Make it to March

When I got to Idaho and told my mom that my camera never even made it out of the bag in Utah, her response was, "Somethin's askew with you!"

Indeed.

  I've accepted the fact that for approximately the next 9-12 months, my performance in life is going to be sub-par, and you should too.

I'm growing another Colton, you see.  And the effect of said phenomenon is already in full swing, all of the symptoms that leave me tearful, sick, exhausted, and zitty have taken hold and I'm trying to be a big, brave girl, and just keep going.

But here is my first public admission to my loss of game.

I didn't take any pictures on our vacation.


How can I give a play by play without pictures?  No pictures means just words.  BO-RING!

Well, actually I have scrounged up enough pictures between our phones, mostly Dan's, that will have to do.

First of all, the trip overall was really great, we love our family!  We drove for the first time since we've been married and yes, that was planned before the baby nugget.  And yes, I was more than slightly concerned about those two facts coinciding.

But we made it.  In great time, and relatively great spirits.  In fact, I keep looking back and asking myself, "Were those really our kids?"  They did better than we ever hoped.  Lots of ipod playing and a few movies and snacks did their jobs.

And the thrill of staying in "a partment" (hotel) made the whole drive worth it for Luke.

The red rock beauty of southern Utah was a sight to behold especially to the kids who'd never been there.

And once we arrived, we spent the next week relaxing and having some quality family time.  Ava was so excited to share our news with each new member of the family who arrived.

We swam, watched movies, and retrieved Grandpa Don's (Or as Max would say, "Papa Don's") remote control helicopter.

The big kids were thoroughly entertained by their cousins, and when Max's interest waned it was Wallace and Grommit's Curse of the WereRabbit to the rescue!

After 8 days in the mountains, Dan and I parted ways.  He to work in Denver and me to my sister's in Idaho,  (after a quick airport pick-up of my dad).

In Idaho, I overdid it on the donuts.  I haven't eaten wheat for months but I've been saving myself for a chocolate cake donut since the trip was planned.

Unfortunately, I couldn't stop at one, though some things are worth getting sick over.  Luke was in donut heaven as well as Dallin heaven, since he got in some really great boy-cousin play time.  And of course Ava and Marin played and played.

We saw my niece dance in a parade.



The kids got to have a donut stand and made some pretty good money.

Ava's stomach ruined the cousin sleepover on the trampoline when she puked at midnight.



We took in the beauty of Mesa Falls.

And we got to go through the temple with my nephew Brayden who just recently received his call to serve in the San Fernando, California mission.

One of my favorite parts was seeing Ava so happy and at ease with her cousins.  Somehow, where she normally feels very tentative to play with other little girls, it's like she instinctively knew that these girls were a safe place, that they were family, that she didn't have to worry that they'd turn snarky or mean.  Unfortunately, a lot of little girls these days are like that and they've left her a little gun-shy.  So to see her in this free-to-be-herself state was so refreshing and worth every second we spent in the car.

The kids did equally well on the way home, though I'm not sure I can say the same thing about myself.  I was so tired and so sick and so missing my Dan.  Many thanks to my mom and dad who rode back with us and doled out snacks and movies and helped drive.

We made it.  I pulled into the garage and Dan was there to meet us.  After some hugging, I came in to find Luke, belly-down in the foyer, kissing the wood floor.

And we could all agree,

It was good to be home!