Sandpoint Shenanigans

This past weekend we joined four families for a weekend away. We strategically crammed sixteen children under the age of eight into a five bedroom-ish VBRO in Sandpoint and spent three days enjoying pure chaos.

The nature of this kind of trip - in this stage of life - is not relaxing. I repeat: not relaxing. I've heard it defined that a trip with kids is a trip. A trip without kids is a vacation. And that is certainly true.

While not relaxing, it was full of activity, excitement, energy, fun, and adventure. The combination left all of us adults slightly exhausted at the end of our time together. We may have fared far better if we would have slipped into bed along with our exhausted kids around 8pm. But no, the prize for long, chaotic days is the kid-free adult time after bed. So we stayed up far too late each night. And of course it was completely worth it. :)

Here is our time together in (a few too many) pictures...

Though not at all vacation-esque, our time in Sandpoint with the Pickerings, Randalls, Dordals and Johnsons was wonderful. And definitely worth it.

Jono's Day

Jono is thirty two and here is what turning thirty-two looks like around these parts.

6:30am snuggles on the couch

Sunny outdoor breakfast at Chaps

Sharing a family celebration with Clara girl

Sharing a chocolate cake with Krista & KJ during our weekend away

I sure love this thirty-two year old man. This year he may have gotten slightly overlooked. I bought him one gift for his birthday: a pair of shorts at Costco that he returned because they didn't fit quite right. And just the other day I found the half written birthday card I intended to give him. Ugh. Good thing he is so low maintenance. Did I say I love this man?!

Four Funny Pictures

Okay, this might be the most random post of all time. Four pictures taken in the past week that are, well, kind of funny. 

#1: The family wagon may have seen her last days. I was driving behind Jonathan when his front wheel fell off and went rolling down Southeast Boulevard.
#2: Clara (substituting for the birthday girl, Madeleine) in the ticket blaster at Chucky Cheese.
#3: A glorious karaoke duet moment (thank you for this one, Shelley), while out with friends celebrating a birthday.
#4: Caleb enjoying cousin time at Nana & Papa's the other day.

I can't quite decide which picture is my favorite.

Leah & Montana

On Thursday this past week, I got one of the best surprises. My mom came to my house to pick me up for a birthday lunch (celebrating her) we had planned for the day. And my sister walked into my room! When my parents were in California a few months ago they schemed her trip up here and nobody let it slip to me. I couldn't believe it. It was the best surprise EVER!!!

The timing was perfect because we were all leaving the next day to watch Ethan play tennis in Missoula so Leah got to join in the fun. And hung out with me the rest of the day Thursday, which was perfect. I had been dying for some quality sister time.

In Missoula we did just what we do most trips over. We watched lots of tennis. We ate. We were confined to the hotel for long hours for kid sleep ;). We shopped tax-free. We went on a run in the rain. And we enjoyed time together as family and extended family! My aunt & uncle and cousin Tracy came along as well! It as a lovely, simple, rainy weekend in Missoula supporting "Uncle E". Here are a whole bunch of pictures of our time there together...

The only person thrilled about the rain: Clara
She got to use her new umbrella!

Quick pic before he wiggles away

Just loving her life is all

The cheering section

Celebrating one of Uncle E's victories!

Chocolate cake for the birthday twins (mom & Aunt Pam)

What does one do on a rainy Sunday before tennis?
Read dozens of books at Barnes & Noble, of course.

Clara with Michael Anne

Caleb loving all his favorite people together

And pointing, his favorite thing

Three of the four - wish you were there, Dev!

It's hard to believe that my baby brother is almost through with his junior year of college! What a treat it is to be able to watch him play tennis - and enjoy weekends away with extended family too :).

Cut for the Claranator

When I was pregnant with Clara, I remember saying something like, we don't know whether we'll be having a boy or girl, but we're pretty much guaranteed to have a baby with massively thick hair, who gets headaches by the age of two (if it's a girl) when she wears it in a ponytail.

Enter Clara. 

Thin, wispy hair. Front hair that has grown maybe to mid-cheek since birth (no bangs have ever been cut, promise!). 

There really is no genetic explanation, given the extreme abundance that resides on both J and my heads. But my hair dresser swears it will probably thicken over time - if not, at puberty.

In the meantime, this past week we did what we really should've done ages ago. We got a short little bob cut. And in the end, I swear to you it appears thicker! And I think it suits her just great.

The progression...

As soon as we climbed back into the car after the haircut, the first words out of Clara's mouth were some of her best: "mom, it's prettier than I hoped".

So there you go. Happy mom. Happy little girl. :)

Easter

This Easter may go down in history as the nicest of all time, weather-wise. And Easter even fell in March this year! So we did as much as humanly possible to be outside and soak up some sunshine, knowing in all likelihood the weather might not be this great for another two months. 

Our weekend was filled with egg hunts, outdoor lunch as a family, decorating eggs with Morgan (our adoptive Whitworth student), the second annual Hook scavenger hunt to find Easter baskets (which were eventually found in the bath tub, carrying on the Vaughn family tradition), celebrating that Christ is Risen on Sunday morning (and hearing Clara dance and sing on stage like nobody's business), and enjoying a brunch after with the Hook's. 

South Perry egg hunt

Enjoying time with the Folsom's after

Dying eggs with Daddy & Morgan

Finished products

Mr. Bugs and Morgan

Excited about her basket (and new umbrella!)

Post church family pic

The  Easter lunch spread, delicious!

Sibling love

The only kind of walking Caleb is doing
these days :)

Mr. Sweetness

The serious egg hunter

What a blessing it was to enjoy family, friends, sunshine and celebrate the reason we have hope and peace! Happy Easter 2013!