Christmas in Ohio, Part 4

~Friday, December 27~

Friday was a pretty quiet day for us. Daddy left early in the morning to visit a friend in another part of the state. After breakfast, my Grandparents went out to run errands. So it was just mom, us kids, and our cousin E at home.

We had fun playing our favorite board game together (it’s called “Aggravation.”) Some people got so aggravated, they quit partway through! Haha! J Most of us stuck it out though, and finished it.

That evening, we went over to my Aunt and Uncle’s house for dinner. My eyes immediately spied this corner of the counter. My Aunt had made the most amazing hot chocolate I’ve EVER had (recipe coming soon!) She also had peppermint marshmallows, chocolate whipped cream, and candy canes to add to it. It was the perfect dessert!

Oh, we also had dinner too. J We had barbeque chicken sandwiches, kale salad, sliced oranges, and vegetables and crackers with hummus. Delicious after so many heavy meals in a row.

Abuelo playing chess with Ruby in front of the fire.

We had a great time visiting during and after dinner! It was difficult to say our goodbyes. L We are so blessed by our family and love spending time with them! We pray we’ll get to see them soon!

~Saturday, December 28~

Saturday morning, we loaded up our minivan and had to say goodbye to Abuela and Abuelo. L It was time to head back home. Thankfully, the weather was MUCH more cooperative this time. We had smooth driving all the way to St. Louis.

We arrived in town just as the sun was setting. It was incredibly colorful!

We got to our hotel, unloaded, and then headed next door to Bob Evans for dinner. We hadn’t eaten there since August, so it was a nice treat. We went to bed early that night, knowing we had another full day of travel ahead of us on Sunday.

~Sunday, December 29~

Sunday morning we ate a quick breakfast at the hotel before packing up and leaving again. At this point, we were all getting travel-weary and ready to finally be home!

We stopped for lunch at a tiny little café that Dad found on his very first drive to Texas (when he moved down here in October 2012.) The Red Barn Café and Hen House Bakery has some incredible southern comfort food, even though some would classify it as a “dive.”

I had a roast beef “sandwich” with mashed potatoes and gravy. It was HUGE! I only ate about a third of it.

For some reason, the second day of driving always feels longer. But finally, we made it back to town, where we stopped for a quick dinner at Braums before heading home. It was so good to be back in our own beds after such a long day of travel! We had a marvelous time celebrating Christmas with our extended family!