thankful

We just got back from a week in Medford with family. Such. A. Great. Week. The best, really. We spent the week with my parents, who fed us like crazy (best pot roast ever!). The kids got to spend oodles of time with their cousins. Z had a really great week, with extra room to roam and all kinds of people paying attention to him. We had an amazing Thanksgiving dinner, with 18 people and way too much good food (my favorite part of the day was hovering around the turkey while my dad was carving it, snatching pieces that fell...just like the old days). There were multiple puzzles put together. A lot of time lazing in pajamas, reading books, taking naps, and watching movies. A got to have a couple sleepovers with her cousin. J got to stay up late watching Transformers with Mr. D - a major treat for him. I got to watch Michigan FINALLY beat Ohio State with my brother (again, just like the old days).

I'm so happy we made the trip up. I hope we can do it again soon.

Playing in the leaves at Uncle Jason's

The little ones, eating Auntie Heather's amazing Pumpkin Cake

Making Ugly Dolls

All the cousins

Double fisting the junk food. Love eating at Grammy's!

How many cousins can fit in the waterbed?

Snuggling with her Grampy

pdx with my besties

I'm not sure if there is anything better than a weekend in Portland with Michelle and Andrea. Especially when it includes sleeping in until 10, two brunches at Mother's, cocktails, movies, and a lot of shopping. Best. Weekend. Ever.
  

Best biscuits and gravy ever! Ever. 

Michelle was pretty tempted to buy this jacket. You can't blame her, really.

Gelato!

My sneaky friends got me this for my birthday.

Berry cobbler!

Love them!

I also have to give a shout out to Lindsey and the Kearney's for letting me crash at their places. That's how the best weekend ever becomes even better!

week at uncle jed's house

Let me just say that I love vacations. The vacations I normally love are the fly-somewhere-new-and-see-as-much-as-you-can sort of vacations. This year we drove north to my brother's house. A went to summer camp with her cousin while J and Z spent the week running around outside with the other cousins. Mr. D and I spent the week sleeping, reading, eating, talking and laughing at the kids.

Best. Vacation. Ever.

My favorite things:

Swimming.
The kids running outside as soon as they wake up.
Hearing the kids playing and laughing outside until they collapsed at 9 or 10 at night.
Impromptu soccer games with the dads.
Sitting around and reading. And eating. And eating some more.
Uncle Jed taking the kids fishing.
The snowball fight in swimsuits after fishing.
Neville the Deer Stalker.
A (aka Miss Independent) having a fabulous time at camp.
The many hours the kids spent on Uncle Jed's tire swing.
The kids riding the little Jeep until the battery died.
Z plowing over the plants and into a tree while driving the little Jeep.
Having the entire family together on Friday.
Staying up until 1 in the morning multiple times, talking and laughing with Jed and Casandra.
No RA for the entire week.
Resting.
The amount of love I have for my family.

Seriously. Next summer I think we are just gonna move in to their house.

I'm waiting for the camera battery to charge so I can upload the hundreds of photos and post a few. Or twenty. In the meantime, here are a couple of the trip up and back:


Z had to stop and pee about 7 times.


Mister never-take-a-nap slept almost the whole way home.

back

4 days in Seattle...3 days on Bainbridge Island...lots of friends...good times with godmothers...I think I forgot to take pictures...so glad to be home...mostly glad to not be on a plane with my children anymore...2 of them are now sick...glad Mr. D is coming home early today...

tomorrow...

Early morning flight to Seattle. Me. 3 kids. No Mr. D.

I'm kind of dreading it...

But I can't wait to get there. Hooray for visits with friends!

auntie b

We heart Auntie Becky more than words can say. She and A had a little mani-pedi session last week...



now listening to: holy holy, etc by sufjan stevens via rhapsody

sleeping at nana's house

We went to visit Nana and Papa last week for Thanksgiving. We walked into the bedroom one evening and found our two social sleepers all snuggled up together...



now listening to: o come o come emmanuel by sufjan stevens via rhapsody