When are we going to realize that family 'vacation' really is a very loose term for vacation. Vacation from what? The comforts of home? Everyone having a bed of their own and a routine? The ability to lock the kids outside if we so choose? Vacay from my computer and my projects? Vacay from must see TV that allows us to relax and decompress? NOW that we are home, Curt and I are ready for an actual vacation together. It's more work for us taking the kids out of their elements and making memories for them...only to return home feeling like we need a break. Thank heavens BYU Women's Conference is around the corner. Too bad Curt isn't a woman and can't go with me. I DO enjoy my children. Immensely. In doses. Mostly I find myself just laughing at them...or screaming. They are really very funny children. And even if they make me crazy enough at times to drive me to the looney farm, they're mine.
Our spring break was...memorable. For me, it was all about losing myself in a book...or four. Certainly the last thing I wanted to do was pay attention to the kids smacking each other and sending not-so-sweet nothin's back and forth because they were squished between layers of food, pillows, blankets and smelly feet. I had to sink my mind into something...since I couldn't 'project' very well on the road or scream out loud very often without scaring...or scarring the little ones. I think we need to trade the Escalade in for a bus so that shoulders don't touch and kids don't have to be packed in like sardines. I offered several times to let Monson or McKenzie ride up top in the Thule...they both respectfully declined. Maybe it was more of a threat than an offer.
I tried sinking my brain into the Twilight Saga MONTHS ago, but the first few chapters didn't hold my attention. Vampires? Whatever. Not my cup of tea. I continually mock Curt and his love of vampire movies, or anything sci-fi really. I eat my words. I LOVED it...every minute of all four books...and therefore, I loved my spring break searching for bookstores in the middle of the Arizona desert on the way home, reading in a lovely hammock at my bro's house, ignoring the children's whines in the car, reading poolside and in the middle of the night when I just had to know what Bella was thinking next and what the very tasteful and adventurous Edward had up his sleeve. It was more than nice escaping reality for a few days as I breezed through the whole saga. Does this officially make me a teenie bopper?
In Arizona we enjoyed staying with Kevin & Brooke as well as visiting with old friends...Bray's first friend, Hayden, and his darling family--we just love the Evans..it was partly because of our relationship with the Evans that made life living in Gilbert wonderful from '97-2000. I'm grateful we can keep up with them even if only once in a while as our kids grow older. Even if I didn't get an in-focus photo of all of them...I didn't realize my camera fell earlier and the autofocus was switched to manual. Ooops.
We made the kids take pics in front of the hospitals where they were born, the homes we lived in back then, and promised them one day they'd thank us. They don't believe us. And they think I'm the picture nazi. They have no idea what being the child of a picture nazi really is. But I do. Ask my brothers. They'll agree. Guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree in that regard. And I'm glad. Even if I didn't get the last pic in focus.
The Easter Pageant at the Mesa temple was a tradition for us when we lived in Tucson & then Gilbert way back when. So lucky us...we experienced it once again. We played games and ate KFC picnic style while staking out our spot on the temple lawn. It really was quite remarkable the 5th time around as well. They have that production down to a science. I loved explaining to Lexie what was happening next. Lexie and Izzie's favorite part is when 'Jesus got hanged up.' It truly must have been fascinating through a 3 and 4 year old's eyes.
Our Easter Sunday was simple, fun, and relaxing. I mean, how many families can claim eating a fancy Easter dinner on a card table in a garage? Worked for us. Kevin & Brooke are still students so housing eight others was quite a feat. We had an Easter egg hunt for the kids & Izzie couldn't find eggs that were sitting right in front of her. Silly Izzie. Then Vivs went inside, stripped down and peed all over the carpet. Total Vivie style.
We swam, we hung out, the kids fed chickens, we ate at Joe's BBQ (legendary & worth the trip alone), played hard with Uncle Kevin, got their toenails painted by Aunt Brooke, fought over the DS (which is precisely why we don't have one). I got to attend one of my S.I.L's Physician Assistant classes at A.T. Still University. I loved it. Maybe one day it will be me in that class training to become a PA. One day.
We took the kids to the Dodgers v. Diamondbacks game and sat in the nosebleeds. One of my best and oldest childhood friends (we've been friends since we were five years old) lives in Gilbert and things weren't lining up for us to meet up, with her daughter being baptized that weekend, and our conflicting schedules. Her whole extended family happened to be at that same game, sitting a section away from us, so we were able to visit and catch up in the most unlikely spot. It's always great to catch up in person...I hadn't seen Dannielle for almost 10 years, her siblings for even longer... What a lovely family she has.
We ventured to the place I've always referred to what the telestial kingdom looks and probably feels like. Any guesses? It's where Curt took a job with Pfizer right after we graduated from BYU. Ironically, it's where he grew up...poor boy. I literally cried the whole way there from Provo back in '96. That was the worst place we could have taken a job. And it was becoming my reality. Going back to Tucson brought back a flood of memories, but I associate my time there with one of the sweetest of all memories...the birth of our first child and our first little 3 bedroom 2 bath home in Oro Valley. Really, Tucson is not as ugly as my first description. Well, at least North Tucson isn't as bad as the rest of the city that refuses to grow and join the 21st Century. So we spent the afternoon running around Tucson giving the kids a quick tour of Brayden's beginnings, Curt's life, the airplane graveyard that resides there (that is so large, it can be seen from space), as well as a token trip to the U of A bookstore.
On the way home from Arizona, about 50 miles east of Yuma, we saw this triangular set of bright lights coming toward us. We all sat astounded as it looked like this aircraft was coming in for an emergency landing in a field to the right of the highway about 50 yards or so. Its 7-10 bright lights shone on the ground below as it scathed the tall grass, then hovered for a second, the lights went off as it ascending in an upward and sideways motion back into the sky, to repeat its flight pattern three more times. It didn't make any noise audible to us and was flying at an amazingly swift speed. It was a total UFO. And of course, as we sat there astounded at the sight before us, I didn't grab even my camera phone to snap a photo. Stupid me. We found a photo online and a drawing of exactly what we saw...apparently this same UFO has been seen around Phoenix and Salt Lake City in recent months.
Curt had to work in San Diego on Tuesday, so we came home to do laundry, repack and head back out to Las Vegas for a couple of days. We like to take advantage of the nicer free hotels while Curt is working there...the ones with nice pools, great maid service, space, and a view. This time Ama came down from Utah to meet up with us. Ama made a glitter cake and decorated the hotel room for an early Lexie Birthday party princess-style. They all got a nice little dose of Ama for a few days. I didn't bring my nice camera. I brought my point and shoot. Point and shoot died. I have hardly any pictures. Shameful. Hooray for at least a camera phone!
We saw the lions at MGM, Curt and I saw the bodies exhibition...absolutely fascinating. Worth every penny. We did Circus Circus, The Excalibur buffet, and the kids turned down a visit to the shark reef--in place of swimming. I'll take it. They saved me about $70 and gave me more time with my books. Thank heavens for Ama who gave me a break for a few days while she spent time playing board games and doing all sorts of fun grandma stuff with the kiddos. They live for her. So do I. Grandmas are the greatest!
Did I mention we saw a UFO for reals???!
