vacation thoughts of {mostly} joy

going out for dessert {costco cream puffs anyone?}

at a european cafe with my sis and brook.

best way to start out the vacation in my opinion!

~

playing settler's and phase ten {yahtzee style}

for a very long time with my in-laws is my favorite.
~

soaking in my sister in law's enormous tub

for as long as i wanted was priceless.

{they said the only rule was no blogging while in the tub..

who? me?}

~

eating as much delicious food as i wanted that i didn't have to prepare.

~

getting to visit with mauri whom i haven't seen for years

was so much fun and made me really wish we lived closer to each other.

~

getting to visit for the first time ever

with two of my cousin's wives

and finding we actually had a lot to talk about.

~

not even knowing where ava was

{or if she'd bathed or brushed her teeth} for an entire week

because i didn't want to interrupt her nonstop fun with her cousins.

~

playing air hockey against max

and almost losing.

~

watching my children wrap gifts for each other and their papa

and their excitement when the gifts were opened.

~

ava's joy at getting makeup from her aunt kristine.

"now i don't have to wear yours mom!"

yes, sweets, that was the point.
~
seeing and hearing max's repeated excitement

that santa actually got him what he asked for. {a train}

~

getting to talk to my mom about her doula training..

i'm so excited for april!

~

buying maternity jeans that aren't nearly as bad as i anticipated.

~

going through my family geneology with my mom

to search for baby girl names...ruby ollie?

~

did you know that my 6 months pregnant self

could climb three flights of stairs

and descend a twirly slide at the indoor waterpark

close to 100 times with my children?

it is true. look at this joyful face:

~

being reminded, for the millionth time,

of how awesome my children are.

~

visiting with a gorgeous girl

whom i was a teacher's aide to 11 years ago

before she left for kazakstan.

i only remember her as this silly little 9 year old girl..

but now she is BEAUTIFUL and old. so surreal.

~

watching my mom, my sister and my dad race mariokarts

against taylor.

~

taking pictures of my sister's boys with a borrowed canon SD.

beautiful boys.

~

going on a long drive with taylor

and getting in some good talk time.

~

if experiencing the stomach flu while pregnant

was part of the deciding factor in coming to earth,

i'm pretty sure i would have declined.

~

playing catch phrase with the exchange student

from libya doesn't work very well.

~

getting a massage here the day after suffering through the stomach flu

is highly recommended.

~

getting to see and catch up with my best friend

for a mere couple of hours was lovely, but just not good enough.

~

having an early countdown with all the little cousins

complete with streamers and snappers and silly string

is just plain awesome.

~

partying {as much as i could}

with friends we haven't seen in years

who we were our first newlywed friends 9 years ago.

and meeting their two cute boys.

~

hearing what people thought of me in the imagin-iff game.

thankfully, i was not voted as the person

who would throw a fit {or throw up} about hair in her restaurant food,

but rather would kindly ask for a new entree.

~

a happy {if a little queasy}

new year with my lovely husband,

family and friends.

extreme airplane turbulance

on a flu-weak stomach

is as close to death as i ever want to come.

seriously. give me childbirth anyday.

~

12 hours of sleep in my very own

most comfortable of all beds

the night upon returning home is pure bliss.

~

glad for vacation,

glad for family who hosted us and fed us,

glad for the good times we had.

~

happy new year!