The Vacation Countdown Begins

We leave for our Nauvoo vacation on Friday morning!!

Yipee! Yahoo!

We planned this more than a year ago

and made the reservations and paid for the house last summer . . .

But in the meantime, amid all the packing and prepping for a family of six to endure 8 days of planes, trains, and automobiles

or rather planes, rental cars and covered wagons,

there are said six people that still need to be entertained.

Or at least four of them . . .

Madison started the week at Apple Camp where she is learning how to make movies

and the art of iPhoto. She'll have a great time with a video camera and a computer on our trip! Look out . . . you may be on candid camera.

We were glad to have an impromptu-nearly-surprise visit from Carolyn and her darling kids. She stopped by to visit with Andrea and me while on her way up to Carpinteria Beach.

Summer has hit and we are enjoying the blazing hot (ha ha - 85 degree) days and

are finding the need to cool off with daily popsicles.

Bomb Pops say Summer!

The Lakes has free kids activities on Wednesday mornings. Today was a marionette show and afterwards there were craft tables set up for the kids to make their own bug puppets. They loved being imaginative. The older girls really got into it and even made jewelry and shoes (out of pipe cleaners) for their bugs. Cute and creative (and best of all FREEEE!).

We met the Johnsons there and just that alone is enough for our kids! They love being together!

Gwen and Darby Johnson came over for a playdate afterwards. Well that was just way too many girls around for Christian to handle so we invited one of his best bud's, Stewart, over, too. It was a crack-up to watch these two little boys immediately grab the light sabers and play against the girls.

After all that exhausting play, there's nothing like cooling off in the pool. We went over to the Johnson's (community pool) for a little splash fun. Then Ashlyn decided to kick back by me like a big girl.

One more day of entertainment and we're off. I'm so glad that Kim Boynton and the boys are going to be staying at our house while we're gone. We are very relieved to have Cole cared for! He's going to be sooooo spoiled!

And seriously Kim, if I find dog hair in my bed . . .

ha!