A week in California

The Saturday after Christmas, we finally left the cold and snow behind to go visit the Aaron clan in California. Rather than waiting and hoping the I-80 route would be clear and dry, we drove all the way down to Barstow in southern California, then headed across to Bakersfield and up the 5 to reach our destination in Clayton. It was a long day with 17 hours of driving, but we were so thankful to not have to stress about black ice or putting on chains. Once we got there, the weather was beautiful and mild; it felt like entering a world of spring! I loved to see green and flowers blooming again, and to take several walks on the trail. The climate there is nourishing to my soul! We all had a great time visiting with Brent's parents, John & Nikki, and Natalie & Aaron. We even got to see Bill & Aftin for a quick hello before they headed home. The kids loved playing with their cousins, going to see the sights in San Francisco, playing at Heather Farms, seeing the lights at the Oakland Temple, and going to the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield. Going home, we carefully timed our choice of day so we could take the shorter I-80 route. All was clear through the Sierra Nevadas; the only icy patches were around Wells, Nevada. Once home, it was back to streaming our kitchen faucet 24 hours a day so it didn't freeze...ah, the joys of Utah winters.