Yosemite

On our way home from an Epic Road Trip this summer we stopped in Yosemite National Park to hike and camp and play. It was end of June timeframe and we didn't think we could get a place to camp, but we did. It was on the East side at about 8500 feet in elevation. Most attractions are the the West side of the Park and the drive can take up to an hour each way. We were up for an adventure though and decided to camp there in  bear country. Everywhere in that park is Bear country.

We hiked and played and waded in the rivers. We saw waterfalls and wildlife (not bears) and amazing views of huge rocks. We watched climbers doing death defying feats and saw a mama duck teaching her little ones how to scavenge and snatch food from pic-nickers. We had a lot of fun, but we also just about froze our self into Popsicles. The first morning we woke up it was below freezing and the next two mornings weren't much better. It took a while to get to the warm side of the mountains. We had tons of s'mores and used every last bit of the hot chocolate we had packed. The kids slept in the same sleeping bag  with the other one and two blankets over them and the baby snuggled himself between mom and dad and stayed perfectly warm with his cute hat our friend Pam knitted for him.

Our surprise for the trip was having to buy new tires while in the park. Something about a rock and some damage that had to be fixed right away. Not a typical vacation expense, but I was glad we were able to cover it and get our family home safely. You should have seen us with 3 kids and a soft top car top carrier on top of our VW Passat. Good thing Justin can pack a sea bag well. It translates well to car packing too. We were sardines in there. And it was especially fun on the way home when the drivers side door decided it wouldn't shut all the way any more and we had to strap it closed with the roof bag straps and then climb out the back doors. Oh what an adventure.

The kids took lots of walks and collected rocks that didn't actually come home with us. One night Meg needed to make a potty run in the middle of the night. In a campground with no power at all in the dead of a cold night with no glasses, we headed out. We got lost coming back because I couldn't see. She was patient with me for a while, until she got really cold. Then she started calling for Dad. After that when she woke up she asked him for help first. Smart girl. Or smart Mom, depending on who you ask. I am so glad we were able to go and I hope at least the big kids remember it for some time to come.

Babymoon

I always thought that was an odd term, Babymoon. Meaning having a little get-a-way before the baby comes. Odd that you don't have a little get-a-way before the wedding, but after, called a honeymoon. In any case, Justin and I took one this week, a babymoon that is.

{Mission Valley, San Diego, CA}

For Christmas this year I gave Justin a years worth of date nights. 12 dates. Some are fun, some are funny, most were pre-paid or free. I know date night would be ideal at once a week, but with a new baby coming soon I decided once a month was more realistic for us. The best part about the whole gift wasn't that he loved it, it was the conversations I had with the Big Kid in preparing it. We talked about things like why mom and dad need time alone away together. Why we need to do silly things sometimes. Why having fun with someone you know very well is still important and what you have to do to put someone else's needs above your own. I hope the example we set for our kids will inspire them to work at staying in love with their chosen mates in the future. I got several ideas from The Dating Diva's and tweaked them to fit our family situation. What a great place to find ideas and remember how important it is to uplift and show love for your mate.

One of his date nights was a hotel stay from a gift certificate I won in an auction a while back. We had a great babysitter come armed with movies and games and we headed out with dinner to a local hotel. We are glad we didn't have to pay too much for it, because it didn't have a lot going for it, except the pillows. I am a pillow snob and I was in heaven with these soft, fluffy, supportive pillows.

We went swimming after dark, because no one wants to see a 31 week pregnant woman in a swim suit that was not made for maternity wear. The pool was heated and lovely. We watched movies and relaxed and occasionally answered texts from the home front. We talked and laughed and had a great time.

The best parts were that the house was still fairly clean when we got home, the kids were fed and happy and we were able to sleep in late. It was a great way to wrap up 2011 and prepare for 2012. Huge changes are coming our way and we look forward to all of it. We hope it's wonderful for all of you too.

Grand Canyon Adventure

In June our family took a little adventure to the Grand Canyon. A few days before I took a trip down memory lane with my sisters about camping trips of our youth. Funny for us, not so much for my mom, who just shook her head and said "Just wait. Your turn is coming." As my sister often reminds me "You don't get to choose what your children will remember forever." So true.

 The kids woke up early to leave on our adventure. I wasn't so ready to get up. Justin came in to get me and tell me to get up as we had things to do. I thought I had things covered pretty well from the night before when he went on to tell me that I had made reservations in the park for the week before, not the week we were living in. (Not the first time I have had reservation issues....) You have to book your camping spot in the Grand Canyon National Park months ahead of time. There was no way we were getting another spot there. Nothing like winging it.

 On our way there we stopped on Route 66 at the Grand Canyon Caverns. It's the largest dry cavern in the United States and it was pretty amazing. Especially to my little girl who is obsessed with rocks. If you have the time and money, you can even stay in the little hotel room in the caverns. I am glad we stopped there. It was interesting and we ended up on a private tour.

We went on to William, AZ that night and stayed in a hotel. The kids and Justin went swimming and I went to find dinner. On the way back from getting dinner I was rear-ended by a Russian who spoke very little English driving a Cadillac rental vehicle. Just a little paint transfer, but I did get shaken up a bit. The next morning the check engine light was on. We ventured onward anyway.

We ended up finding a great little first come first serve campground just outside the park entrance called Ten-X. Not a lot in the way of amenities, but good enough for us with spacious campsites and not tons of people, until the weekend. The kids had a great time playing with the rocks, digging in the dirt and stalking mysterious bugs. They mostly had fun getting dirty and taking hikes.

At the Grand Canyon National Park we spent our time taking easy rim hikes, visiting the hot spots, like the train station, hopping on and off of the shuttle buses and generally enjoying the view. We were fortunate to be there during astronomy week where astronomers from all over come to set up their telescopes for people to take a look at the heavens and discuss all things celestial. Adam's first glimpse of the canyon was telling. He turned back around to us and said "The postcards are nothing like this." He is so right. The photos, paintings, poems and other art do nothing to tell you the real soul-stilling beauty of this place. It truly is wondrous.

We had a couple of other bumps in the road on our trip. We lost Justin one day for a while. I hate being separated like that. He eventually turned up, hot and thirsty, just like the kids. There was a little incident of supposed food poisoning, but it turned out only to be a problem I had, so everyone else was healthy and happy. We had a little house flooding and the cat escaped while we were gone too. I am just thankful for a smart friend who was quick to respond and took care of everything for us. We are blessed.

As I looked at the pictures we took I wonder if the kids saw the same things I did. We gave them a camera and let them take all of the photos they wanted. I looked at lots of pictures of railings, fingers and the ground. A couple of the sky and more than a few blurry photos. I hope what they saw will be important to them in the future and not as blurry as the photos we have as memories.

More Arizona

Someone thought we may have left the Big kid at home on our latest Arizona adventure. No pictures of him, he said. Well, there was one picture of him in the collage. Top right, just so you know. The problem is that the kid is getting bigger. He doesn't hold still, and he's good at avoiding the camera lens. I hate to post horrible pictures and as a result, he's not represented as much as the short, cute, camera loving child we have. For the record, when he was her age, he begged for pictures to be taken of him. And I have a ton of cute 3 year old pictures of him. Now he's almost 10 and he's too cool for the lens I guess. Check out the shot of him and his dad. I wonder where he gets the lens scowl from?

Here is all of the photos I got of the big kid in AZ. He was there with us, really. Also, I don't have a favorite child, but I do have a favored shooting subject. And it changes from week to week.

Weekend Get Away

A couple of weekends ago we took a little trip to Arizona to visit the kids Grandpa. We love visiting there. The kids think it's a great adventure to stay in his travel trailer (where he lives) and they love to go play in the desert. Meg asked him to get out the "penny finder" or metal detctor. We searched for gold or other treasures, but found only tin cans and other odd and old metal pieces. Meg just loved the digging part. Adam loved the ATV and flying through the desert with dad or grandpa or whoever would take him. Pretty soon he will be big enough to fly off on his own. We all came home with sunburns, smiles and good memories. Thanks for having us, Joe. See you again soon.

Home again

We are home again, almost. The plane leaves tomorrow. We have had a great time with cousins, friends and grandma's. My kids love thier Grandma's. And of course Great Grandpa, he was pretty funny according to my 3 year old.

Here are some pictures to tide you over. I know you were waiting and waiting for them... :)

I think this is a vacation...

Isn't that what it's called when you leave home for a while, crash in on relatives and keep your kids confined to car seats for hours and hours at a time? I am sure that's what it's called. A mini-vacation. Not because we are just having mini-fun, but because we won't be gone long. It's good to see everyone, get some cute pictures (will post later) and see a different side of life. The kind where you make due with what you have in the front seat of the car to keep kids busy, (and happy), chase toddlers around at 12:30 am trying to convince them to GO TO SLEEP, play Shrek on Xbox with nephews, watch your kids splash relentlessly in the kiddie pool, win the water gun fight with a 5 year old, and be at the mercy of others for help and support. I love it! Be home soon.