Multitude of Thoughts: First Post of the New Year {Merry Travel --> New Years Day}

Thankful to be writing this 1st post of 2018 from our tropical home ❤

Thankful that our Christmas Surprise to IL worked so well! My mom and Ray knew, but they did such a good job of keeping the secret!
Our travel began Christmas Eve, in cozy cute jammies for the kiddos. Virgin America rocked both legs of our flights- we flew on an almost empty flight from HNL to LAX. The kids are at such great travel ages! So very thankful ! Virgin America's planes look ancient, but the mood lighting in the plane was neon pink and the individual tvs, for free- loaded with movies and games was an extra bonus!
We arrived Christmas morning at LAX, grabbed a tasty breakfast, and camped out for a couple hours. Everyone but Momma bear slept - yes on the airport floor ( minus stroller napper and Papa Bear ;)) ... woke up to board & loved the shorter than normal flight to ORD! Our taxi from ORD to Whispering Lake Drive drove extra cautious, making the travel time probably about the same as if the tail winds didn't get us in early... sigh...but we made it..... and the surprise was legit... what a super merry night!

Thankful for celebrating Dusty's birthday the next day together too & our Hill Christmas time.

Thankful for the beautiful snow that gave us a White Christmas & pretty cool views after. Hudson associates snow with Christmas, so every day he woke up excited for "Christmas" all over again!

Thankful for seeing so many of our friends during our stay. Although we live in a beautiful state right now, not being able to share all the aloha vibes with our friends and fam makes it hard to truly enjoy it all... we know God is working in us and on us during our time here... so for that we enjoy it and press forward... but we all left big pieces of our hearts in Chitown.

↠Travel Pics

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↠Happy Birthday Dusty!

↠ PGM Tuesday 12-26

↠Wednesday 12-27

↠Thursday 12-28
Thankful for the fun young peep group at New Lenox that invited us to Ice Skate.
Hannah did a fab job on her 1st time! She has such great determination to keep at things, an she was skating minus the aid - thingie, in no time!

Meanwhile back at the frosty ranch, Hudsie is bike riding in the snow and I'm selfie-ing 😅

↠Thursday night: thankful for the Beattie Bunch.
Love them.
Thankful that we got to see some of the youngin's before they left for Rev in Canada.

↠And then the crazy idea for an 8:45 am movie the next morning 12-29!
Bestie Hannah and her adorable sis joined us!

We love that it snowed that night! Dec 29

And then Mimi reminded us we still had horse lessons from last year's awesome Christmas gift! Thankful that we got to use one of the lessons that night!

↠12-30 : woke up to shovel!

Worth the 45 minute drive for Sushiya and that smile

↠ Sunday post church 12-31

What's the best way to avoid Sunday naps? Bake with Mimi of course 💖

❤New Years Eve Spring Creek Gospel Hall Style
( Get a glimpse of this Restoration Hardware style interior design... can't even get over how amazing it looks! The nursery is straight out of Pottery Barn, and I might have sat there for 30 minutes with Hudson during meeting just to soak it in! And yes the speakers made it possible for me to hear my hubbies message too ;))