In June we came to Oregon to visit family for 3 weeks. The trip started off really well. I wasn't stressed at all. I barely thought of packing until 2 days before we left. We actually got to sleep a FULL NIGHT the night before and left the house around 7am which was WONDERFUL. We're used to only getting 3 hours of sleep the night before a big flight- so being rested made SUCH A DIFFERENCE. At the airport in Manila, I was determined to keep my work out routine so I did pushups and planks and squats and I got SO SWEATY- like wet hair. Oh gese. I knew it was a gross way to start out a long trip- but I was happy I did it. When we got our on longest flight there were NO PERSONAL TVs!!!! I was in shock, thinking- how is this going to work? My kids can't watch cartoons for the next 12 hours? Seriously!!!! This is going to be a DISASTER! But somehow it wasn't. It just all went really well.

The pic below was in San Fransisco. I was so tired,  all I remember is when we landed and found our gate, my eyes were just searching for a secluded place to lie down and when I found it, I just lay on the dirty floor and I'm pretty sure I fell asleep. I was so tired. It was SO COLD though. The AC was coming through right where we were and it was FREEZING!!!!!! Eventually I got up to eat and find some chocolate (I'm pretty sure I spent $8 on a candy bar) and then Greg took his turn sleeping on the floor, in which Marius put stickers all over him.

The kids made quite an incredible mess. We had a 6 hour lay over so I came prepared with stickers, paper, coloring books and crayons. By the end of those 6 hours there were little pieces of paper and stickers EVERYWHERE. The floor, the chairs, ourselves. I was really dreading the layover, but it actually went really well. The kids were magically happy and playing the whole time and Greg and I got a little rest and a really delicious salad. It was amazing being back in the states! Seeing wonderful things to eat! We never figured it out- but our trip was somewhere around 24 hours.

Last leg home, can you believe these smiles? The trip went so well. Especially considering that Marius ruined Scarlet's headphones before she could even use them, that they didn't have personal tv screens, and a 6 hour layover- as always, it's like angels were taking care of everything for us. I felt really watched over.

It's always good to start the trip off at my parents. It's always so calm and easy to relax there. It's good to get over jetlag in a quiet place. Mom and the kids made cupcakes and pancakes and waffles- this is what Scarlet always talks about when going to visit Grandma comes up- the pancakes and cupcakes. And of course the tea party.

We went to the aquarium. I have realized that our family are serious animal people- which is so funny because we're not pet people at all. We don't want to LIVE with animals or even necessarily touch them- but observing them in nature or a zoo/aquarium- WE LOVE IT. All of us!!!! We just can't get enough. This was us at the Puffins Exhibit. It was SO FUN!!! They were so active and close to us. I have seen this exhibit a thousand times and always wondered why it was even here (because it was terribly boring), but they were so much fun, I just had to take a picture.

Nonnie and Poppie came to visit!!!

We hung out with Poppie and jumped in the shallow waves. The kids were really cute. I really liked being out there with Grandpa.

Seriously- great picture.

Nonnie had her birthday!!!! Amy, Danielle and I all chipped in and made roast beef and gluten free sheet cake.

Oh I love my grandparents!

Maddie and Scarlet were just best friends from the beginning of the visit- it was so great! I loved seeing them run everywhere together and play. They would hold hands- it was so sweet.

This is Brett and Lauren Woods. They were passing through town on a big trip of their own and came to see us. It was so nice! We knew Brett from Kyrgyzstan. He was at the military base when we had church there. Most men would come and go within 2 months or less, but we knew Brett the whole 6 months he was there. We got to meet his wife who is WONDERFUL and their son who is adorable. It was so good to get to know them better. Our life is strange in how you meet so many people that come and go so quickly. Friends come and friends go, but their are a handful of people who forever stand out in our minds, even if our time was short with them, and we just think, "They are such good people," and you wish we had more time with them. Well, they've joined this group in our minds.

Marius loved Dad!!! It was so sweet to see! Marius would just go find him. If Dad was gone, Marius would ask, "Gumpa?" and then I'd tell him where he was. One time Dad was out working on his boat, so I took him out there and he just watched him work for a little while.

My sisters Amy and Danielle came to see us and I'm SOOOOOOO grateful they made the time to come over. Poor Dan is pregnant with twins and Amy had Maddie and Carter- so I know it was a big deal to come out. I'm so glad they did. I LOVE MY SISTERS!!!

It was so nice getting to know the kids better! I feel like I've only seen Asher in stressful situations so I really got to see his sweet side. Same with Maddie. Everyone always says how sweet and perfect she is and I really got to see it! It was fun talking with her and getting to know her. And Carter was just a sweety.

Saying our goodbyes. Greg, of course, played with the kids while we were there.

On to Rogue River! Pat's brother, Uncle Steve, passed away this last year in Germany, so we had a memorial service in Rogue River. A lot of Pat's family came that we didn't know. Mellissa, Brad and Ethan came though and we hadn't seen them in YEARS!!! Since Brighton was 9 months old. It was sooooo good to see them. Their visit was short, but it was sweet. Scarlet went beserk when all these strangers showed up and she literally stayed in a room by herself for a lot of the time. She cried and cried if I left her. I had to literally HOLD HER. It was crazy. After a lot of the day had passed, I thought, "Everyone is here and it's all wasted because I'm comforting Scarlet." So I just said, "Screw it" and actually forced Scarlet out or ignored her completely. I felt really bad, she was completely terrified- it was was bizarre and unlike her. It was CRAZY. But I wanted to see my family! Thankfully, the next day was MUCH BETTER and she even talked to Mellissa and pet her dog Hank. Phew! Thank goodness. It was rather intense.

The Sutherlands came to see us and it was so great! Their kids were so big. It was really great to see them. It reminded me of when we lived close and saw them more often. We love them a lot.

The kids had a blast of the trampoline. Greg and I are on the look out now to buy one here- if only they were available! They loved it and we loved watching them.

The kids were on the lookout for baby turkeys- which they did see multiple times- pretty cool!

Looking again for turkeys . . .

The most enjoyable times were just relaxing outside, hanging out together.

Left to right- Brighton, Scarlet, Olivia and Ari.

4th of July!

It seems I can't just stand when I have a sparkler. I have to run and leap and twirl constantly. It's just the way I am.

The kids were too afraid to do the sparklers, but they ran around and played.

More trampoline time. We got home and immediately started trying to find one here . . . and we can't find one. Bummer.

Greg ran around a bit and did his Parkour and the kids copied him. It was really cute.

Greg and I did one hard day of shopping, mostly at REI- isn't it always? We go in for one simple thing, and 4 hours later come out with multiple bags hundreds of dollars spent. And then it was home again . . .  with 10 extra pounds on us. Atleast it wasn't' 15 lbs, like the summer before. That is by far the suckiest thing about visiting family for such long stretches . . . it is impossible to not gain weight. Not only is it hard to work out consistently, it's hard when everyone is so excited you're there that they just wanna eat icecream and cookies every night. That's fine for most people, but I have a "eat everything until it's gone" problem. I don't stop at 3 cookies, I stop after the plate is empty. So, for me, it's a really difficult thing.

That was all our luggage and carseats. Soooo much less than we've had the last 3 years. Traveling with little children and 3 carseats and multiple bags per person . . . becomes a very difficult thing to do. Physically, it's quite impossible sometimes- but somehow it all works out. Greg will push two cart, and I'll push one while carrying Marius and the other two walk beside us. It can be exhausting. Thankfully- we could check EVERYTHING and just brought out backpacks on the plane. I can't believe how much easier traveling and packing has become. It really is brainless now. It used to be so stressful!

It's been great to be home! I forgot just how nasty that jetlag can be. I was really hating it when we got back. But after a couple weeks we're good as new. Once we were back, all of OUR friends were in the states visiting their families. So for a lot of them we overlapped so that we didn't see each other for 6 weeks! We basically didn't have a playdate for 3 weeks until all our friends got home. With jetlag and just enjoying being with family and calm, it wasn't really getting to us until the last week- then things got BORING and I was aching for our friends to return.

Our temple is closing for 3 months for renovation! That last day I went it was PACKED!!!! I arrived  8:06 am and they told me the next available session was at 2:30 pm. I ended up getting an earlier session at 10:30, but I did have to sit in the hallway for more than 2 hours to secure my spot. It surprisingly went fast. But it was strange, I sat right in front of a session room. I remember getting there before the session started, seeing everyone go in but me, then they all came out 2 hours later and I hadn't gotten up once. At one point I went to the bathroom, but was really nervous that suddenly they'd send everyone to an open session and I'd be too late. We sort of just filled in when a spot came open because someone didn't show up. I was really glad I got to go in, one last time. I always feel so good at the temple and come out feeling whole and strengthened.

SaveSave