.summer vacation- washington part 1.

.flying home to washington was hell. 

.and it wasnt because of my kids. they were SO good. 

.it was all the stupid delays. 

.our flight out of san antonio was delayed by 1.5 hours....and our connecting flight was suppose to leave 40 minutes after we got to arizona. 

.i called southwest and asked what would happen, if i should change my flight right than, if i would be put up in a hotel, etc. he said it completely depends on what would happen in arizona at my connecting flight...but more than likely i would not be put up in a hotel. i told him all hell would break loose, if they thought i was going to stay in a airport overnight with 3 kids. no way.

.we killed time at the airport. i knew a high fat/high calorie snack would make me feel better...and a cinnabon was just the answer. i walked the airport, i let the kids run. we finally boarded the airplane and was on our way to arizona. the kids were SO good. i was SO uncomfortable with holly on one side, and brooklynn on the other and parker on my lap. but i could not complain with how well they were. this water coloring book is AMAZING. it made the flight. i got new ones for the kids, just for the trip. you fill the little pen with water, and they color and than drys back to white so you can recolor it again and again. amazing. b colored almost the entire first flight. as we flew into arizona we had lightening on both sides of the plane just lighting up the sky.

.we arrived in arizona and hurried off to our next gate to see what was going to happen. DELAY. only 30-40 minutes....and than it moved to 1 hour....than 1.5. it was awful. i laid the stroller back and tucked in the kids in and pushed them around the airport. it was late. for us we were 2 hours later, and they were so tired. all 3 kids fell asleep for almost an full hour before i had to disturb them while we boarded on the plane. i was quite a sight. 2 backpacks, 2 blankets, and 2 kids as i walked onto the plane. they slept the entire plane ride. we finally made it into portland close to 1am. by the time i got home, got the kids in bed, and myself in bed it was almost 2:30am (4:30 my time)...i had been up over 24 hours! i was SOOOOO tired. my poor pregnant self was so tired. but we made it to washington and were excited to spend time at gma/gpas house and we had cousins too!

 (this trip made me totally fall in love with my phil & teds stroller. i got MANY compliments on it, and it was just SO nice....and than they both fell asleep and i fell in love with it again)

.my sister's both were already to my house..with another one arriving friday. ronnie was due any minute, so she couldnt make it...but it was chaos. we had 9 kids ages 9 and under all at my mom's house. the kids had a total blast. they had someone to play with all the time. kristina and her hubby and 4 kids drove from arizona. and natatlie and her 2 days drove from spokane area. my kids LOVED seeing their cousins....its sad it only happens once a year if we are lucky.  

.anyways- wednesday we hung out at home. i was SUPER tired, but my kids were happy reuniting with their kids....well brooklynn was. parker was ATTACHED to me at the hip. he wouldnt let anyone touch him, anyone help him, etc. IT WAS AWFUL. it was hard enough without my hubby to help...but when parker literally would not let ANYONE help him with ANYTHING...it was so hard. we hung at home...and the kids experienced "country life" they ran outside in the grass, they climbed trees, played in the dirt, swung in a tree swing...brooklynn did one of her favorite things when we go to grandma mcdonald's house...mowed the lawn with me on the riding lawn mower. it is one of my favorite things as well. (we use to fight over who would do it when we were younger). later that evening my sister natalie, needed to run to home depot/lowes for a few things. we left our 2 oldest at home, and took the 2 youngers with us. my kids also came **sick**. they each had one oral medicine they were to take once a day, plus breathing treatments once a day and allergy medicine in the morning, it was crazy. i had to fight them starting off, but they finally both ended up doing the breathing treatment on their own.

(driving the lawn mower) 

 (grayson and parker- 3 months apart)

.thursday- my dad made arrangements with a family friend to go to his house and ride a pony. we did this last year, and my kids LOVED it. we took turns leading the horse with a kid on the back. my sister kristina, HATES animals....her face totally shows when she had to touch the horse while leading it. while the kids waited their turn, they got filthy, watched goats poop, chased goats, fought over little trikes, and experienced "farm life." we had an absolute blast, and we look forward to "going to a farm" when we visit gpa mcdonald (yes, i meant to connect old mcdonald and having a farm). afterwards my dad, sister and her hubby took the older 4 kids blueberry picking. b had never been, so i warned them, it may be a nightmare.....they came home and said she was one of the best blueberry pickers! i was impressed and proud...looks like berry picking will be happening next year for us, for sure. later that night we lit fireworks...the youngest 2 (adi and parker) wanted to be held the entire time, and didnt like how loud it was. my dad had some pretty awesome fireworks. than sparklers for the kids....where my daughter almost took a few different kids eyes out, or close to burning their arm or hands, etc. it was hilarious seeing all the grandkids all together and the sparklers all flying. 

 (snuggling gma during the fireworks)

(sending pictures to daddy) 

(how we did it...i dont know. my pregnant self, parker and b on a full bed.)

.friday my baby sister flew in for the weekend (we threw her a baby shower...she never had one). i FINALLY got to meet her son maverick. he was 3 months old when i finally met him. he was adorable, and she would bring him into my room in the mornings or whenever she needs a quick shower, or to do something. i loved it. he is adorable. anyways- we picked her up from the airport, made a quick ikea run, ran a couple other errands, than headed home to clean the house and prep for her baby shower that next morning. my kids adored maverick. b has ALWAYS been a big helper....she has changed parker's diaper multiple times, and just loves to help. parker LOVES to hold babies. maverick got plenty of attention with 8 other cousins, 1 grandma, and 3 aunts. 

.stay tuned for bre's baby shower, parker's birthday, visits with friends, and more cousin time.