In Philly for a Wedding

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This weekend we loaded up the Expedition with four of the five kids, and we made our way towards Philadelphia, PA! My brother was getting married and the family was gathering for the week's festivities. So off we went.

The adventure began as we drove into a snow storm about an hour and half from home and 4 hours from Philadelphia. We've driven in a lot of snow storms, but this storm was pretty intense.

Visibility was horrible. The highway was icy. And the snow was getting worse. A little more than halfway through the state, we got word there was an accident involving a tractor trailer that jacked-knifed and was blocking the road. So we decided to get off the highway and take a detour. Maybe not the best idea. We found ourselves on a two lane road the twisted and turned through peaks and valleys. We were in the middle of nowhere with only the GPS to guide us.
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ORDER THE TEE!

After some serious white-knuckle driving, we drove out of the snow and into the freezing rain. Yes, freezing rain. Twenty minutes of slipping and sliding down the highway, dodging semi's and travelers; more white-knuckle driving. It was intense, but we made it to our hotel, settled in and called it a night. 

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After some serious white-knuckle driving,
​we drove out of the snow and into the freezing rain.

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The rest of the weekend was great. The wedding was nice. The reception was good. But the highlight was the time spent with family. Our kids don't get to see the cousins very often, so it was nice that they had some time to visit and hang out. In fact, now that most of the cousins are teenagers, it was really fun to watch them joke and laugh and talk about all sorts of stuff.
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We woke up Sunday, earlier then initially planned, so we could get on the road and get home. Another storm was rolling through the state and we were hoping to get ahead of it. We made about 3/4 of the way home before driving into a mix of snow and rain.

We don't get to go "home" very often. The trip from the western PA to eastern PA is a long ride. And with the kids being active in sports and church and jobs; it's not always easy to get

everyone's schedules to line up for a full family trip to Philly. Even this time, we left our oldest (who is 20) home because he had to work.
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I know we've said it before, but as the kids get older, we realize more and more that time is running out. Like I just said, our oldest is 20. He turns 21 in just a few months. Number two is 19. Our youngest is 10 going on 16. The same is true of our extended family. The cousins are growing up just as fast. So to be able to spend time with our extended family is a true blessing. Spending time with our family, is of the utmost importance for us. We want to enjoy time with our kids. Have big adventures. Have mini adventures. Make memories. Write stories. Create the moments that we will all share and laugh out when we're sitting around the holiday table reliving what we're (or are) the good 'ol days.

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Snow storm aside, it was a wonderful weekend. We had a great time. We talked. We laughed. We enjoyed spending time together. And we were reminded of the need to spend more intentional time together. As winter comes to an end, and spring leads into summer, we're looking forward to a series of fun adventures with the kids. Life is good, and we're grateful to have all that God has given our family.

- the higham family

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