Summer Vacation

After two weeks of summer school (which I LOVE every summer) and a week of professional development (which, this year, I also loved) it is finally time for some vacation.

Unfortunately the whole crew could't go, but Ethan and I have headed out to Utah to see the other kids and grandkids!  Ethan was soooo excited for the plane ride.  He hasn't been on a plane for almost 8 years!  It was thrilled and was sure the clouds were pirate ships and Santa was up there somewhere (of course).

We landed early, early in Houston and Ethan was able to get an egg sandwich. That boy loves eating!

The airport in Houston had a beautiful display of artwork from the Children's Hospital.  We spent quite a bit of time looking at it all.

"Bro" was on Ethan's mind the whole way.  We text him in Houston, we text him when we landed, we text him when we got to Megan's house.  Finally, "Bro" came after work and life was good again.

I forgot what nice weather there is here.  And I forgot what it was like to go outside without humidity.  I forgot what it was like to go outside without being attacked by bugs.  And I forgot what it was like to walk barefoot on a cool green lawn.  Ha.....

We have spent a lot of time outside playing baseball.  The kids are cracking me up with their batting skills.

Ethan has developed some sort of nervous tick over the last five days.  I am not sure why.  He also has a lot of imaginary friends, who, apparently, have taken vacation with us.  He sat on the porch and talked with his friends while we played baseball.  Claire went up to him and asked "Who are you talking to, Ethan?"

Now that Ethan is older he is more of a "real" Uncle.  He took the little ones for a ride around the neighborhood in the wagon.  Joseph isn't upset, he just has sun in his eyes.  Look at the beautiful mountains in the background!!!

Joseph, who is 21 months, has a very large vocabulary and uses a lot of big words for a boy his age, like "argue".    He really cracks me up because he absolutely understands everything you say and uses a lot of logic for an almost two-year-old.  Of course, as his grandma, I think he is super smart :-)

I don't think he looks like the rest of the kids, however.  Everyone else does, but I don't.  He is blond and blue-eyed like Claire, but Claire didn't have any noticeable hair until she was like 4 (bit of an exaggeration, but still....)

More to come.  Like a close up of Jack's wild hair and our adventurous outings. We hope to go up to Salt Lake to Temple Square, the art museum at BYU, the Creamery (of course), and picnics up in the mountains.  Bryan is taking a couple of days off and we hope to see Logan soon.  He has some sort of stomach bug and we kindly told him to stay away until he was better :-)

We want to move here, but there are so many obstacles in the way, not the least of which is the Bike shop.  But I would love to live closer if we could find jobs and I could find a good place for Ethan to go to school.

We will have to see.........

Quick Road Trip

Some of you may remember reading about our  adventurous trips to Tennessee.  For better or for worse, this year did not disappoint.

First off, we no longer have a suburban.  Jordan wrecked it and it was not in the budget to fix.  We ended up trading it for a downstairs air conditioner.  An air conditioner that we went without all last summer!  That is why we were crammed into the Honda Civic.  Four McGraths and their dog.  In the trunk was a bike for a niece for her birthday and poptarts for the cousins.

 

Unfortunately it was a fast trip.  We left Friday when I got off work and drove into the night.  We had to come back on Sunday.

It wasn't long before we realized the expensive car repairs completed the week before were not done correctly.  We didn't have an AIR CONDITIONER!!!!

Axle, always ready for a road trip, soon wearied of the attention and the heat.  As did we all.

Coming back was the tricky part.  We still had four McGraths and a dog.  But we also had 10 frozen whole chickens and three frozen hams (from my sister's farm).  In addition, I brought back two more laying hens.  My sister loaned me her cat crate to put them in.  The question was - where were they going to ride?

We tried the back seat.

Ethan. was. not. happy.  And...there just wasn't room for Jordan, too, much less the dog.

So the trunk it was.  We propped it open with a small plastic garbage can and anchored it with a piece of rope.   You may think there would be a picture of that marvelous site included in this post.  But you are wrong.  Let's just say no one was in much of a picture taking mood by the time we had figured out everything and were ready to head home......

On the way our air conditioner did not magically begin working.  It was a hot, long drive.

The chickens and dog were watered everytime we stopped.

Phil and I were sitting in the back at one point, giving Jordan a chance to drive and Ethan to sit in from, when Axle decided he needed to throw up.

Whoever gave him potato soup to eat has officially been "defriended."

But, as always, we made it home in one piece, safe and sound.  A cool house was a welcome relief.  My little chickies are getting adjusted to their new surroundings and after a day of laying around and taking it easy, the dog is finally feeling better.

I am hoping to make a longer trip towards the end of summer break...but do I dare??

1st Day Out of School

I still have until next Wednesday. Ethan, however, is out now.

He spent his first day writing letters. To Santa. 

You think I am joking when I say Ethan think about Christmas all year. But I  lie not!

This was in the mailbox when I got home 

It read:

Obviously we still have some work to do on effective communication. But he is getting a lot of practice. 

It is going to be a long summer in some respects!