California Trip

Picture overload!!

So I decided to be crazy and take the kids, without Eric, to California during Katelyn's Spring Break!!  It was sometimes hard, but overall so great.  Every day there were so many moments that made it worth the drive just for that ONE moment!  I really hate leaving Eric, but it had been a year since we'd been to Madera, so it was time.  And since we picked up Katrina and Lydia in St. George, it was even better!!

So here come the pics of some priceless moments:

Whitney was deathly afraid of this "crack" in St. George the last time we went, but this time she decided to be brave and go through it!  I was so proud of her!  Kate took her through, since I couldn't get through holding Owen.

Then some nice girls helped them find their way back down to me.
My little adventurers!

Owen at my Dad's farm!  He LOVES animals, especially dogs.

He loves climbing on things, and getting dirty,

and apparently he loves tractor magazines!

Owen wanted to stay in the tractor forever- all the cool buttons and levers!

This was taken at my grandparents' house in Chowchilla.  I spent a lot of time there as a child, so it has great memories for me!  and they still have all the same cool old toys!  The look on my grandma's face when 5 of her granddaughters were there with all their little kids running around was worth the whole trip.  She was so delighted to help the kids find toys and give them snacks.  And my grandpa sat over in the dining room while we had our "women talk"- description of my cousin's latest baby's birth :)

And of course this is priceless: Sister time!  We didn't get to see Jenae that much, since she was right in the thick of FFA competitions and track practice and spring musical (In the Heights) rehearsals and seminary, not to mention homework!  The girl is crazy busy!  But here we all are at Opening night of her play (she was just a background person, she didn't have time to try and get a bigger role, so she enjoys just being in the group numbers). But I did get to be with Allison Katrina and Melissa all day every day, what a treat!  And my mom lots and my Dad quite a bit too!  And it was just so good to be with Allison and her kids and see how marvelously okay they all are after these last few months!

Meanwhile my kids got cousin time!  Since Eric and I are both the oldest, Natalie and Caleb are and always will be the ONLY cousins my girls have that are close to their age!  That makes time with them extremely valuable!  And they made the most of it. 

On the trampoline,

having Easter egg hunts,

reading reading reading- especially exciting since Natalie can read now too!

Oh and Owen had his cousin time too- the lucky boy has 3 cousins with 8 months or less age difference from him--and they're all girls!!  He loves Lydia!  (and Jenna and Cleo!)

 The kids also played lots of Star Wars,

 had quality Grammy and Grandpa Jamie time,

 and my personal favorite, spent hours playing in the empty lots on both sides of my parents' property.  This was my childhood!  This was me and my siblings, out there in the spring in the beautiful green pretending all kinds of hilarious things.  I love to see them getting to do the same thing. :)

I love this picture, because one of the most priceless things about this trip was that the girls really got to know Caleb!  Last time we saw him he was only 2 and couldn't really play with them.  But now he's 3 and a fun little chatterbox and they loved him!  It was super cute, he and Katelyn got along really well actually. :)  And of course they love Natalie!!

 Then there's these two, the little blond twins, born just 2 weeks apart.  They were interested in each other, I'm excited for when they can play together!

 Owen and his only boy cousin- until Katrina has her baby!  We are so grateful for Caleb!

 And last but not least, I must say something about these two, the best travelling buddies ever!  Not only was the drive a breeze for me with another adult there to help me and keep my spirits up (even when the AC didn't work for the hottest 3 hours of the trip--awesome), and my girls definitely behaved better since it wasn't just me there for them to complain to (Owen couldn't possibly have been better- he was a little thumb-sucking angel the whole ride!), but also I got to talk to my sister for 9 hours straight each way!  What a blast!  We covered every subject under the sun and I even learned things about her that I didn't know!  Great, great times.  We love Katrina and Lydia!!  "No way!" And her amazing husband Phillip who changed my tire for me when I got a flat no joke 2 blocks from their house!  What a blessing it didn't happen any earlier or later when we were in the middle of nowhere!  I love knowing the Lord is watching over us and feeling His protection. :)

Good trip. 

The End.