of clothes, jammies, swimsuit and toiletries in the turquoise suitcase. It worked like a charm! You’re welcome, my suitcase carrying men!
[Side note: Crosbys have had the same C R A P P Y (I don’t say that word. I only spell it.) suitcases since Noah built the ark, until last year when I chose a darling purple suitcase for my husband for Christmas. So thoughtful of me! He even lets me use it! He’s so nice! I love him! THEN I won the 50/50 draw at Keeve’s band’s football game and I bought the darlingest turquoise suitcase! (The 50/50 supports the band boosters, so it’s a donation, not a gambling venture. FYI.) Now with our cute new purple and turquoise additions to our family my traveling self esteem is so much higher than it used to be. Thankyouverymuch.]
We arrived at our destination only to find the gas wasn’t working in the home we were to stay in leaving us with no heater and no hot water. Please remember at this time that it was -14*F when we landed. There were space heaters and piles of blankets, so we were warm, but the boiled-water-bucket-showers took some getting used to. Good times.
There were 15 of us crazy Crosbys together for food and fun and hockey and food and skating and games and fun and hockey. As with most extended families there were some hick-ups that hampered the merry-making time. There were 12 others who didn’t show up this year. Imagine if all 27 were together! Yeehaw!
About half of the family is living for the Lord. The other half knows about the Lord and chooses to live with the results of their decisions. I felt like singing with Andre Crouch, Jesus is the Answer, every night at dinner. But we love them anyway. We care for their needs when we are there. We try to shine God’s love and light into their lives for a brief moment. We pray for them… continually.
On our homeward bound trip at the border crossing in Sweetgrass, Montana, the burly border guard was not impressed with our documents for Nora. He asked if she was adopted, then asked, “What is her citizenship?” Seems he missed citizenship day at border guard school, because when a child from another country is adopted by US citizens the child becomes a US citizen when they land on American soil. He commented, “This is a document from Arizona saying she was born in Colombia! How do we know it’s valid?” Well, Mr. Dudly DoRight, Arizona is a state of the union that you work for and they check documents before issuing birth certificates. Thankfully he let us pass, but told us to get her a US passport.We will! Don’t worry!
Another prayer of thanks went upward as we pulled into our driveway last night after three days of beautiful driving weather! A highlight of the drive home was a hotel with a waterslide! It even went outside the building into the freezing atmosphere and shot the kids back in the warm water. Nora, our 13-year-old, lamented that it was pitch black and terrifying… but she went down it about 27 times.
It’s good to be home. It’s good to be warm. I love my bed. That is all.
We put the FUN in disFUNction! Glad I could make your Christmas seem a bit more normal if this is your normal too! I’m here for you, dear reader! Jesus is here for you too!
My Sister's Jar 
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