So this will have to suffice

Okay. I can't blog about Christmas or New Year's stuff without first wrapping up our Thanksgiving-ish trip dow south to visit my brother and sister-in-law and their precious baby, Levi. I mean, one must prioritize. So here's a quick run down, illustrated with photos:

Here's a picture of my kids with their hero Uncle Steve, the paramedic. At the time of this photo, Steve was an EMT training to be a paramedic, but he has now successfully jumped through all of the necessary hoops to be licensed as an actual, no kidding, save-someone's-life paramedic. Way to go, Steve!

We've never had occasion to visit the inside of an ambulance, so Steve was kind enough to take us on a tour. Below, there's a picture of goofball himself posing for the camera and a picture he (or my dad?) took of the rest of us awaiting medical attention. Charis is particularly scared, probably because Steve didn't have his license yet and she feared the consequences of his care. Oh, I kid. He's very capable. In fact, Katie, his wife, is in training to be a midwife, so you could pretty much go to them for all of your immediate medical needs. Handy!



Here's a photo of what happens when my mom starts telling you stories about her youth: you doze right off like a baby. Of course, Levi is an actual baby, so he's probably more susceptible to frequent napping. We'll give Grandma the benefit of the doubt on this one.








We visited this neat park downtown that had great waterfalls and a super playground for the kids. It also had some shady characters, but that's to be expected at a city-central park like this one. Still, it was particularly nice. Here's my dad showing Judah around.

It was freakishly warm down there, particularly for a bunch of Northerners expecting typical end-of-November weather. Here, my dad displays the Northerner's ability to adapt: yes, it's warm, so I will wear shorts, but I am expecting a cold snap at any moment, so I will wear a fleece jacket. We northerners are nothing if not resourceful and versatile.

Now, I know that if I try to attach more pictures at this point, it will drive Blogger haywire, so I will post again in a few minutes with the continued saga. I know you're riveted...