Vacation Day #18

We load up the car at 6am.  Pull out of Grammaline's driveway by 7am.  We wave goodbye until we can no longer see her and start the journey home. 

Can't wait until next year.

Vacation Day #17

{Pedicures for the girls}

Vacation Day #16

After a dirty evening up in the canyon--

--a day at the water park seemed just about right.

Once again, Keaton proved fearless as he, without hesitation, slid down the steepest and fastest slides in the park.  Brian overheard fellow amazed sliders remark, "Did you see that little kid on THAT slide?"

Good Times!

Vacation Day #15

We went up the canyon and cooked hobo dinners.  Doesn't Bri build a good fire?  It is one of the many things I love about him.  He is just so darn capable!

Keaton obviously wants to follow in his father's footsteps because that boy could not keep his little body more than two feet away from this pit of flames.  He poked it.  He prodded it.  He kindled it.  When it was almost dead, he resuscitated the few glowing embers with giant breaths of life until the fire danced again. 

He was THE Stoker of the Fire and THE Keeper of the Flames .

I'm not quite done with my story because everyone knows the perfect ending to a campfire story is the perfect golden mallow...

Let's zoom in on that beauty, shall we?

mmmmm...a heavenly confection.

Vacation Day #14

Brian and I ate lunch at a restaurant called Zupas. Dreamy.

Salads, Panini sandwiches, and soups-- the Wisconsin Cheddar Cauliflower soup--yep, still dreamy.

A chocolate dipped strawberry served along side every meal--dreamiest!

Vacation Day #13

Lagoon--Sagoon or The Goon according to Weston-- Here We Come!

We had a great time and, as expected, Keaton was fearless!

He was smiling and squealing with excitement for most of the day.

Grammaline commented, "Keaton enjoys life with his whole body." She summed him up perfectly!

Vacation Day #12

Sunday.

The routine is pretty much always the same, but on vacation the scenery differs.  Church was lovely  (especially because Brian could put his arm around me during the meetings) and Sunday dinner was delicious as usual.

Even more delicious than the fresh corn on the cob and the raspberries at dinner, was sitting out back in the evening cool, listening to Grammaline tell stories of Brian when he was little.  We laughed until we hurt. 

We also munched on homemade oreo cookies, which can make a good story a great one.

Oreo Cookies

• 1 box devils food cake mix
• 3/4 C. shortening
• 2 eggs

Mix together and roll in to balls.  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  Once the cookies are cooled, spread your favorite frosting on the bottom of one cookie and top it with another one.

Vacation Day #11

(i know that the vacation day premise is getting old, but i am almost done!)

Lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory--mental note: next time order the salad instead of the minestrone. Aside from the soup, the food was good and the kids love the ice cream at the end of the meal.

As we walked out of the mall after lunch, we passed through a Pottery Barn. Actually, the girls passed through it, Brian and the boys took the long way around to avoid it. Anyway, Kate spotted a perfect little sumthin' sumthin' for me and pointed it out. She knows her mama well...I just had to take it home with me...

{can you spot the little gem?}

{a-stinkin-dorable!}

Vacation Day #10

We finally made it to Grammaline's house. The kids got lost in the basement with the decades of toys stored down there and I got lost in a book. No, I devoured a book. I could do nothing but inhale and exhale this book. It consumed me. I could not get this book out of my head. I proclaim every worthy vacation should have a day to do nothing but read a yummy book.

Vacation Day #9

This one could be called "The long and winding road..." to Grammaline's door.

Except we did not make it to Grammaline's door that day. We made it to St. George and stayed in the first hotel we saw.

Vacation Day #8

We piled in two different cars to go to the local zoo.  Weston went with Aunt Alison.  Once we arrived at the zoo, Alison informed me that Weston had no shoes on his feet or on his person anywhere. I had no extra shoes for him to use.  I was at the mercy of the zoo shop...hoping they had SOMETHING that would work.

They did.

Gracious, did they ever.

On a positive note, he was easy to pick out of a crowd.

(p.s. don't ya just love Keaton in Grandpa's hat?)

Vacation Day #7

We looked through some old photo albums. My hair was precious.

Seriously, what was I thinking?

But at least I know I come by it honestly--

{mom's cruise hair in1991...courtesy of Carmella}

(p.s.I also know that I was not alone in the quest for the big and the curly...check out Rachel's blog.)

Vacation Day #6

We went bowling on Monday--all except Kate, that is.  She went to the bowling alley, but this is how she spent the time...

Later that evening we had the honor of being photographed by my talented brother, Dan(but he is really still Danny to me!)

In the past couple of years I have become absurdly early in getting the family picture done for the Christmas cards.  Here is a peek at some of the pictures that won't be sent out across the nation with a Christmastime greeting....

Family Feet

The one that got away

Itchy Keat

Through the looking glass

Thanks Danny for putting your life on the line, flat out on your belly in the middle of the street to get just the right angle!  You are the best!

Vacation Day #5

Alison's Chicken and Noodles...

Oh My Heart.

I ate until I hurt and then ate a little bit more.

Homestyle goodness all atop homemade mashed potatoes...a carbohydrate playground...I am surprised I was not rolled into bed that night.

Vacation Day #4

Beach Day!

{beachy Kea}

{emily, shelby & clara--girls on film}

{weston, olivia, jenna & aunt shauna--diggin'}

Vacation Day #3 (part two)

After the feasting festivities of the 4th, we made our way over to my old stake center from the days of my youth for a great view of the fireworks show at a near by park.  It was an awesome show...the kind where the music paired with the bursting lights brings tingles and tears.

Besides the "proud to be an American" feeling, that evening held two other things of note. 

The first was, as much as I enjoyed watching the light show, I had a difficult time taking my eyes off of my children's illuminated faces.  I loved to watch the captivated wonder.  I loved the way the light flickered across their bright eyes and excited expressions.   I guess I had a "proud to be a mama" feeling, too.

  

{Grandpa and his pal, Weston}

{The girls with me}

{Brian and Keaton}

The second noteworthy occurrence happened just before the fireworks show.  As I mentioned earlier, we were at my old stake center.  I had not been there for at least 14 years.  We spent the evening outside on the lawn, but Keaton managed to get cupcake frosting all over his hands, so I took him inside the church building to wash up.  I walked in the back door and the smell instantly brought me back.  It smelled like stake dances!  Memories came flooding in and I was once again, amazed at the power of smell.  I thought of dancing, flirting, giggling and anticipating the slow dances.  I daresay I had a "proud to be a mormon girl" feeling, as well.

Vacation Day #3

Shelby found her paradise. Alison has a schoolhouse in her back yard. Stop the world! A real-life schoolhouse and Alison is nice, so she gave Shelby permission to "ring the bell" so to speak--school was in session!!!

I did not see Shelby or any of the willing students until dinner!

Vacation Day #2

We pretended that the air was clear and ash free.  We pretended that a fire was not burning a mile or so away.  I went to Costco with Mom and Dad to load up on food for our fourth of July celebration the next day.  A mere $500 later and we were ready for the menu of hot dogs, hamburgers, homemade potato salad and baked beans, chips and salsa, cupcakes...

We continued to pretend that all was well as we watched the neighbors leave their homes through the smoke filled air.  Maybe they were just going for a drive...with all of their cars.

We could not pretend any more when the officer knocked on the door and announced our mandatory evacuation.

We reloaded the van and drove an hour back in the direction from whence we came a day earlier, to stay with my brother for a couple of days until the fire was a little more contained.  Roger and Alison graciously took us in, as if unexpected, needy guests were a pleasure.  What sweethearts!

(Alison and Kate making delectable cookies)

Vacation Day #1

Two and a half weeks ago, we started out on our summer get-away. Yep, that is right...two and a half glorious-do-whatever-we-want-to weeks.

We loaded up the van. It was clean and organized. Fresh snacks. Fresh movies. Seven hours of driving to the first destination. No problem.

Thankfully, the most exciting part of the drive was the debate between Brian and I about the correct terminology for the sauce on the In-n-Out burger. Brian insisted it is called a "schmear" and I insisted that it is not. And even if it was called a schmear, I refused to call it that on principle that it is a dumb word and Einstein's Bagel's already uses it for their cream cheese. There cannot be two schmears.

That is as good as it gets, folks.

We arrived at Mom and Dad's seven hours later, according to plan. As we pulled up to their home, my dad was there to greet us with a flashlight in his hands. He was followed by Mom, holding a lantern in her outstretched hand to light the way. They had no power due to the fire burning in the hills close by. There was ash floating around like skittering snowflakes. The kids were excited. The adventure began.