We were so busy in May and June, that the laziness of July has been extra sweet!
Our original plan, as usual, was to drive to my husband's hometown in South Dakota to attend a family reunion, stop by my Grandma's house in Wyoming for a bit and then drive home. It's 1685 miles one way, then back again. It's a long drive! And we do it every year with the whole family and the dog.
But on the heels of two graduations, a wedding, moving the big girls out, painting and reorganizing the house, teething, and all that went with the excitement of June... we decided not to go on vacation at the end of July. It's just too much work!
But, wait. Did we just cancel our vacation to go back and see family and friends because we are too lazy? By golly, we did. That's just LAZY!
After a few relaxing weeks, we decided we've recovered enough to go ahead and treat ourselves to a much deserved fun vacation after all. We will trek across the desert and over the mountains and across the plains! Crammed in our mini-van for 30 hours at a time! We will pack it up and move it out! North-Eastern Bound!!!
It is a lot of work, but it's always fun and we always have a great time. We don't get much sleep for a week, but sleep is over rated anyway.
The vacation is back on the calendar! Look out, inlaws and outlaws, here we come!
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Friday, July 24, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Tidbits not big enough to Qualify as Ramblings
Lots of little topics today:
Libby is constipated. Hey, don't look shocked! If you are going to read my blog, you are going to hear about Poop once in a while. This child is a poop champ and never fails to fill her diaper to capacity or beyond a couple of times a day. Well, today begins day #4 of nothing accomplished on that end. She's fussy and her belly is pretty dang big. I think she's gonna explode any time. Gosh, I sure hope so! Watch Out, World! And hold your noses!
Teeth are coming in. Libby got a new top tooth this past week. She knows it too, she grins like she's showing off a full set. So cute! And sharp.
The happy little couple had a busy week of newlywed bliss. Katie had jury duty and she had to run around getting her name changed and getting her car in her name instead of her dad's. That was a wedding gift, she no longer has to make payments on her car and she got the title. Of course, the courthouse, the county offices and the DMV are nowhere near each other. But, she got it all done, jury duty, wedding paperwork, and car registration! Plus went to the insurance company and the bank and whatever else she had on her list. Andrew had to work at the Navy recruiting office all week. Plus, his ring didn't fit so they were back at forth at the jeweler's getting that done. They managed to spend time with us, and time with Andrew's family and time with their friends too. Married life is busy! On Saturday morning Andrew flew back to South Carolina and Katie is here waiting for him to line up housing and all that jazz. It could be a couple of weeks or a couple of months while they live on opposite coasts.
I filled my mini-van with newborn baby things and cleared out some storage space. Sad to let the newborn things go, but glad to reclaim some space again! There are two newborn babies who we are passing thing on to. One is a baby boy in Las Vegas who probably doesn't need anything but he's getting it anyway since we're friends. His name is Eden and he's getting a bouncy chair, exersaucer and a small bag of baby boy clothes. Not sure why I have boy clothes, but I do. The other baby is here in town, a little girl named Ella. She's a week old now and already has enough of a life story that she could write a book! Here is a blog with her story; in summary for anyone who doesn't click to it: she was born to a prison inmate and her 19 yr old half-brother (college student) from her father's side got custody of her until inmate-mom's release in 4 yrs. Poor little kid doesn't have anything so I was more than happy to donate. There will be a baby shower for her soon, so she'll be loaded up and ready for anything shortly. But, I was able to pass on my bassinet, pink bouncy chair, baby monitor that I never use, baby gym, soft carrier, tons of baby clothes, blankets and whatever else I tossed in the back of the van. It was full! It really feels good to pass on the baby things. I tried to sell them on Craigslist, but everyone is selling everything and nobody is buying (darn economy!). And I tried to donate them, but I missed the truck when it came by picking up donations. Finally, I have cleared my little space of things I'll never use again. I'm sure it'll fill up fast since Gracie and Libby are growing quickly!
I'm working on getting a space set up for my sewing machine and my new serger. I still haven't even taken it out of the box! I found a group of women online who post tips and tricks and projects and all sorts of discussions about using the same serger machine that I have. It's called Viking 936 Users. That'll be me! As soon as I get it out of the box! I need to look into the classes that are offered at JoAnn Fabrics so I can learn how to use my new machine. It's a lot like rocket science and brain surgery; ok, it's not. But I still think taking the class would help a lot!
We went to a birthday party yesterday for an adorable 4 yr old. The party was in a backyard pool in Vista. The sun was shining and it was such a beautiful day! I put sunscreen on the girls, but I see now that I missed spots on Gracie. I didn't get it rubbed in right up to her straps, so she has a little bit of sunburn right on the edges where her swimsuit straps were. And I didn't account for her perpetual swimsuit wedgie. Her little cheeks are red! Oooops! Why can't they make swimsuits that don't ride up anyway?
Sounds like everyone got home just fine and enjoyed their vacations to Southern California. It was so nice to have all of our families out here to celebrate our daughters' big events with us. Gracie wants her cousins to come back; she's been wondering where they are. She wants to go to the beach and look for them, maybe they are there. Cousins! Come Back!
Libby is constipated. Hey, don't look shocked! If you are going to read my blog, you are going to hear about Poop once in a while. This child is a poop champ and never fails to fill her diaper to capacity or beyond a couple of times a day. Well, today begins day #4 of nothing accomplished on that end. She's fussy and her belly is pretty dang big. I think she's gonna explode any time. Gosh, I sure hope so! Watch Out, World! And hold your noses!
Teeth are coming in. Libby got a new top tooth this past week. She knows it too, she grins like she's showing off a full set. So cute! And sharp.
The happy little couple had a busy week of newlywed bliss. Katie had jury duty and she had to run around getting her name changed and getting her car in her name instead of her dad's. That was a wedding gift, she no longer has to make payments on her car and she got the title. Of course, the courthouse, the county offices and the DMV are nowhere near each other. But, she got it all done, jury duty, wedding paperwork, and car registration! Plus went to the insurance company and the bank and whatever else she had on her list. Andrew had to work at the Navy recruiting office all week. Plus, his ring didn't fit so they were back at forth at the jeweler's getting that done. They managed to spend time with us, and time with Andrew's family and time with their friends too. Married life is busy! On Saturday morning Andrew flew back to South Carolina and Katie is here waiting for him to line up housing and all that jazz. It could be a couple of weeks or a couple of months while they live on opposite coasts.
I filled my mini-van with newborn baby things and cleared out some storage space. Sad to let the newborn things go, but glad to reclaim some space again! There are two newborn babies who we are passing thing on to. One is a baby boy in Las Vegas who probably doesn't need anything but he's getting it anyway since we're friends. His name is Eden and he's getting a bouncy chair, exersaucer and a small bag of baby boy clothes. Not sure why I have boy clothes, but I do. The other baby is here in town, a little girl named Ella. She's a week old now and already has enough of a life story that she could write a book! Here is a blog with her story; in summary for anyone who doesn't click to it: she was born to a prison inmate and her 19 yr old half-brother (college student) from her father's side got custody of her until inmate-mom's release in 4 yrs. Poor little kid doesn't have anything so I was more than happy to donate. There will be a baby shower for her soon, so she'll be loaded up and ready for anything shortly. But, I was able to pass on my bassinet, pink bouncy chair, baby monitor that I never use, baby gym, soft carrier, tons of baby clothes, blankets and whatever else I tossed in the back of the van. It was full! It really feels good to pass on the baby things. I tried to sell them on Craigslist, but everyone is selling everything and nobody is buying (darn economy!). And I tried to donate them, but I missed the truck when it came by picking up donations. Finally, I have cleared my little space of things I'll never use again. I'm sure it'll fill up fast since Gracie and Libby are growing quickly!
I'm working on getting a space set up for my sewing machine and my new serger. I still haven't even taken it out of the box! I found a group of women online who post tips and tricks and projects and all sorts of discussions about using the same serger machine that I have. It's called Viking 936 Users. That'll be me! As soon as I get it out of the box! I need to look into the classes that are offered at JoAnn Fabrics so I can learn how to use my new machine. It's a lot like rocket science and brain surgery; ok, it's not. But I still think taking the class would help a lot!
We went to a birthday party yesterday for an adorable 4 yr old. The party was in a backyard pool in Vista. The sun was shining and it was such a beautiful day! I put sunscreen on the girls, but I see now that I missed spots on Gracie. I didn't get it rubbed in right up to her straps, so she has a little bit of sunburn right on the edges where her swimsuit straps were. And I didn't account for her perpetual swimsuit wedgie. Her little cheeks are red! Oooops! Why can't they make swimsuits that don't ride up anyway?
Sounds like everyone got home just fine and enjoyed their vacations to Southern California. It was so nice to have all of our families out here to celebrate our daughters' big events with us. Gracie wants her cousins to come back; she's been wondering where they are. She wants to go to the beach and look for them, maybe they are there. Cousins! Come Back!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
How big is your turkey?
I got a phone call yesterday. My little sis who lives in the frigid cold tundra was calling. She said "Do you want visitors?"
My jaw dropped. I squealed with excitement a big loud "YES!"
She said "ok, I'm booking this flight, see you tomorrow." Yippeee! She is bringing her two boys but leaving her husband home. He has to work.
Our turkey is big enough for three more to sit around our table for Thanksgiving dinner.
This is going to be fun having her here for a couple of days. We've lived her for over 5 years and she hasn't been out to visit yet. She keeps telling me she'll visit in 2010 or 2012. Maybe. I've never held out much hope that she'd ever come out to the coast, especially with her family. I figured the only way I was going to get her out here was if her employer sent her to a conference in San Diego. Fat chance for that!
That sort of explains why I'm in shock and awe over this spontaneous visit! We are all very excited that she is getting on a plane with her sons and heading west for turkey dinner! She claims she is just craving my husband's awesome turkey, stuffing and gravy. But I know the truth, she wants to meet the new baby!
My jaw dropped. I squealed with excitement a big loud "YES!"
She said "ok, I'm booking this flight, see you tomorrow." Yippeee! She is bringing her two boys but leaving her husband home. He has to work.
Our turkey is big enough for three more to sit around our table for Thanksgiving dinner.
This is going to be fun having her here for a couple of days. We've lived her for over 5 years and she hasn't been out to visit yet. She keeps telling me she'll visit in 2010 or 2012. Maybe. I've never held out much hope that she'd ever come out to the coast, especially with her family. I figured the only way I was going to get her out here was if her employer sent her to a conference in San Diego. Fat chance for that!
That sort of explains why I'm in shock and awe over this spontaneous visit! We are all very excited that she is getting on a plane with her sons and heading west for turkey dinner! She claims she is just craving my husband's awesome turkey, stuffing and gravy. But I know the truth, she wants to meet the new baby!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Guilty of Blog Neglect
I've been so busy! Having a great time, but I'm worn out and ready for a lazy day. Today's plan: Sit, lay, eat, repeat. We had my Brother-In-Law and my nephew here for a week, so we did some fun touristy stuff and never slowed down. My daughter also turned 17 a couple of days ago. And... I was trying to keep up with the house and getting my daughter to school and back too. Plus, I had to get three flat tires repaired. Yeah, I said three! Had to keep up appearances and pretend we live like normal people who do their dishes and clean their bathrooms every day. I think I pulled off the illusion nicely. But, I'm worn out!
We went to Knotts Berry Farm... that one I told you about while my husband took over tourguide duty. Then hubby went back to work (two jobs and no time off left me as chief entertainer and taxi driver). So, I took them to the beach (twice), San Diego Zoo, USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum, and SeaWorld. I think I walked 500 miles these past few days.
Oh, Sea World was hilarious! Princess Gracie thought that the Shamu trainer was her daddy. She was yelling "Daddy!" repeatedly and clapping and just thrilled to see her daddy swimming with the fishy. What a guy... that daddy is sure special!
I'm all proud of myself for keeping up with the Farmer and the kid. But, wow, being pregnant sure gets in the way of being a tourist. Of course I was always carrying a bunch of stuff, pushing the stroller and/or had Gracie on the leash, taking pictures, and stopping in every ladies room in Southern California. I took plenty of photos... no, not of the ladies' rooms!.... here are a few...
Oh, I got this awesome shot at Sea World during the dolphin show. They ask a volunteer family to participate. The mom and dad stand on the little bridge on the left side of the photo with the Sea World Entertainer guy (in the hat) and the little boy gets to pet the dolphin. Cute! Anyway, the dad stood in front of the mom and so she was leaning around the dad to see the boy... click the photo so you can see it larger and check out Mommy.... actually.... don't look with a full bladder, you'll wet yourself.... take a little potty break then come back and click the pic and take a peek at Mom.
We went to Knotts Berry Farm... that one I told you about while my husband took over tourguide duty. Then hubby went back to work (two jobs and no time off left me as chief entertainer and taxi driver). So, I took them to the beach (twice), San Diego Zoo, USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum, and SeaWorld. I think I walked 500 miles these past few days.
Oh, Sea World was hilarious! Princess Gracie thought that the Shamu trainer was her daddy. She was yelling "Daddy!" repeatedly and clapping and just thrilled to see her daddy swimming with the fishy. What a guy... that daddy is sure special!
I'm all proud of myself for keeping up with the Farmer and the kid. But, wow, being pregnant sure gets in the way of being a tourist. Of course I was always carrying a bunch of stuff, pushing the stroller and/or had Gracie on the leash, taking pictures, and stopping in every ladies room in Southern California. I took plenty of photos... no, not of the ladies' rooms!.... here are a few...
Oh, I got this awesome shot at Sea World during the dolphin show. They ask a volunteer family to participate. The mom and dad stand on the little bridge on the left side of the photo with the Sea World Entertainer guy (in the hat) and the little boy gets to pet the dolphin. Cute! Anyway, the dad stood in front of the mom and so she was leaning around the dad to see the boy... click the photo so you can see it larger and check out Mommy.... actually.... don't look with a full bladder, you'll wet yourself.... take a little potty break then come back and click the pic and take a peek at Mom.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
We're Back!
We're back. We drove almost 4,000 miles through all sorts of weather. We had a busy week, saw all the relatives but we still missed Thanksgiving. We had lots of quality time together as a family doing silly things like.... talking to each other, singing to the radio, counting how many times we've each been through Las Vegas, silly things like that.During the trip we encountered all sorts of weather. We went from 91 degrees to 1 degree. I had to buy the teens some coats! We crossed the desert and went over the snow covered mountains. The trip took us through six states.
We only had one "incident" on the trip. My baby burned her hand on Great Grandma's furnace, which is a propane stove in her living room. The burn is a second degree and didn't warrant a trip to the ER but we were all just sick over it. She has blisters but is using her hand just fine. Looks like its healing nicely.
We went on this spontaneous trip halfway across America because my father-in-law passed away last Tuesday. My husband and 16 yr old daughter left on Monday in hopes of seeing him before he passed on, but they didn't quite get there in time. I left with the rest of the crew on Tuesday afternoon. The funeral services were very nice. During the family visitation, my husband held our little one while he stood at the casket and without prompting, she pointed and said "Grampa" for the very first time. It was a very special moment. I think that one moment will last a long long time in our hearts.
We did have a nice time together on the trip (despite the funeral, weather and burn). Here are some pictures from the road. Just fun stuff here... we only take fun photos!
Oh, by the way... the Las Vegas count is as follows: Katie - 15 times, Lexie 17 times, Gracie 6 times, Sandy the dog 11 times.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Family Road Trip!
We are back from our family road trip!
Imagine this... a long roadtrip with your husband, two teenage girls with guitars, a golden retriever who is shedding like crazy, and an active toddler. Got all that? Ok, now add luggage, one more guitar for the hubby, a stroller, toys, food, dog supplies, movies, books, blankets and of course - a big cooler of ice and drinks. Got all that in your mental picture? Ok, now on the way home, add some wall hangings, an endtable, sewing machine, rocks, dishes and little boxes of jewelry and trinkets. Got it now? Oh, wait, add a cardboard box to the load - for some reason it was important to bring home an old cardboard box. Does your mental image of us have it all now cuz - That's us on vacation!!!
It was a LONG trip. Thank the Lord for the dvd player and the movie "Cars". I know the movie dialogue by heart now for the entire movie. Add that to my list of Mom-Talents. I am pretty sure the whole family, including the dog, has it memorized too.
We drove there in two segments. First run was just over 1000 miles and took us 17 hours. Second segment of the trip was 630 miles and took us 10 hours. Then home, 1650 miles and 30 hours.
I gotta say, I have a pretty good traveling toddler! And her carseat must be super comfy because it wasn't too hard to keep her happy. It wasn't always easy though. I did see a vehicle traveling down the highway in the lane next to us, going 80, baby in the front seat on Mom's lap. That just made us all sick to see that.
Here are the highlights:
Our first day we drove to north-central Wyoming to see my Grandma and my Mom. We left at 8:45pm on Sunday night and arrived at 3:00pm on Monday. Along the way, we pulled over on the side of the road in Arizona so I could nurse Gracie. I think it was 2 or 3am. The girls and the dog got out to stretch. When we were ready to go again, we all piled in, buckled up and put the van in drive.... OOOPS! Where's the dog? Oh Lordy, we almost forgot our dog in the Virgin Gorge in Arizona. Yikes! In the afternoon before we got to Grandma's house, we stopped in Shoshone for a milkshake. If you are ever passing through Wyoming you just have to take the road that passes through Shoshone and stop for a milkshake! Awesome!
While in Wyoming, we stayed at the Vision Quest Motel. These fine accommodations included two full size beds . Did I mention that there are 4 adult sized people in our family and one toddler who flops around at night? And a big lovable dog? Did I mention that? Sleep was fleeting.
The highlight of our Wyoming visit for the girls was their "playdate" that Grandma set up for them. They were a little worried about this "playdate" wondering what they were in for. They figured it'd be boring or involved horseback riding or something equally awful. Turns out, a couple of teenage girls came for the "playdate" and said "wanna go swimming?". The girls said "sure!" They soon learned that "swimming" meant going 35 miles up the road to the dam and jumping off a cliff into the reservoir. Lexie said "It felt weird cuz after you jump you fall for such a long time". Ok, there are just some things a mother does NOT need to know! That little tidbit is one of them.
On Wednesday, we loaded up and left for the far side of South Dakota. I think there are 2 towns between my Gma's house and my inlaws. Very boring drive. Around 7pm we heard the radio news about the 35W bridge in Minneapolis
We got to the in-laws late in the evening and the place soon filled up with Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Gracie was a little overwhelmed, but the girls and the dog were super excited to see everyone! I was super excited knowing I would sleep on a double bed in a quiet dark basement! Whooo Hoooo! I'm gonna get more than 4 hours of sleep tonight! I really miss having a quiet dark basement. Such a wonderful place to sleep and sleep and sleep! Ah!
On Friday, I took one teen and one toddler to the new waterpark in town. For those of you familiar with the town, it's at the Southside swimming pool site. Very cool aquatic park! One of my kids enjoyed it very much! My little one did not enjoy the water. She looked very cute in her swim suit though and isn't that what is important to a girl at the pool? She did enjoy running around on the sidewalk and her cousins took her to the sandbox area.
Saturday we went to Aunt Gert’s estate give away. This is how we ended up bringing home a sewing machine, dishes, some framed art and an end table. We learned that Aunt Gertrude donated her body to science and is currently attending medical school in Vermillion. She'll be there for 2 years. She passed away a month ago. Her and I share a birthday which gave us a sort of a bond. Also, my daughters all looked just like her baby picture. But, she was 14 pounds when she was born! Thankfully, my girls were all between 7 and 8 pounds. Her baby picture looks amazingly like my girls as babies and she just loved that. She gave me her one and only baby picture last summer.
Sunday, we left all the girls with their cousins and my husband and I got away together for the afternoon. Only one of his brothers tagged along, so it was as alone as we were ever going to get on this trip. We went to the Terry Redlin Art Center. So nice! The paintings are so beautiful and a wonderful peaceful feeling overtakes you as you get sucked into the artwork. I could have stayed there for a few more hours. We bought a small framed print. Then we went out for some mediocre Mexican food with very bad wait service. Made me laugh, South Dakota is just not known for good restaurants. Oh to be back home again!
We packed up and left Monday evening at 8pm Central Time and got home 30 hours later at midnight our time. This was a 1650 mile drive from there to here, but we did it in one shot to get it done.
We've been home for a whole day now so I guess I should unpack and clean up the vacation mess. My new mini-van did really well! It is so full of dog hair now though. We put 3831 miles on it and drove for 69 hours from our house back to our house again. I'd say it's maiden voyage was a wonderful success! We'll do it again in 11 months!
Here are some more vacation pictures, there is a nice collection in the photo gallery of our family web site if you want to see them all:
Imagine this... a long roadtrip with your husband, two teenage girls with guitars, a golden retriever who is shedding like crazy, and an active toddler. Got all that? Ok, now add luggage, one more guitar for the hubby, a stroller, toys, food, dog supplies, movies, books, blankets and of course - a big cooler of ice and drinks. Got all that in your mental picture? Ok, now on the way home, add some wall hangings, an endtable, sewing machine, rocks, dishes and little boxes of jewelry and trinkets. Got it now? Oh, wait, add a cardboard box to the load - for some reason it was important to bring home an old cardboard box. Does your mental image of us have it all now cuz - That's us on vacation!!!
It was a LONG trip. Thank the Lord for the dvd player and the movie "Cars". I know the movie dialogue by heart now for the entire movie. Add that to my list of Mom-Talents. I am pretty sure the whole family, including the dog, has it memorized too.
We drove there in two segments. First run was just over 1000 miles and took us 17 hours. Second segment of the trip was 630 miles and took us 10 hours. Then home, 1650 miles and 30 hours.
I gotta say, I have a pretty good traveling toddler! And her carseat must be super comfy because it wasn't too hard to keep her happy. It wasn't always easy though. I did see a vehicle traveling down the highway in the lane next to us, going 80, baby in the front seat on Mom's lap. That just made us all sick to see that.
Here are the highlights:
Our first day we drove to north-central Wyoming to see my Grandma and my Mom. We left at 8:45pm on Sunday night and arrived at 3:00pm on Monday. Along the way, we pulled over on the side of the road in Arizona so I could nurse Gracie. I think it was 2 or 3am. The girls and the dog got out to stretch. When we were ready to go again, we all piled in, buckled up and put the van in drive.... OOOPS! Where's the dog? Oh Lordy, we almost forgot our dog in the Virgin Gorge in Arizona. Yikes! In the afternoon before we got to Grandma's house, we stopped in Shoshone for a milkshake. If you are ever passing through Wyoming you just have to take the road that passes through Shoshone and stop for a milkshake! Awesome!
While in Wyoming, we stayed at the Vision Quest Motel. These fine accommodations included two full size beds . Did I mention that there are 4 adult sized people in our family and one toddler who flops around at night? And a big lovable dog? Did I mention that? Sleep was fleeting.
The highlight of our Wyoming visit for the girls was their "playdate" that Grandma set up for them. They were a little worried about this "playdate" wondering what they were in for. They figured it'd be boring or involved horseback riding or something equally awful. Turns out, a couple of teenage girls came for the "playdate" and said "wanna go swimming?". The girls said "sure!" They soon learned that "swimming" meant going 35 miles up the road to the dam and jumping off a cliff into the reservoir. Lexie said "It felt weird cuz after you jump you fall for such a long time". Ok, there are just some things a mother does NOT need to know! That little tidbit is one of them.
On Wednesday, we loaded up and left for the far side of South Dakota. I think there are 2 towns between my Gma's house and my inlaws. Very boring drive. Around We got to the in-laws late in the evening and the place soon filled up with Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Gracie was a little overwhelmed, but the girls and the dog were super excited to see everyone! I was super excited knowing I would sleep on a double bed in a quiet dark basement! Whooo Hoooo! I'm gonna get more than 4 hours of sleep tonight! I really miss having a quiet dark basement. Such a wonderful place to sleep and sleep and sleep! Ah!
On Friday, I took one teen and one toddler to the new waterpark in town. For those of you familiar with the town, it's at the Southside swimming pool site. Very cool aquatic park! One of my kids enjoyed it very much! My little one did not enjoy the water. She looked very cute in her swim suit though and isn't that what is important to a girl at the pool? She did enjoy running around on the sidewalk and her cousins took her to the sandbox area.
Saturday we went to Aunt Gert’s estate give away. This is how we ended up bringing home a sewing machine, dishes, some framed art and an end table. We learned that Aunt Gertrude donated her body to science and is currently attending medical school in Vermillion. She'll be there for 2 years. She passed away a month ago. Her and I share a birthday which gave us a sort of a bond. Also, my daughters all looked just like her baby picture. But, she was 14 pounds when she was born! Thankfully, my girls were all between 7 and 8 pounds. Her baby picture looks amazingly like my girls as babies and she just loved that. She gave me her one and only baby picture last summer.
Sunday, we left all the girls with their cousins and my husband and I got away together for the afternoon. Only one of his brothers tagged along, so it was as alone as we were ever going to get on this trip. We went to the Terry Redlin Art Center. So nice! The paintings are so beautiful and a wonderful peaceful feeling overtakes you as you get sucked into the artwork. I could have stayed there for a few more hours. We bought a small framed print. Then we went out for some mediocre Mexican food with very bad wait service. Made me laugh, South Dakota is just not known for good restaurants. Oh to be back home again!
We packed up and left Monday evening at 8pm Central Time and got home 30 hours later at midnight our time. This was a 1650 mile drive from there to here, but we did it in one shot to get it done.
We've been home for a whole day now so I guess I should unpack and clean up the vacation mess. My new mini-van did really well! It is so full of dog hair now though. We put 3831 miles on it and drove for 69 hours from our house back to our house again. I'd say it's maiden voyage was a wonderful success! We'll do it again in 11 months!
Here are some more vacation pictures, there is a nice collection in the photo gallery of our family web site if you want to see them all:
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