To answer several questions...

WHERE CAN I TURN FOR PEACE?
To my in-laws who took my children for three days.

WHERE IS MY SOLACE?
Swinging in a hammock chair at dusk in my parents back yard.

The H is in Portugal (work), I just dropped the kids off in Heber, I still have two and a half more weeks of vacation...AAAHHHH!

Phases of a Vacation

1. I wanted to add some info on the aforementioned camping trip, which to quote my sister Becca was actually more akin to 'staying outdoors in small quarters' than actual camping. My in laws love to recreate, they love to take road trips but they also love creature comforts. So our camping trip was made possible by their two trailers, one of which was a pop out variety complete with a sofa, two recliners, closets, and a kitchen table (in the fully functioning kitchen)! In fact, the trailer was so nice that we were required to remove our shoes upon entry. We were also equipped with bathrooms (including showers) in each trailer, and to top it all off - a satellite dish. It was defiantly my kind of camping! Thanks Phil and Judy!

2. Matt and I spent a day and a night at a great resort in Midway, Utah called the Zermatt. It was FABULOUS! Great restaurants, fabulous pool, beautiful grounds.....and no kids!

3. After the camping, we spent 2 days with our good friends, Jim and Reina Detjen who are always generous and welcoming when we come into town. They are also connoisseurs of fine food, which the provide daily. Thanks guys!

4. CALIFORNIA! After living in So Cal from 2000-2004 I am a beach junkie. I love the ocean, the sun and the sand. I love that my kids can entertain them selves all day without any sort of electronics. I love exploring tide pools and helping my kids search for shells. I love playing in the ocean and ducking the waves. I love that my kids are old enough that I can read a book while catching some rays. I love the beach! I will have to make a trip to the Atlantic when we get back to VA in August. Any takers on a day trip?

5. St. George was a convenient stop on the way back from CA. My parents have a house there so my and my sister Becca partied there for a few days. And by party I mean that we entertained my three, and her four kids. It was WAY too hot to do anything besides go to the pool. But we did manage to squeeze in a musical at Tuachan, an outdoor theater in the canyon (The Sound Of Music - or as 'Z' calls it: Musical Sounds), and to take the kids on a few rides on an old tandem bike. Becca and I also made a midnight run to the local grocery store on said bicicyle to purchase some -ahem - feminine products.

Now we are back at my parents house, near Hogle Zoo and the University of Utah, and what will we do for the rest of our vacation? Swim in their pool, stay a few nights at the cabin in Brighton Canyon, swim, shop the Foothill Village 24th of July sidewalk sale, swim..............I'll try not to get tired of this vacation thing!

WHAT THE KIDS ARE SAYING:
(There was a debate between my boys over the appropriate titles for the 'ladies dressed in black' in the Sound of Music. 'Z' claimed that they were called Num's, and 'N' argued that they were called Nim's)
"When are the Nazi's going to get here!" (Said by 'N' in frustration over another love song in the musical)

Least We Travel Without Drama....

As we packed to leave - I neglected to remember the 'no liquids on airplanes' rules. So - when the kids asked if they could fill their brand-spanking-new water bottles for the trip I acquiesced. Consequently, as we went through airport security I was told to throw the three water bottles away as there was no way to simply dispose of the liquid. My kids were audibly distraught over loosing their newly acquired water bottles with a handy-dandy freezable core, so.....I chug-a-lugged 24 ounces of water to get us through security.

After the water debacle, 'N' started complaining that his shorts were too tight. When I investigated the cause we came to discover that this size 8-9 boy was wearing his brother's size 4 shorts. (Adding to the problem was the fact that I had taken the shorts in by about three inches to fit skinny little 'Z'!)

'N' then started complaining that his carry-on backpack was WAY too heavy. Upon this investigation I discovered that he had packed nothing but hardcover books!

**Fast forward a few days where we found ourselves visiting my sister in Logan, UT. We decided to take a tubing trip down the canal adjacent to the Logan River. Lest you think that this would be cool refreshment on a hot day, bear in mind that the river and canal are running with recently melted snow, making the water temperature numbingly cold.

We started the trip with 4 adults: (Me, Mom, Heather (my sister), and Jenny (sister's room-mate) and the three kids. We purchased 5 tubes for the trip, placing two kids in a tube with two adults. Whilst floating down the frigid canal, 'N' (in his own tube) did his best to keep all of his body parts out of the H20. If you are familiar with 'the plank' (a strength building technique for the core) you can imagine what 'N' looked like atop his tube. It came as no surprise that as he was attempting to change positions, he fell into the canal, causing us much merriment, which we tried to ebb as he had cut his knee on a rock. Shortly thereafter, his tube popped and he went into the canal again. (And we did our best to hide our amusement!)

THEN - Heather's tube popped, Jenny and 'A's tube popped, and the three of them had to bush whack down the mountain and scale a fence to get back to the parking lot. The rest of us: Mom with 'N' and me with 'Z', made it to the end with 'Z' (who was in mortal fear of more tube pop-age) fretting the entire way.

Fast forward a few more days: we just returned from a camping trip to Daniel's Summit - above the Heber Valley. Other than a few issues with fire safety, and several insanely large insect bites we are unscathed!

Arrivederci!

One final post before our departure -

When moving to VA last summer we were fortunate to find a great neighborhood.  Here are some pics of the end-of-the-school-year party down the street!  The festivities began when the kids arrived home on the bus at 2:45.  We left at 5:00 for a piano lesson but the party was still going strong.  The 'H' has to work tonight but there will be BBQ-ing and continued fun into the evening.  What a great place to live!

'N' declared war against a group of girls and proceeded to soak - and be soaked.

'A' with friends.

'Z' spent the whole afternoon with the giant bubble blowers.

Catch Up With My Life

I have neglected my blog up-keep as of late and as school is out tomorrow, and we are off to spend a couple of weeks in Utah, I thought that I should get caught up with the current household happenings.

Here is 'A' - looking a little....colonial.  She went on a field trip to Waterford, a one room school house from the 1800's.  All of the kids dress, and acted to part.  Do I even need to say how cool of a field trip this was? What a cutie!

'N' earned his Wolf and a bunch of patches, belt loops, and pins at May's pack meeting.  He is a great kid, and we are proud of all of the work he has done!  Way to go 'N'!

Here is a photo that will likely be used to embarrass 'Z' in some sort of photographic montage that will be displayed when he gets married.  Either that or it could be used in some form of future blackmail.

Who is that mustachioed man?  Oh yes - the one that we will embarrass and blackmail!

We took a day off school to experience Gettysburg, PA with my brother and his family who were in town for a short visit.  Unfortunately, I do not have any pics of them....and so here we are at the site where President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.

'N' greatly enjoys his chore of watering the 'plants'.  He is always able to find a way to make things for fun for him, and more lively for the rest of us.

'Z' graduated from preschool, passing all subjects with flying colors.  He is too smart for his (or my) own good!  Congrats buddy!

And now - only time will tell if I am able to blog whilst out-of-town!  Adios to all - unless you live in Utah - in which case - see you soon! 

Thank You Leslie Blodgett

For your cosmetic product line.

I started wearing Bare Escentuals Mineral Make-Up in January.

A Christmas gift to myself.

For the past six months I have loved it.

But now I realize.

It is - in fact - Escentual. 

And this is why:

Friends come to visit.

From Utah to the Nations Capitol.

I schlep my kids into D.C.

Despite the fact that the thermostat reads 99 degrees.

And humidity is off the charts.

The air we breathe is heavy, hot and moist.

The kids whine and cry because it is so insanely hot, hot, hot.

And our water bottles have long since been drained. 

My hair becomes flat, stringy, style-less and damp.

And the sweat soaks my clothes - which do not dry.

And the sweat pools in my shoes in little puddles. (Crocs)

And the sweat pours from all of my pores.

Dripping from my flesh onto the sidewalk.

But though my face is dripping wet.

My mineral make-up stays in place.

Moral of the story:

On such days I will have to stay in-doors.  

With the A/C happily blowing.

Keeping my mineral enhanced face cool and dry.

Unless someone else comes to visit.

Because for friends and family, I will schlep again.

Despite the oppressive weather.

But I will bring a Costo-sized flat of water.

And I will wear a hat.

Until September.

To The 'H'

You deserve a big fat thanks for all of the additional help that you have been providing me of late. A month ago, I neglected to blog thank you for taking time off of work to watch the kids while I had a weekend away with the girls. So - sorry about my delinquent expression of blog-rattitude. Now, for the past two weeks you have sacrificed a lot to provide me with some much needed assistance! Let it not be said that I was remiss in expressing my appreciation for your most recent and plentiful good deeds. I will also at this time credit you with bringing so much humor into our home. I love to laugh - and you provide us all with more than ample opportunity. Much Grass!