(pictures) 4500 miles… 18 days… many old and new friends… connection with family too… a better appreciation for each of our immediate family members… Watching the kids grow in front of us… five whole classic audio books… four times watching “Cars…” four National Parks, three Jr. Ranger swearing ins, the kids experiencing skiing for the first time. The Yabuki family went on an epic roadtrip this Christmas holiday to California and no doubt it will be one we will never forget.  It was truly a trip for the ages. Praise the Lord for his blessing in all of this. Read all the details. stories & impressions from this trip in our trip blog. Here are a few highlights…

• We stayed in the Wigwam Motel on route 66, the model for the cone motels in the Pixar Movie Cars
• We stopped at and experience Manzanar Japanese Relocation Camp from World War 2 where my mom lived during the war
• The kids experienced skiing (Roy’s favorite sport) for the first time
• We enjoyed several day’s with Lisa’s sister family and mom including Christmas in Lake Tahoe and Napa (where they live).
• We visited four national parks including Yosemite(Roy’s favorite), Grand Canyon (J-12’s favorite), Painted Desert/Petrified Forest National Park (T-8 & C-5’s favorite) and Carlsbad Caverns National Park (Lisa’s favorite). T-8 & C-5 earned earned the distinction of Jr. Ranger at three of these on three consecutive days. We also saw a famed observatory and the hospital Lisa and J-12 were born in.
• We were able to share about our ministry at the church Roy grew up at and were able to re-connect with many dear and cherished friends.
• We spent several days with Roy’s parents in Los Angeles, having important time with his sister’s family, and many other friends, ministry partners (who are also friends), and family some of whom we have not seen in many years. Roy & Lisa even went out on a date with Roy’s old High School friends while the kids got to enjoy their grandparents’ passion for crafts and wood working.
• We were blessed to stay in the home of some gracious students who we got to know in Albuquerque.

What a blessed trip! I just wish we could have visited more of our friends along the way. Thanks all for your prayers and thanks all who we saw, who hosted us, who thought of us, who ate with us, Ken who watched our house, etc. I feel we are well rested and ready to go after such a special time.