Going to Chicago in the winter normally wouldn't be our first choice for some quality family time, but Galen had a meeting there (for the Conference on Christianity and Literature) that he helped to organize, and since we like to travel together when possible, the whole family went.
Besides the conference, we were able to get in a little sight-seeing to, from, and in Chicago. On the way to Chicago, we stopped at the New Salem restored village in Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln began his career as a shopkeeper and postmaster. It was really cold, but we bundled up and walked around for an hour or so.
We didn't know at the time that the worst weather was definitely still to come. When we awoke the next day, there was no precipitation when we looked outside, but by the time Galen made one trip back inside to get the luggage ready for the van, huge snowflakes began to fall fast. So we all hurried up and got on the road. Thankfully, the roads never got too bad, and we made it safely into Chicago.
We found time to visit the Chicago History Museum, which owns the bed on which President Lincoln died in Washington, DC, and the Sears Tower, our country's tallest building.
After Galen's meetings were over, we hit the road again and stopped briefly in Dixon, Illinois, the boyhood home of President Ronald Reagan,
on the way to Iowa, where we visited the library and museum of President Herbert Hoover.
So I guess we had a "presidential" trip all the way around. But above all, we had a blessed trip, because the roads were a bit slick on the day we headed home, and once again the Lord enabled us to travel safely.
Caroline and Winston were very good travelers, and we're sure that there are more road adventures to come, but for now we're thankful to be home for a while, and we have already seen enough snow for this year. Now it's back to school, not only for Galen but also for Lori, who will be taking some criminal justice classes at Northwest Arkansas Community College. So if you write but don't hear back right away, you'll know that we're hitting the books! Happy New Year!
While mommy and daddy have been either working on school or trying to get over some sickness this winter, Caroline has played along her merry way and has stayed healthy and happy. First, there was Valentine's Day, when of course we gave thanks for having such a sweetheart. Then there was St. Patrick's day,
when Caroline dazzled us all day with her green outfit. And we were able to make a quick trip down to Texas, where Galen had a good conference, and we were able both to relax and shop. The most special of all was Easter, when Caroline got to wear a gorgeous dresss that we had been saving for the occasion since before she was born.
After Easter services, Caroline went on an egg hunt and had a really fun time. But now we're all ready for spring, because this will be the first warm weather when Caroline is old enough to do a lot of playing outside. Caroline recently turned 20 months old, and it's hard to believe that we're already thinking about her second birthday
party. But it also seems like she gets sweeter all the time, and we hope she always remains as good as she has been. Sometimes we see a preview of the "terrible 2's," so we know there are growing pains to come, but these are fun days, and we hope to hold on to them for as long as we can! 
Once she figured out from the map she's holding that it would be too much further to drive, she proposed simply shipping herself, saying that she had once seen Bugs Bunny do something similar.
But once we convinced her that she would have more fun staying with us and opening Christmas presents from her relatives, she decided to tag along with us. And she was so glad that she did!
But now the whole family is getting ready to travel again, for Daddy has a conference in Chicago right after Christmas, and the girls want to come along. It looks like they're ready to go!
Napping dogs with little hairs 
It seems that once a year or so, we find ourselves needing to drive across Illinois either to get to some sort of conference or to come back home. Over time, we have been able to drive near and visit a number of historic sites related to the life of Abraham Lincoln. This year, on our way to Indianapolis to see the Colts play, we had Caroline with us for the first time as we visited Springfield, where Lincoln lived and raised his family before he was elected President, and where he was laid to rest after his assassination. This was also the first time that we had been to the newly opened Lincoln Library and Museum in Springfield. We also visited the cabin in eastern Illinois where Lincoln moved with his father and stepmother when they first arrived from Indiana. So for us Lincoln buffs, this was an enjoyable trip.
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