road trip...

I have so many posts in draft that need to be published!  Determined to do that before the new year!  We have ben super busy!  

The first of December, on sort of a whim, we took a little road trip to Alabama.  Actually it wasn't little...it was looooong but I am so glad that we did it.  

My brother has been living there for the last 6 months and we haven't seen him.  He is not able to come home for Christmas so my mom and I were talking about mailing him his gifts. Then she mentioned that she had a week of vacation that needed to be used before the end of January.  One thing led to another and we decided to drive down and have a little Christmas with him!

Never passes up and opportunity to help someone open a present.  

Sooooo me, Blakely and my mom loaded up the van that my dad let me borrow and off we went on a 9 hour road trip.  Blakely does really well in the car but no one can be excited about a long car ride with a toddler.  I packed a bag of goodies for her but didn't have to pull a single thing out on the way down there (the way home was a different story).  

The ride was not fun.  We had to stop an hour from home so I could run in the doctor's office and get my lab drawn.  Usually this takes 5 minutes but this time it took an hour.  So it seemed like we had been on the road for 3 hours and we were only an hour from home.  Slow start to the day.  It took us about 10 hours to get there and we went straight to pick up Matt and then back to our hotel.  I was WORN OUT and STARVING.  I could not get to food fast enough.  

A little back story on my brother.  I'll save you the gory details but I do need to explain a little just for understanding the importance of the trip.  He has struggled with addiction for a long time.  It has been very difficult.  He has been trying to get sober for about a year and a half.  He went (back) to rehab almost 6 months ago and is now living in a sober living facility.  He has been doing well and seems to be taking all of this very seriously (as he should).  I am very happy for him and proud of him although always cautious.  I have been through this before!  My father is an alcoholic (sober 11 years) and I've lived with my brother battling addiction for many years.  I know alllllll about addiction...unfortunately.  

ANYWAY!  To me and my mom it was a big step for my brother to realize that he didn't need to come home for Thanksgiving or Christmas (this town is toxic for him).  Hence, the reason we decided to go see him.  And we haven't seen him in 6 months and we wanted to encourage him.  

Also, Blakely.  He loves Blakely.  She makes him want to be better.  To do better.  I knew that if he spent some time with her it would do him a lot of good.  And it did.  It was wonderful.  

Do you think they look alike?  

We first thought that he was only going to get to hang out with us during the day and then we would take him back at night but his counselors let him spend the night with us as long as he checked in with them in during the day.  It was great!  My mom and I had gotten adjoining hotel rooms so we spent a lot of time playing games there and, of course, playing babies with Blakely.  

We went out for meals and then one day we spent roaming around the Au.burn campus.  It was a great trip and I am so happy we went.  Blakely had a fun time and keeps talking about the next time we can see Uncle Matty.

The trip was so so worth it.  I keep thinking back on it and I am so glad that we decided to do it.  My mom was worried that it would make him want to come home but I actually think it confirmed for him that he needed to stay there.  He knows that he needs to continue to keep working on himself and he can only do that there.  

I couldn't be happier that he is working the program and focused on staying sober.  I am used to worrying about him like crazy so it is niiiiiice to know that he is safe there and doing well.  Please let it just stay that way!