First Trip = Success

School got out on Thursday June 7th, which seemed like a great day to beat the heat and head north for the weekend. I crashed my sister Emily's house with my 4 kids plus my awesome nephew Marshall. He was a super helper all the way up, there, and home. He handed kids drinks, took their trash, go the DVD player set up, and kept the peace. Life is SO MUCH EASIER with an 11 year old! I'll borrow any of yours, ANYTIME! Although... I am partial to Marshall. He's practically part of our family. He's our missing link!!

(Marshall, Jefferson, Reagan .... front row. Mckinley is laying on the bench drugged out with dramamine. And Lincoln is chillin in the back)

The 6 Hour drive up was nothing!!! Kids were great. We stopped twice. Once in Cedar City for lunch. McKinley was so so so sick, so I bought her dramamine instead of a burger and she slept until we arrived in Lehi 4 hours later. And we stopped again near Nephi (I think) just to get gas and change a nasty diaper from a teething baby :(

Here are the kids on Thursday night all snuggled up on the couch watching a movie. This was taken 20 minutes after we arrived. They were all excited for a major cousin sleepover! The boys were all in one room, and the girls in another!

We didn't plan on dressing like twins, it just happened. Give her a set of bangs and we'd be twins. Jefferson had to photo bomb of course. He gets so confused around my sisters that he has to be held as to avoid running into the wrong mommy's arms :)

Sleep went pretty good for everyone the first night. Reagan and McKinley were so excited, so they woke up first around 5:30 UTAH TIME (4:30 Vegas time)... ARG! If I wasn't so preoccupied with putting Jefferson back to bed, I would have given them a good scolding! Friday was the day we had designated to go to Cowabunga Bay (a little water park in South Draper). We visited there last summer (which was the highlight of their YEAR), and Friday happened to be the only day that was even close to being hot that week. No major accidents, or sunburns. The only trauma inflicted was to the poor 12 year old babysitter who watched Jefferson(almost 2) and Jacob (almost 3) for 5 hours. And of that 5 hours, Jefferson cried for 3 of them and slept for the other 2. Let's just say she scored a huge paycheck because of my guilt!

Relaxing with their ipods after a fun day at the water park. 

After seeing us come home in our swim suits, Jefferson and Jacob wanted a turn in some water. McKinley was their pretend "lifeguard". I didn't leave their side... don't worry...

FRIENEMIES: A thin line between friends and enemies. Also see Jefferson and/or Jacob.

Grandpa Mike stopped by with some Costco strawberries. This one was as big as a racquetball and still tasted good!

Ms. Photogenic 

Friday night we headed South to provo to surprise our cousin Savannah and her husband (weird to say husband... I can't believe she's married!!) Brandon. Our kids had a blast running around the old, 4 story chapel. I was way too sun drained to do anything about it, and besides... Marshall was watching them :)

Saturday morning (no picture), I was able to attend another cousins sealing in the Draper temple. I ran into an old friend in the waiting area (McCall Morrison). SMALL WORLD EH? The sealing was later getting started (I was worried the whole time after leaving Jefferson for so long the day before). It was so beautiful, and so worth going. I was so lucky to have such good timing this weekend. Two cousins, on different sides of the family, so glad I could see them both!

Saturday afternoon we had a birthday party for Emily. Her birthday was on Tuesday of that week, so Sam (her hubby) invited a few of her friends over and it was a PARTY! I think we had 21 different kids over at one point. There wasn't very much fighting, just a lot of cake eating!

This is the amount of smoke that 37 candles make after being blown out. The kids were in a haze for hours after :)  (j/k Em)

I hope I look that good in 7 years! People were asking us who was older! Say what!!!???!!! I guess I'll start washing my face at night and using night cream!!!

I was planning on going to the reception that was for the sealing we had gone to earlier that morning... but the kids were having a fun hangover. Dinner (following a party) was a little crazy. The kids had gorged themselves on cake and junk. My BFF from my only year at BYU came down from SLC to visit, and she brought her boyfriend (WHO IS HOPEFULLY HER FUTURE HUSBAND SOMETIME SOON). After we ate we tried to find a quiet-ish place to visit and catch up while the kids watched a movie. Well, they seemed to follow us no matter where we were, and I felt like my time with them was slipping away. Savannah & Brandon had come to hang out, and I felt like I was running the funny farm! By 7pm the kids were HAMMERED. I had 2 choices. Tell our visitors it was time for them to leave.... then I could have been an abusive mother and made all the kids change into semi appropriate clothing, throw them in the van... AGAIN... and make them go mingle at a reception with all my aunts and uncles and cousins that I SELFISHLY wanted to see. But sanity won. I put them in their jammies and into bed. I convinced Megan and Brad, and Savannah and Brandon to play just ONE LITTLE round of Yahtzee... 

BAM! That's right! 4 hours and 6 rounds later and WAY too much laughing to count... everyone left with a full scorecard and some fun memories.

Newlyweds are the cutest!

When I first met Brad earlier that night, I shook his hand. After 7+ hours around me and my kids, and sufficient Yahtzee time, I hugged him goodbye. I offered him some dough to buy Megan a ring... I'm hoping he'll take me up on it. He plays Yahtzee like "one of us". A total keeper.

Sams game face.

The final scores. I've never lost so bad and not cared! 

Sunday morning we woke up and got ready to hit the road. Minutes before getting in the van, Lincoln found a mouse. He said "my heart is beating like 100 million miles an hour!!" I was so grossed out and proud of him at the same moment :)

We stopped in Paragonah on the way home this time. After an hour and a half of bee chasing and a quick trip around the yard on the 4 wheeler, we headed to St. George for the night. I was too tired to make the final 2 hours by myself, and the kids were dying to go swimming on Monday. 

Monday we hit the St. George DI, went swimming and got home just in time for dinner. Two things were solidified on this trip. 1: The van was a hit! Totally worth every bun! And 2: Vacations are fun... but we missed Zach a ton :(

It was so fun visiting with Emily and Sam. I loved getting to spend time with my two cute nephews. We all loved being in Utah where it was a little cooler and a little safer :)

Happy to have a little vacation. Happy to be home safe and sound.