There and Back Again

for the life of me, I can not fix these spacing issues. sorry. it's super annoying. but you're just perusing the photos, right?
What's a totally awesome way to bookend a week-and-a-half vacation? Spend the first and last 24 hours of the trip driving continually in your car with your 2- and 3-year-olds locked in their carseats.

Seriously. It was an awesome trip to Utah for family, friends, baby shower, fishing, marathon and Easter. It was J.A.M. packed. We've been home almost 4 full days and I'm still tired.

One day (and one trip to Cafe Rio with my BFF) into the trip, I awoke at 4:30 a.m. My fabulous husband and taken our cherubs to stay at his sister's (although we were staying at my sister Diana's home) for the night so I could rest undisturbed.

At 5 a.m., off to the marathon start line went myself, friend Sara, sister Julia and brother-in-law Dan.

I'll say this: I finished. I was disappointed, but I did it. I have a laundry list of excuses for my disappointments, but they seem trite. Let's just say my good knee went out with 9 miles left in the race. Seeing as no relief van was in sight at the time, I sucked it up, switched my brace to my other knee and finished -- slower -- but I finished. Don't judge the photo, please. I just ran 26.2 miles and I get really mad at the end of long runs. I apparently had just scared my baby boy with my angry running face -- I was trying to make amends whilst finishing my last 20 feet. Here's fabulous Julia. Her adoring husband made "I (heart) my marathon Mom" shirts for all their children. Here I am with fabulous Sara. She just ran 26.2 miles too, though she doesn't look nearly as rough as her running partner. We hurried home from the marathon (I forewent my post-marathon Cafe Rio burrito) so we could prepare for my baby sister's baby shower (I just realized: I have NO photos of the shower! Forgive me, Katie).

The next morning, up at the crack of dawn to go up the canyon for a massive family photo.

Here's my grandparents with just their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. All told, 62 people were in the big family photo (with spouses and parents -- my brother and his family couldn't make it), not including the three expected babies. Of all those people, I particularly like that my darling daughter was the only person of 62 that felt she didn't need to sit still during the photos -- off she walked several times. Awe-some. Grandma's Easter Egg Hunt followed. Elliot was unsure of the eggs until I told him there was chocolate inside. Jane was less difficult to convince, obviously.Then we travelled back to Aunt Kate's home for Trevor's birthday. The kids dug for dinosaur fossils, Lane talked fishing with his Dad and brother, and I stood by in a daze -- it was a long 48 hours.

Monday brought renewed strength and a vow to wow the kids.

At Thanksgiving Point's Dinosaur Museum. The kids dug for fossils, played in caves and generally wowed the listening audience as Jane identified the various and obscure dinosaur species (correctly).

Tuesday was a Parent Day. Lane fished and I had a girl's day with my sisters and Mom. Elliot and Jane scored some awesome shades for their patience and I took to calling Jane Jackie O (you need to see the coat with the glasses ...).

Wednesday, the pregnant half of our fabulous hosts, Diana, took us to the Sandy Aquarium. An Aquarium Story:
The octopus floats toward Jane, who squeals and she backs up.
Diana: Jane, the octopus is just saying hi. He is saying thanks for visiting.
Jane: Hi octopus. My name is Jane. Thanks for visiting me. You scare me. Please don't scare me.

Jane was thrilled to find cretoxyrhina (sharks) and adocus (turtle) in the same container. These are her words, not mine. And Elliot delighted to find paleobatrachus, though he just calls them "ibbit". Thursday we ventured to Temple Square Jane, with her future husband, Jordan (Kallee's oldest). We thought this photo would be nice to include on their wedding invites in 23ish years. and the Blue Iguana, where Lane got a burrito the size of a small child.Apparently, if you finish this beast, you get a free dessert. The waitress kept trying to take it from Lane who kept insisting he was still eating. He finished it, then being the fabulous man that he is, let Jane, Elliot and I eat his dessert.

Our wonderful visit included family visits, eating out A LOT, reading and digging for dinosaur fossils in Aunt Diana and Uncle Dan's backyard.

The dig site, aka plot where Diana and Dan's extended porch goes.

We're now in a desperate (only on my part) attempt to get some semblance of order back into the daily routine.

And I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. Car ride and all.