So I’m finally getting the rest of our pics up from our trip to WA and OR…  I’ve been whipped by jet lag this past week and think we’re on our way back to normal.  And since we did SO many fun things (half of which I can’t remember and don’t have pics for) I’ll try to give short highlights: 

Driving back from the Oregon Coast, we stopped by the Portland Temple so the kids could see where “all the magic began” over seven years ago!!  It was great to be back there — if anyone had told me that 7 years later I would have 3 little kids, live in VA, and have a beer gut, I would’ve laughed, and cried. Too bad the security guard at the temple told us to keep our kids from running, well surprise surprise!!!  I love the temple. 

We spent a lot of time in the water – Leo and Fischer asked to go swimming every day.  The kids even rode my sister’s jet skis w/o a lick of fear.  We went to a water park w/another sister and her family and Rocky loved the lazy river.   There was also the backyard water slide, kiddie pools in the driveway, fountains at the park, etc.  Then there was the usual wearing of the swimsuit all day long…. 

  

Probably the BEST part of my sabbatical was my one-night trip out to UT to pick up Natalie who had just gotten back from Study Abroad in Europe. I flew in for one night and ate at Cafe Rio w/Jarron & Dani and their two hilarious boys. I have MISSED Cafe Rio and their fabulous Diet Coke. Then we hoofed it to Alpine see my ALL-TIME FAVORITE AMERICAN IDOL GINA COCHINA HML!!!!

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OK, story goes… I hadn’t told Gina (really it’s Carrie Anne, but her FO REALZ her name is GINA) I was coming out to UT cuz I wanted to surprise her. Gina had just had her 3rd baby 5 weeks early and I wanted to bring her the best “baby present” – ME! (I know, a touch prideful) So I had been planning this surprise for months. I was SO looking forward to jumping on her head and was SO excited that I was literally shaking at Cafe Rio and asked Natalie why my arm kept shaking, I thought I had vertigo for one second.

So FINALLY when we got to Gina’s house (the second time that night) it was like 10pm and I told Natalie that we needed to be quiet… well JK! Cuz as soon as Gina heard my voice thru the window it was all SCREAMFEST 2008!! When I jumped on her head, it was like a big ball of hair, snot, tears, laughing, Diet Coke, chocolate, probably some cuss words, and our testimony all rolled in one! I loved it, and I die over her. Gina is my hero.

The next day, after NO sleep, Nat and I got new tires on her car (the others were literally BARE!) and set off on our 9-hour road trip to WA.  We had the essentials:  Diet Coke, Granny B’s Pink Cookies, Hostess cupcakes, Elle Magazine, and Natalie’s car-dance mix.  For the first two hours I laughed while Natalie car-danced — I have NEVER seen anyone car dance to Mozart, and she can totally pull it off!!!  I did not post pics of our road trip due to adult content… and also that my mother and in-laws read my blog.  But YOU know what I’m talking about Nat!

All in all, we had a great time just hanging out w/everyone.  Although all 34+ of us Mitchell’s weren’t all together at one time over the 3 weeks, we did get to see everyone during our stay.  We also got to celebrate my mom’s 60th birthday, she doesn’t look a day over 13!!! We also had a picnic and fed the baby ducks at Hat Rock – Natalie tried to get the geese to eat mom by putting bread on her back when mom wasn’t looking. I had to make sure and document that.

Thanks to my family for all your help while I had my “single parent” stresses:  for letting us use your car, basement, laundry, beds, pack n play, high chair, for making us dinner, for being my kids pseudo-father, for watching my kids, and for filling me in on all the drama, I loved it.