Dallas

We're finally back from our nearly month long vacation and done with laundry so time for blog catch-up. We managed to cram a lot of family, activities, and miles (about 65+ hours) into our trip so prepare for a long travel log with a slew of pictures. As usual, I can't afford to miss a memory.
My nine-yr-old nephew, David was diagnosed with Hirschsprungs Disease and had to go in for a surgery to bypass the colon in hopes that it would heal itself if gone unused for a few months. The surgery was scheduled for Thursday, July 28th and he needed to stay overnight at the hospital. I offered to drive up to Dallas with my kids for a few days to stay with my brother's other three children. We (the kids and I) got to Jesse's in Grand Prairie Wednesday night. David watched patiently as we ate pizza for dinner while he sipped broth. He hadn't eaten solids in several days in preparation for this surgery and was still sweet and brave. Thursday morning Jesse, Deborah, and David headed to the hospital and the rest of us went to see the movie "Brave," and played at the neighborhood park.(I really wanted to insert a "Brave" movie poster here with David's head in the girl's place for Dave the brave but I lack the skills so just picture it with me and giggle).

Friday I was able to use the last day on our family museum membership to get us into the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science. We got the membership in San Antonio but it is good at hundreds of national science museums  . So we all got in for free! We had fun and spent most the day there. I was trying to make it last so David could come home to a quiet house and settle in. 

The museum is on the Texas State Fairgrounds and has a lagoon behind the building. It's a pretty and unique little area.

 My little nephew, James, was anxious to go outside to run on "the snake paths" they have on both ends of the lagoon. Luckily the other one had more walls and less water. 

Josh and Andrew, awesome boys on the wholly mammoth tusk.

Notice the single, grubby flip-flop? In the morning rush out the door I hollered out instructions to everyone to go potty, get shoes and get in the car. I stuffed food in a bag and filed kids into the car. After driving the half hour to the museum I opened the door and found Andrew with no shoes on. I wasn't about to drive back for them so I dug out an old, broken flip-flop out of the car, slipped it on and made him go through the museum like that. I'm sure it added to the irresponsible parent look I was accumulating with my reckless hoard of unkempt children but one proclaiming of "I'm Andrew. I did on purpose" from my "I'm too awesome for my shoes" preschooler and hopefully humor and understanding would displace all judgement. But in all reality, the kids were amazingly good and I was surprised all week how easy it ended up being for me to take 6 kids out by myself. They are good kids who genuinely enjoy being together and I had oldest sisters there to herd and help and the kids were mature enough to understand the situation and the importance of their being good.

When we got back to the house that evening David was not there and we found out that he was throwing up all the food he was eating and he couldn't come home yet. He ended up staying in the hospital about 10 days as they stuck tubes down his nose to pump his stomach, intravenously fed him and tried to figure out what was up with this kid. Turns out his overstretched colon was squishing his small intestine and backing everything up so they went back into surgery to move that stinker colon out of the way. So we stretched out our stay as well and enjoyed a fun week of playing with cousins.

Saturday we took a trip to the Splash Factory to cool off and find inner peace or something.

Sunday  we went to Jesse and Deborah's ward and went to visit David at the hospital in Dallas. The a/c broke that day and the house was in the 80's so all the kids slept downstairs in the living room with two fans shooting on them. I stuck a pillow in the fridge, stuffed it between my legs and slept on the couch in the family room. it was working again the next day so we were fine but whatever did people do before a/c?

Monday I found a critter show, Zooniversity at the library and took the kids down to watch. Then we hung out and looked at books for a couple hours and I was amazed that 6 kids could stay within library rules for that amount of time. Then we decided to run to the discount theater in Irving to watch "The Lorax." $3.50 to get all seven of us in, can't beat that! I thought, boy, if I'm here the rest of the week we will be coming here every day. At that point we were taking it day by day and hadn't come up with a revised trip plan so I took note that there were two more kid movies if I needed them.

Emma and Josh conducted swim lessons in the pool Julie got for her birthday. Emma whipped the little boys into order, posting pool rules, establishing open swim and lesson times, and teaching everything she'd learn from her swim class the weeks before. The boys liked it the first day but the next day there was much grumpiness and tears when some boys rioted about not being allowed to swim and others felt a great injustice had been done as unruly children were breaking the schedule and over-throwing lifeguard duties.

 

Fourth of July

We spent our holiday morning at the ward pancake breakfast. Actually we spent last Fourth of July at my brother's ward breakfast. But with breakfast, a beautiful park, and mega slip n' slide, I couldn't think of a better way to spend our holiday morning.

Back at home we fired up the grill and made a patriotic dinner.

Then we headed to the hospital to deliver dinner to those who could eat (Jesse and Deborah, David was still not on solids) and put on a fireworks show for David. the kids were cute and choreographed a show with their pastel firework drawings.

We came too late though, David had gone a little coo coo from his long stay -)
(inside joke -) is David's moticon, it's a smiley face, but we bypass the colon)

David was amazing! He is such a good, sweet boy with a great sense of humor and a long, starving hospital stay hadn't changed that. We enjoyed visiting even though I was always concerned Andrew might flying burrito David or rip his tube out.

Las Vegas

Jamie drove up to Dallas early Thursday and we packed up the van, left Jamie's car with Jesse and made the two day drive up to Vegas to make it on time to drive up to St. George Saturday to see my sister go through the temple. Then we came back to the Steed's to hang out with these cuties who came from Provo for the weekend to hang with us.

My kids fell in love with Angry Birds at Jesse's house and stole every smart phone they could get their hands on. Sorry to anyone who was victimized. They did get out and go swimming at Brian's house too and Mama Steed took us to dinner at cafe Rio and dessert at Nielsons and made us lasagna for Sunday dinner. Unfortunately all the Steed Ninja Destruction pictures are on the iPhone (a blackhole for pictures I've discovered).

Tuesday we headed over to the Cannon's for the bride and babies shower. We've had two new babies in the family since the last time we met (the newest hiding behind Emma in Maria's arms). We are imitating the Royal hats that got some attention. We sent the guys off with the kids to McDonalds to buy us some girl time but they had enough before we had. Great dinner and gabbing though, thanks mama.

Headed over to Rich's one evening to play with his toys. Andrew was super excited until he got a bad burn on his arm from touching the engine. Apparently he found the no sign over the hand an invitation to touch.

Jesse's family was originally planning to come for the wedding and reunion but after David's extended hospital stay and second surgery they couldn't make it but Jesse flew out the day  before to make the wedding and steal some babies.

 

The Wedding

My only sister got married. Brooke married Evan Bee Friday, July 13 in St. George (the LV temple was closed).  It was a beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple!

It was raining while we waited for them to come out and for the first part of the pictures but let up and let us finish in dryer and cooler weather.

I love this picture of Angie and my sweet niece, Maisy! They just moved to Austin and we are loving having them in town.

 

Pretty little flower girls

GQ little boy. Meanwhile, Andrew was joining another family on the stairs for their wedding pictures because he followed a cute little girl over there and they also had blue ties. He just stepped right in and smiled for the cameraman until they wised up and kicked him out.

As good as it gets with the Cannon clan photos

Eventually people starting getting tired of photos and poor Parker was the first to go.

 

It was a neat experience having all six of us in the temple together for the first time.

Super cute niece and nephew picture. We're missing four though :-(

The Steed bunch. We gotta work on this group.

My baby sister's married. I was just watching a video (it was a VHS no less) of this little flower girl at my wedding and now she is the bride. She was beautiful and so happy and I am happy for her.

 

Bellflower

Jamie's uncle, Bryan died in a car accident a couple of days before the wedding and we learned the funeral service would be in Cedar City Monday so Jamie stayed in Vegas with his family to drive up for the viewing and service while the kids and I traveled with my family to Bellflower to visit my grandma. Jamie caught a ride with my cousin Trevor a few days later to meet us for a reunion in San Diego.

Few places are as sentimental and enjoyable as grandma's. The oranges and kumquats, the cool but sunny California weather, movies and treats at Diane's, the swimming, the al fresco dinners with family, these are the things that say family and vacation to me. 

For my kids, the "pirate park" is a must but this is a new addition, fun, but not part of my childhood.

My grandma could no longer be on this big property on her own even with the help from friends, family and caretakers so it was time to sell the house and move her to some place safer, with 24-hr care. She was very fortunate to have a family in the ward that wanted to buy the home before it even had to be listed. It was sad to say goodbye to this home that my mother grew up in and I have known all my life but glad to be able to visit my grandma and know she will be safe with constant care. She made the decision herself and was willing to part with so many worldly possessions, passing them on to family. As her body grows weak her mind stays sharp and her patience and kindness seems to get stronger. She is an amazing woman and I have gained so much from her example.

 

KOA campground

We had a Hatch family reunion (my mom's family) in San Diego. We stayed in cabins at the KOA campground. It was a fun spot with an open grassy area in the middle and firepits and picnic tables for meals and activities, a pool, a playground, and a bathroom with showers. So definitely easier than our traditional tent camping. it was fun to get together and visit with my aunts, uncles and cousins and their growing families.

Weston, Grace (my cousin), Ruby (my cousin Kara's daughter), and Emma 

San Diego Zoo

Thursday we got to spend the day at the San Diego Zoo, and it really takes the whole day to see everything and still have missed some.

The kids loved the Skyfari, we rode it three times. We didn't mind though it gave us a break off our feet, the shade and breeze were wonderful and....

the views were awesome!

Weston loves petting zoos. He likes to go up to each animal, give it a gentle one-armed hug around the neck, then lean down and look it in the eyes. He's the goat whisperer....

and sometimes they whisper back.

Moonlight Beach

We headed down to Moonlight Beach Friday morning with perfect beach weather. The kids LOVED the beach! Even Andrew loved going as deep as he could and letting the waves crash over him.
 
Emma became quick and close friends with my cousins Eli (11) and Grace (7) at reunion. It's weird having cousins my kids' ages but it's fun watching them get along so well.

Andrew and Carson spent a good hour planted in one spot digging in the mud. They were easy to keep track of, unlike Weston who had a search party out for him when he came out of the water and went to warm up on some sand a ways down from where we pitched our umbrellas.

Andrew enjoyed making "mud poops." 

Jamie pulled the kids back and forth around the edge of the water on the boogey board then Nate took a turn taking each kid out for a ride on the waves.

This my friends is how you maintain the "favorite uncle status" as Nate will tell you.