*(I'm not sure there is a more irritating song...especially if it has been running through your head for a solid week! The kids begged us not to make them ride that nightmare...and we should've listened. My bad.)
Click this link at your own peril. And just in case you wondered when I learned Japanese, I did not personally take this video. A stranger did...with an interesting sense of what memories from Disneyland to preserve.
WE HAD AN ADVENTURE!!!! And my husband and I were SO sneaky about it. We decided to whisk our offspring away from school, the constant monotony of the rain, and the cold weather and play hard in California for a week. And what a week it was!
It all started on a Saturday morning as the kids were waking up and asking what we were going to do that day. Chris and I had them come into the kitchen and gave them a jigsaw puzzle to put together. They worked together very quickly but with slightly puzzled expressions on their faces. (I think it is a strange statement on our parenting techniques that they didn't question why their parents were asking them to put together a random puzzle when they should have been eating breakfast. They have learned to just go limp and go with the flow. Smart little cookies!)
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| The happy dance followed by a big group hug! |
Now because Chris and I had been so sneaky, we literally were all packed and ready to go. I asked the kids if they had wondered what all the suitcases and packing were about and they just shrugged their shoulders...should I be worried?
Well, we literally jumped in the car and started Part One of our...
SUPER SPECTACULAR ABANDON ALL RESPONSIBILITY VACATION (SSAARC).
Now, have you ever driven a road a million times and passed signs advertising places that you have always wondered about but never bothered to stop and check out? This was our experience driving south on I-15 and always wondering out loud what Cove Fort was and whether it would be worth stopping and seeing. And so we made it a point to stop and explore. It was truly fascinating...well worth your time if you are headed that direction. We had a great time!
We had a wonderful tour by one of the full time missionaries serving at the fort complete with a free toy at the end! It was FREEZING (snowing to be exact) but we learned so much and truly felt uplifted once again by the sacrifice and faithfulness of the early Saints in this area. Their stories are amazing!
Next stop...St. George, Utah.
We stopped to try and find a
letterbox that was hidden in a really beautiful park...we tromped all over that park and never found it. But it had an amazing rock climbing wall and some great cactus. I'm still trying not to feel outdone by that letterbox. Grrr...
On we went...next stop...one of my FAVORITE places in the whole world...
the McCoy's home! Love the people, love the decor, love the food, and love how happy I feel when I am there! It was wonderful!!! We were able to celebrate
Abby's birthday with her...we had a panini party with yummy food and fantastic company. And of course Chris made her a cake. A birthday is just not a birthday without a "Chris" cake! May I also pause for a moment here to tell you a little something about my sister Abby?! She is a remarkable woman. Strong character, determined spirit, patient, faithful, devoted to home and family, dedicated in all things to the Lord and His gospel...she amazes me...over and over and over again. I admire the work she is doing and the persistence and determination with which she does it. Abby has experienced the refiners fire and it shows in who she is and what she is becoming. Watch out world...this woman is changing things one prayer and faith filled day at a time. I hope she can appreciate what a remarkable person she is! A life truly worth celebrating!
(I am appalled that I don't have any more pictures than this...but please pop over to Abby's website for photo documentation...and please ignore the whole "blah, blah" about a dirty house. It wasn't dirty and we felt very loved...she just has expectations that are hovering in outer space somewhere. It was perfect!)
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| Poor Boo wasn't feeling very well and did lots of this..."leper, leper!" |
On Monday afternoon, we hugged and kissed our McCoys and hit the road again. Can you guess where we stopped next???
It involved standing on a very high bridge very high above the ground. My kids kept saying, "Mo would hate this." Can you guess where we are?
After our detour, it was on to sunny, beautiful California. We stopped at Carin and Bill's home where we had a delicious dinner and watched rabbits eat an entire field of grass at the elementary school located behind their home. I have never felt frightened of a rabbit until that night...there is something about seeing that many of them in one place that puts the fear of "bunny" in your soul. It was amazing...and very Hitchhockesque. Then on to our hotel where nobody but the very tired parents slept.
TUESDAY:
The wee ones were up at the crack of dawn ready for the next adventure. And what an adventure it was...
3 days at the happiest place on earth! (And we will pause here for a moment to allow you a potty break and time to digest all this fascinating, spell binding, minute by minute play of our vacation...plus something just crashed in the kitchen.) Stay tuned...
