Hi.

We are were here.

We like liked it.

Lucy is was amazing for someone who hates traveling.

Emma is hanging hung in there. For being in a new place, outside of her normal routine, she did fantastic!

We went to the aquarium …

… climbed rode an elevator to eye-level with the surrounding mountains …

[some of us stood next to the edge … some of us sat next to the elevator]
… rode some swings


… slid down a few water slides [including one with a 40 foot vertical drop that a certain 4-year old rode TWELVE TIMES]


… rode the “River Rampage” six times … and “only” six because it had to shut down for a couple of hours

… rode up a mountain with our feet dangling below us

… went here

… and here

… and here

… and just spent time together. So much time together.




And that was the best part of all.

Maybe one day, I’ll actually do a recap or something. But I have learned not to make any promises. Especially in the summer.

Oh yeah … I started this post while on vacation. We got back 3 days ago.
Today, I turned 33.
It was a good day. A day filled with my littles and lunch with my sweetheart, who started back teaching tonight. I wish I could be all, “Oh, it’s okay! It’s only two nights a week! It’s not so bad.” But it is so bad. I miss him. A whole lot. He took one term off and was home at 5:30 every night, and I got spoiled. I got used to the extra set of hands while making supper. I got used to having help with putting two girls to bed at the same time. Or rather, keeping the oldest girl from cutting her hair or coloring her sheets with markers or taking every single pull-up out of her super size package of pull-ups* while I am putting the baby to bed.

I want to re-visit this pull-ups thing later, because I have a few questions about this. Let’s put a pin in that subject for a while, okay?
So Ken’s teaching again … here’s the deal. I hate it when he teaches at night. I’m going to wallow for about 2 weeks. I’m going to complain. I’m going to whine. I’m going to moan and groan about how hard it is for me to have virtually NO break on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’m going to use it as an excuse to not shower or clean or get anything done. And then, I’ll kick myself in the butt about how there are moms out there whose husbands are deployed, moms out there whose husbands are no longer on this earth, moms out there with sick husbands, and moms who would do anything to have a husband who doesn’t beat them or get drunk too much or treat them horribly. And then I’ll realize how lucky I am, and I’ll quit wallowing.
Since he knew he wouldn’t be home tonight, he brought balloons home last night. And strawberry shortcake. And two cards – one from him and one from the girls. And the one from him had a boy picking boogers on the front of it.
I love him.
And I love that Emma put some headbands around her head at the supper table and said, “It’s your fancy birthday supper, Mom!”

So today? Today was a good day. I received so many messages from people that I couldn’t even reply to all of them. So thank you. Thank you for your messages. For your thoughts. For your well wishes. I read them all. I loved them all. And I love you all.
If you’ve been reading my blog or following on Flickr for any length of time, you’ll know that I participate in Bench Monday almost every Monday.
The rules are: hop up on a bench. take picture. post on Monday.
Today, we have SNOW! Lots and lots and lots of snow. {For us}

So that turned out okay, in spite of the fact that I jumped out of the frame. But taking pictures with a self-timer can result in hilarity.
nice face

was going to toss some snow in the air … timed it all wrong {and what is UP with my FACE?!}

TA-DA!

Miraculously, that’s all it took to get the right one, but it’s always funny to get back inside and look at the outtakes.
And my neighbors? Pretty sure they think I’m insane.
{posted for Megan}

Merry Christmas!!
ken * keli * emma * lucy
How to get things done when you have a newborn and still have to make dinner, clean the house, do laundry, and take care of a 3-year old …
