The Cabin on the 24th

I know I'm a little behind in posting these photos, but I wanted to get them up before our next little vacation.  We were lucky enough to get to the cabin for the 24th of July (Pioneer Day for those of you not familiar with Utah holidays!).  It isn't very often that we get to go to the cabin these days...  School, dance schedules, sick days...  so many reasons.

But I'm so glad we made it this time!  We brought our new paddle boat and the kids had a blast with it!  It's like that big box at Christmastime.  All the kids want to play in the box instead of playing with their new toys.  Someone remind me, why did we buy the big, expensive motor boat when the kids are just as happy pedaling across the lake...?

The Princess captained the maiden voyage onto Puffer Lake.

 The Buddies all took a turn powering the watercraft.

 Later, we took a hike.  

Everyone was a little apprehensive about the posted warning of BEARS!
(pst, Grandma!  You are supposed to look scared!)

 Then we hiked to this remote location...

 We don't know where it got its name--but if this is poison, it sure is beautiful!

 We climbed as a group and were able to summit with a minimum of whining...
and only a couple grumpy faces...

 The last stop for the day was at the top!  

Above the tree-line and with plenty of snow for a snowball fight!  

No better way to cool off on a hot July afternoon!

Before we know it, there will be more snow than we can handle!  But for this day, this was the perfect ending to a really fun holiday at the cabin!

The Aftermath

I find the days following Christmas to be a little disheartening.  After weeks of preparations, decorations, and a few frustrations, it all comes down to the Big Day, which spirals into the Big Clean-up.  I typically enjoy putting up the tree and flipping the switch to turn on the lights.  I like the sparkle of icicles and jeweled ornaments, the twinkle of lights, the shimmer of beautifully wrapped packages tucked under the tree...

But with the arrival of December 26, the decorations lose their luster.  All that remains are the discarded wrappings and dusty trimmings that need to be packed away for another year.  I'm planning to pack up the tree tomorrow.  It amazes me that what takes days to put out can be packed back away in a few hours.

But once the house is back in order, I hope to salvage the last of the vacation days to spend with my family.  The Lego projects have been built and rebuilt.  The puzzle that has monopolized realestate on the kitchen table is nearly complete.  I'd love nothing more than to curl up on the couch (in the freshly dusted family room) to watch a family movie with the kids.  Of course, that always sounds more relaxing and "Norman Rockwell" than it will turn out to be.  Instead, the teens will flee for the preferred company of friends.  And The Buddies will rush out to build snowmen or go sledding.  But I will hold tight to that idea regardless.  Maybe I'll get lucky this year...  Anyone want to join me for freshly baked cookies and some cocoa?

Too Much to Do

You know those days when you sit around watching the soaps because you can't find anything else to do?... Yeah. Me neither!

I'm in stress mode trying to get everything ready for a trip to Greece and then Italy. I'm feeling the pressure of packing for events for which I'm not in charge. Have I ever mentioned that I like being in charge? I hate not knowing what to expect and what is expected of me. It causes me an unmeasurable amount of anxiety. I know, it's a control issue--don't judge me, I'm working on it...

And if that wasn't bad enough... I also have to coordinate, arrange, plan, and prepare for all the eventualities that will occur to/for my children while I am gone. Hopefully those unscheduled activities (that inevitably pop up) will not include any more trips to the ER.

Additionally, I am feeling guilty that I'm leaving my kids to my mom and dad for two weeks... Not that they can't handle it--they will handle it better than I could. But still, I won't be in charge. And I hope they survive it (my parents, that is... not at all worried about the kids!).

So--if you have any packing suggestions, de-stressifying suggestions, or other random suggestions, submit them now. And if you know of anything in particular that I should or should not pack, do, prepare, please let me know that as well. Although, if your suggestion includes learn to speak Italian--please keep it to yourself. I tried that and it was an epic failure.

I'm Going to Rome

I hear the groans of everyone who shared an opinion about my trip. I know, none of you think Rome should be my destination of choice--but I just can't go to Italy and not see all the famous sites of Rome. I love seeing all the history! I just have to do it...

We just booked our flights for our trip and that was the last detail. We already have hotel and resort accommodations in Greece. For our time in Rome, we're renting a very cute little apartment.

I'm still looking for ideas and suggestions. If you want to share, feel free!

Request for Info - Italy

I'm on a quest. It's a European, Roma-centric, no kids tagging along, just The Mister and me, vacation idea gathering quest.

The Mister and I are going on a trip this Spring to Greece and Italy. The Greece part of the trip will be taken care of by Mister's company. My job is to book the Italy portion of the trip.

I've never been to Italy, so I'm asking for ideas, suggestions, and recommendations. We've decided that we'll be staying in Rome, and we'll have 3-4 days there. I've been looking at hotels in the Historic Central area, but the nice ones are WAY expensive. I've found some really nice looking vacation apartment rentals--any thoughts?

We also know food will be really expensive. Any suggestions on great places where we can eat and keep all our arms and legs so we can walk back to our accommodations at the end of the meal?

How about transportation? We are planning to walk to most of the sites, but can we rent bikes or scooters? How safe would that be?

Any must-see/must-do sites that I might not know about? Any tips or tricks to getting discounts or freebies or just saving time?

I'm sorry about all the questions. I have this obnoxious tendency to over research and analyze every decision I make. But thanks in advance for your suggestions--PLEASE Leave Suggestions!?

Christmas Greetings 2008

Another year's ending, I'll give you the gist.
Events kept on happening, sometimes with a twist!

We traveled, played soccer, and danced up a storm.
By the end of it all, this family was worn!

We're happy to say we survived yet another.
And we're glad to report that we still love each other!

Where does the time go? I can't believe that we've already come to the end of another year. This year was full of ups and downs, but for the most part, we all survived it well!

This year brought many opportunities for travel. The Mister and I took a ten day cruise to French Polynesia and The Cook Islands. It was a new experience for us to spend time alone together, I think we should do it again sometime! The Princess and I spent about ten days in New York City for a national dance convention. In October, we went to Orlando to play at Disney World. From Orlando, we took a family cruise to The Bahamas on the Disney Wonder. I think it's safe to say that this was our family's all time favorite vacation.

The Buddies took up soccer this year. The Mister coached their team. While it wasn't exactly a winning season (ours was one of the youngest teams), the boys had a really great time. The Buddies started kindergarten this year--what a change that was! They are in separate classes and enjoying making new friends. JJ's teacher loves him for making her smile. Max is in the highest reading group in his class. Zeke is friends with all the girls--yes, all of them...

HRH, the Princess, is dancing on Teen Company at her studio. Age-wise she is only a Junior, but she competes against the older dancers. We enjoy traveling to conventions and competitions, and she will be competing for another national title again this summer. HRH is only in 7th grade and is already studying Algebra II and getting straight As. She's such an over achiever!

The Eldest took a little detour this year. It was a great decision and we are proud of him. I think our whole family has benefited from his choice. He is back home and going back to school in January. I can't believe he will be graduating this spring! He continues with his music, art, and voracious reading. The boys now reaches six feet tall and is officially tall, dark, and handsome!

We hope 2008 brought you as much fun and excitement as we enjoyed.

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for a Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

What a Trip - Disney Wonder Cruise

Mister and The Princess joined our party for the cruise on the Disney Wonder. What an awesome experience! We sailed to the Bahamas and spent a day on Nassau and a day on Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. The kids had never cruised before and they loved it!

The ship was beautiful and our two bedroom suite was amazing. We had two bedrooms with walk-in closets, three bathrooms (two with full-sized bathtubs), a living room, and a dining room. The concierge staff delivered a basket of cookies or treats to our room every afternoon. Can you believe it???

The Eldest checked into the Teen Aloft Club and we hardly saw him the rest of the cruise. He wandered in each morning at about 2am. I think he made some new friends and I know he had a great time. One afternoon he went out on a wave runner excursion. He said it was awesome.

The Princess didn't want to hang out in the club, but we had a great time watching live shows and going to the movies. We took a catamaran out to a reef and snorkeled one afternoon. I don't think she enjoyed the salty water, and I know she didn't like the idea of using a snorkel that had someone else's germs on it, oh well. It was fun anyway! Aboard the ship, HRH got into the pin trading. She made some sweet trades with the crew.

JJ, Max, and Zeke loved the kids club. They played games and made flubber. They took a ride on a glass bottom boat and fed the fish some oatmeal. Zeke wanted to know why we couldn't always live on the ship. Aside from the cost, I can't find a reason. I loved having the kids entertained all day!

What a Trip - Walt Disney World

Note to self: midnight arrivals are not fun after a week-long trip. We got in late last night and everyone was so tired, but we earned that tired!

We had the BEST time in Florida and on the cruise. I had forgotten how fun it is to be part of the Disney Magic. I have been to Disneyland a million times (slight exaggeration) and to the Magic Kingdom in Florida several times; I don't care how old you are, it's still a fun place to be.

Last Saturday the boys (all four of them) and I left for Florida. Grandma and Grandpa came with us--thank heavens! We stayed in Orlando and spent several days at Walt Disney World. We saw the animals at the Animal Kingdom and followed that up with several days at the Magic Kingdom with the last day at Epcot.

The boys enjoyed the Magic Kingdom the most--big surprise. But you'll never guess their favorite ride: HAUNTED MANSION!

I think we toured the mansion 4 times one day and 5 times the next! The best was on the third time through when JJ said,

"I love this ride, and this time I'm going to keep my eyes open!"

The Eldest and I found a new way to meet people. We decided to do a little pin trading as a competition. We bought the cheapest pins we could find and then he had to trade for a Jack Skellington pin before I could trade for a specific Tinkerbell. We worked really hard and met lots of people, but in the end, we both had to buy our pins of choice. We had a really great time trying though, and the little boys joined in the fun, too!



Although we did make one unexpected stop on our trip (to the ER--JJ got a 103* fever and sore throat) and one unplanned stopover (overnight in Atlanta due to a missed connection) this trip was a success. And there are more details to come! Wait until you hear about the cruise!!!

Trip or Vacation

My definition of a vacation is completely different from my definition of a trip.

A vacation is when you go away (usually without the kids) and do nothing but relax. Relaxing may somtimes include sleeping late, breakfast in bed, lounging on the beach, dinners out, but it must always include arriving back at home rested, relaxed, and ready for life.

Let me clearly state that I am about to embark on a trip--not a vacation. Now, that's not to say that I don't expect to have a fabulous time--because I do! But peaceful and relaxing? No, I'm not counting on it.

We (which includes my husband, myself, our 5 kids, grandma, and grandpa) are going on a cruise. I fully anticipate that we will come home overstimulated, weary, sunburned, sleepy, crabby, tired, anxious, and exhausted. (Best case scenario--of course!)

But we are excited!!! This will be the kids' first cruise and we will be sailing on the Disney Wonder. If anyone has any tips for cruising with kids, send them over quick! We leave on Saturday!