May Instagrams

The results from Audrey and Joshua's Hobby Lobby shoot last week. It's on Hobby Lobby's Facebook page. I've only been gone a few hours (girls weekend in San Francisco) and I already miss these littles. #absencemakestheheartgrowfonder

Love these girls. 

I love these boys. #twinnephews #myarmsweresotired #mysisteriswonderwoman

I love these people. #familyhastoloveyounomatterwhat #sogladthesepeoplearemine

These girls. This place.  Makes my heart happy. #sanfranciscoorbust

Oh, Mama's. So worth the hour and a half wait. #montecristogetinmybelly #andtheapplelemonpancakes #andthecrumbcake

 

Previous locals gone tourists. Thank goodness no one crashes. But one car did die. #nostalgia #favoritebridgeintheworld #alwayswantedtodrivetheyellowcars #checkedoffmybucketlist

The things I miss about San Francisco. #viewfromourwindow #itsabeautifulday #toobeautifulforpantsapparently 

Life is good. #hellofog #hellofoghorn

Lots of laughs, trips down memory lane and calories. My heart is full and my jeans are too tight. Perfection. #wouldnthaveitanyotherway

This City by the Bay changed my life. It turned my husband from a business man into a dentist. It made me a mother, and then Audrey a big sister. When I left San Francisco four years ago, I really did leave a piece of my heart here. It was an amazing weekend spending time in my favorite city, with some of my favorite people. 

We are in Vegas about to board this little airplane to start a fun adventure. Six days. 187 miles of river at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Cliff jumping. Rapids. Zero phone reception. We are going off the grid! See you on the flip side! Can't wait to meet you at the river Jason, Jenni and Kristina!
#wegotasatellitephonesowecouldkeeptabsonthelittles

 Let the journey begin!

The result of a successful father and sons camping trip: a five year old who tucks himself for a nap because he was so tired. #hellospecialagentoso #hecaughttwofish #hecaughtthefishingbugandhasbeenbeggingalldaytogoagain

Dance recital. #mylittlelion #circustheme #polkadotpolkadotpolkadotafro #shetoldmeshefeltridiculous #itoldhershewasridiculouslycute

I love everything about this picture. Coach Dad. The two soccer players. And Austin, photobombing the soccer picture while wearing Audrey's basketball jersey. #idolizeshisoldersiblings #jerseysforall #doesntmatterwhatsportiguess

I have thoroughly enjoyed my one on one time with Joshua while Austin naps and Audrey is still at school. One of the perks of half day preK. #loveourcuddlesessions #evenifhetellsmemybreathstinks #ijustatetheentireboxofhottamalessoitcouldntstinkthatbad #hehasbedhead #lastdayofschoolisexhausting #tuckedhimelfinforanap

The zoo with these little monkeys. #firstsummerfieldtrip

Friday night storm watch. The tornado sirens went off and Joshua packed all his valuables...Legos, shoes, his water, and...fresh underwear. (????)

 

Amusement Park

I took the kids to a little amusement park before more school districts let out for summer, and we had a great day riding all the rides with no lines.
May 30, 2013
 

 

 

Rain Storm

I love the rain storms here.  Nothing quite like warm rain.
May 29, 2013
 

 

Memorial Day

May 27, 2013
The morning of Memorial Day, Dave and I went with Chrissy and Pete to do a service project, leaving all seven of our children with one babysitter. Ha! That night we swam and got a snow cone.

Probably the worst picture of my littles, but who cares. 

 

Last and First

May 23, 2013
Last day of school. Joshua did great in pre-K, and Audrey loved second grade.
 

 

Our carpool spot.  They are building a lot and I want to remember what it looked like when I met Megan here every day. 

May 24, 2013
First day of SUMMER!
I had put little surprises on the kids beds and these straws were one of them. Big hit (until I secretly threw they away the next day). 

 

 

The zoo with friends, a great way to start off the summer! 

 

Grand Canyon Trip - Part Three

The third and final part.  Then I can get back to posting about what I normally post about, my kids. ;)

*******Saturday, May 11, 2013*******

Gooooood morning!

Jason and Jason jumped off this rock into the narrowest part of the Grand Canyon. The rest of us were too wimpy.  It was still cold outside and the water was soooo cold. 

 

We stopped and walked to this waterfall.

And the guys got in and had to go under the waterfall. 

That's Jason, and Dave and Jason are in/under their somewhere. 

This was our boat.  Both boats had really awesome people, and we lucked out with a really fun group. 

 

We were lucky enough to stop at Havasu, (it's a tricky place to stop because of how rough the water is on the river), and as we were walking in...

we saw this.  The water was that amazing blue color again because of the calcium carbonate on the rocks. 

Incredible. 

We hiked, swam, jumped off cliffs, and enjoyed the incredible scenery. 

 

 

 

 

 

Their was a little pocket behind the waterfall and the boys were able to get inside the pocket and see out through the water fall, and then make this awesome face as they came through the water fall. 

Walking back to our boat. 

 

 

More rapids. 

We decided to take one last bath that night. Nothing like group bath time. 

 

Our awesome guides.  Alysse (Joe's wife), Joe, RD, Scotty, and Parker.  Since it was the last night of our trip, we were told that in order to come to dinner, the girls must be wearing some kind of skirt/dress, and the guys had to wear a necktie. 

Our guides cleaned up nicely. 

We used our extra sheets to make dresses/skirt, and the money we brought for our guides tips and floss to make bow ties for the guys. Everyone loved the guys bow ties, especially the guides. :)

Shrimp cocktail and salmon for dinner.  Amazing. 

Joe and Scotty playing for us on our last night. Again, it made me weepy.  I had never been on a trip like this and I was amazed at how I connected with the people, and the river.  I'm not much of a nature girl, but being in the outdoors, away from technology, surrounded by so much beauty, it really let me focus on things that I don't normally get to think about.  This trip was an amazing adventure, on every level. 

 

*******Sunday, May 12, 2013*******

Our last morning of the trip. 

We rafted for a little bit, and then pulled over to a small area, just large enough for a helicopter to land and fly us out of the Canyon. 

In the helicopter, Bachelorette style. 

After the helicopter ride, right before our first real shower in almost a week. 

 

 All showered and about to say goodbye.  It was one amazing trip, one I will never forget (especially after how well I documented it). 

A few more random pictures I couldn't help posting.
 

 

 

 

Hello, Mr. Bug

New fashion trend. 

As I was unpacking, I found my spoon that I was supposed to return at the end of the trip. Whoops.  Guess I will have to go on this trip again just so I can return the spoon. I have it in my silverware drawer and it makes me smile every time I use it.

 

After the trip, the six of us were talking about all the funny things that happened,  or that were said.  We made a list of them on my phone, because I knew I would forget.  Honestly, I have forgotten what some of them mean, but they made me laugh on the trip, and I wanted to document. And there is one more that isn't on here: When us girls thought we were "Eve".  Hahahah!

                       

Dave and I took the little tiny plane back to Vegas, where we walked the strip, ate lots of greasy food, and then flew home late that night.

We are so grateful for Bruce and Marianne coming to watch the kids so we could go on this trip.  They are amazing, and our kids are in such excellent hands while we are away.  It was exactly what we needed, and we felt refreshed on every level- emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

This trip was the prefect combination of relaxing, yet adventurous. "Roughing it", yet being pampered.
I asked Dave what his favorite part of the trip was, and he sad, "Not having to make any decisions." I hadn't thought about it, but it was true.  It was like we were the kids again, and we didn't have to do any decision making.  Every meal was cooked for us - no deciding from a menu, every day was planned for us - we didn't have to decide what to do.  It was something that I had never experienced on a vacation before, and given the circumstances, it was perfect. Perfect in every way.