Before we know it, Summer is going to be here, and Summers are meant for adventures! I love nature and being outdoors. It’s my happy place.
Below are some National Parks that are on my “To Go” list. We aren’t going to make it to all of these places in just one Summer. Lets be real here, most of us have jobs and/or kids. In our case, it’s both so not sure how many road trips the toddler will permit 🙂
Yellowstone National Park, WY
Yosemite National Park, CA
Redwoods National Park, CA
Banff National Park, Canada
Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
Sunrise at thor’s hammer, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Moab, USA, 16.05.2013 Reserviert bis 31.12.2015 f¸r Kalender-Titel
Grab that cup of coffee again…. there are a few more pictures of the relay I wanted to add.
Pre-Race Morning JittersI had the most beautiful views running around Diamond Lake
This weekend we took it easy. We worked around the house. Inside and out. Cody brought home loads of landscaping rock so we finally weeded and filled in the gaps from having the concrete curbing installed. Come Spring, we’ll try to add more bushes and shrubs. Neighbors are always asking me how I keep my flowers blooming and alive during our Idaho Summers…… Honestly, I don’t do much other than miracle grow them every 2 weeks (don’t overdue it!) and deadhead daily. When temperatures are over 90, I water twice. Once in the morning and once before bed. I spray the flowers every now and then to keep the aphids or other insects away. Trust me when I say this, if I can do it, so can you 🙂
First of all, sorry for abandoning the blog. My past days have been filled with packing for a trip, visiting family out of state, unpacking from the trip, celebrating the husband’s 29th birthday, and somewhere in there, paying bills and cleaning house.
Greyson and I flew to Wisconsin with my Grandpa and Grandma. And by the way, traveling with elderly folks is the best! Royal treatment at the airport all the way! The plane ride went well, and we both took an hour nap sprawled out across all 3 seats. Mom & Dad’s house suddenly was packed and loud. Kids running here and there. Inside and outside. Cars coming and going at all hours of the day and night. Aside from the craziness, it was amazing……Family time is just the best! We spent our time together playing volley ball, going to a baseball game at Miller Park, lounging, laughing, chasing kids around, going to different parks, eating a lot of Italian food and downing lots of coffee.
On the way home, it was a different story. Crazy, but not in a good way. We were supposed to fly out of Milwaukee Wednesday evening. Our flight kept getting delayed so we were going to miss our connecting flight no matter what. They put us up in a hotel for the night. The next morning, bright and early, we took the shuttle back to the airport. All is well….. so far. I always get on the plane with Greyson towards the very end because… well, we all know… the less time on my lap, the better 🙂 As soon as I sat and was reaching for my seatbelt, the pilot announced that the plane is having mechanical problems and that a part had to be flown in from Detroit so it would be a few hours. Luckily, they let us deplane and of course, we once again would miss our connecting flight to Boise. As Cody is figuring out our ticket arrangements at the desk and I am letting Greyson run wild in the kids play area, I’m peering out the airport window…… I see a small private jet park and the pilot walks out and opens the door. Three beautiful, younger women decked out in Gucci purses and loafers waltz out of the plane. I just want to scream. Not really, but it was annoying to see that at this very moment in time. Another side note to all the mothers out there, pack a lot of diapers in your carry on bag because you never know when or how long you’ll be stuck in the airport for. Our flight was rescheduled to leave later that night so my sister picked us up at the airport. We got back home, without our bags too, put Greyson to bed and took naps. It actually was perfect to be able to recuperate. For the third time, we tried to get out of Milwaukee, and this time it was a success. Greyson slept for the remainder of both flights so that was also a success.
**WARNING! PICTURE OVERLOAD!**
I hope everyone had a nice fourth of July celebration!
We recently got back from our annual trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Once again, Paradise Village Resort & Spa lived up to its name.
Unfortunately, Bugs and I both got another cold. I guess I’d rather be blowing my nose on the beach rather than being cooped up in my bedroom. We had a large group go with us this time. Dad & Mom, Jarvis, Audrey & Parker, Gma Julie, Uncle Bob & Aunt Laura, Mickey & Cheryl Orlando, Aunt Peggy, George & Debbie Church, and their folks. It was fun to say the least! Perfect weather and fantastic beach volley ball! We also met with Alan Anderson and his companions so that was special.
Bugs loved the ocean the best. Fearless. We took numerous strolls around the resort and the marina. Rumor was, McDonald’s CEO and his wife were there. Their yacht of course had the helicopter on it. While Bugs napped, I would lounge on the balcony and read books. (See earlier blog post on book recommendations) Bugs did excellent on all the flights. I’ve come to realize…. it’s just luck! I’ve had both good and bad flights with him.
Once we got home, there were stacks of bills to go through, mountains of laundry to sort, a dog waiting to be picked up and 2 bunny cages ready to be cleaned. Reality is always a shock.
We’re well into Winter, and it’s cold here. Thought I would post a few pictures of paradise. Maybe you can feel the warmth of sand between your toes (aka the space heater) and hear the crashing waves of the ocean (aka the sound machine.) Favorite Tropical Beaches:
Costa Rica: When I graduated high school, my high school bestie and I stayed at her parent’s condo in Tamarindo Bay. It was here that I walked on a black sand beach for the first time. It was here that I met Lola the pig. She is a legend there…. just an enormous pig that lives on the beach. It was here that I saw monkeys in their natural habitat for the first time. It was here that I tasted the best key lime pie. I can’t for the life of me remember the name of the restaurant, but it’s a local place that makes homemade pie every day. A very touristy and tropical place to visit.
Here we are with LolaTotal Beach Babe
Dominican Republic: One of my favorite family vacations was traveling to Punta Cana. I can’t describe the beauty in words. Lets put it this way, the colors were so vibrant that you would think everything glows in the dark. The color of the water, the color of the crystal sand, the color of the palm tree leaves, the color of the flowers…. the list is endless. This beach was probably the nicest beach I’ve been to. No rotten fish or seaweed laying around and the sand was incredibly soft!
St John: Our honeymoon was in St Thomas, but for a day we took the water taxi to explore St John. It was definitely worth the outrageous price of the water taxi. It was “National Geographic” beauty. The little island consisted of endless beaches, colorful birds and a very cool underwater exhibit. If you travel to St. Thomas, make sure you visit this little tropical paradise.
Every Christmas, my in-laws rent a cabin in McCall. For those of you who aren’t familiar with McCall…. McCall is about 2-2.5 hrs north of Boise. It’s a small mountain/ski town that sits on beautiful Payette Lake. There’s nothing quite like being in the mountains and breathing fresh mountain air.
We packed the Jeep full, and when I say full, I mean filled to the brim! Bink stayed with some friends who have 4 boys, which is perfect. He loves it there! The drive from desert to mountains was peaceful, and the roads were good. On the way back, not so good.
We enjoyed walking around the neighborhood and taking advantage of the clubhouse. Gym, sauna, hot tub…. in that order.
My in-laws celebrated their 40th anniversary as well! Congrats again!! I’m lucky to have them as my in-laws. My father in-law said that we should enjoy each day because it goes fast… I’ll try my hardest to remember that the next time Bugs hangs over the edge of the shopping cart and pulls the 6th blouse off the hanger. Or when my husband forgets to tell me that he invited company and their eta is soon. 🙂
-desert to pine trees--Scenery on the way up--playing with his cousin--the other cousins being silly--Bugs loves his Uncle Juddey!-
-Bugs hanging out with Grandpa Ray--Bath Buddies-
These are all the pictures I have on my phone unfortunately. Hope everyone had a safe and relaxing weekend!!
Grey and I just got back from spending a week in South Carolina visiting my sister and her family. It was all nice, except for the travel, but we’ll get to that later. Every time I see my redheaded nieces, they are a couple inches taller and a wee bit smarter. It’s always moments like that that make me realize how fast time really does fly.
It was sure nice to have a change of scenery and to have a shopping buddy. I’m super jealous they have a Home Goods store AND a TJMaxx there! It’s probably a good thing the airlines charge you to check a bag or else I would be in trouble.
Amber and I got to celebrate our birthdays together again. We’re sometimes lucky like that. 32 and 28. I don’t know about Amber, but I’m starting to feel old. In a good way, of course.
Grey loved it there. He had all the entertainment an 8 month old could possibly ask for. Even chickens, cows, a dog and a cat! On the last day, Grey stood up to the activity table for the first time. On to bigger and better things I guess….. and trouble. He also eats cereal (with his fingers), mashed potatoes, avocados and oatmeal. He cut his first tooth on the day to travel back home. Not recommended!
Let’s talk about traveling with an infant on an airplane. Alone! There’s an ecard that says “I don’t know which is longer…. a microwave minute or a treadmill minute.” …..well, I’ll tell you what is the longest minute. The longest minute is traveling on a plane with a (overtired) baby on your lap. As everyone else around me is watching movies, playing games, reading books (sigh), sleeping (sigh) or just doing nothing at all (sigh), I am watching the flight status on the screen in front of me. The longest flight was from Atlanta to L.A. 5 hours. Those minutes were the longest minutes of my life. I sat next to some great people on that flight though. The Indian man sitting directly next to me talked baby talk with Grey the duration of the flight. I don’t even do that at home. His Chinese girlfriend said they were having a political debate. Ok then. Let’s keep this debate going for 4.5 more hours please. It’s not that Grey did terrible, but it’s just not that easy especially when it’s that long. Grey gets sick of my face and voice in about 2 minutes. Anyone else can make him smile or laugh though. That little turkey! There was an old man that sat behind me. There was also an old man with a cane that sat next to me across the aisle. At different times, they both offered to help hold Grey. I politely declined, but that was the nicest thing anyone has done for me! I gate checked the stroller on each flight and there was always someone to offer their assistance setting up the stroller and carrying my bag. There are still some nice people in this world. If you are looking to do a good deed, offer to help a single parent traveling with an infant. Those moms will never forget you! Cody greeted me at the airport with a Qdoba burrito and some more birthday presents. Yes, I traveled home on my birthday. Not the “best” birthday ever, but we’ll celebrate this weekend to make up for it.
Now it’s time to think about Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday…. mainly because it’s simple, and I like simple. This year we are celebrating with my side of the family at the Murray’s house. My first Thanksgiving with Gpa and Gma J. I am bringing a green bean casserole. I was thinking about signing up for the Turkey Trot Run in Boise, but then I got to thinking, why would I want to pay and drive downtown to run 3 miles with a bunch of other people? No thanks. This year I am bundling up and going for a run by myself. Amidst the silence, I can reflect on things I’m thankful for. I am very thankful that I am home from traveling with an infant 🙂
I’ve got mountains of laundry to wash, a very lengthy grocery list, a stack of bills and starving animals to feed (and not to mention, but my hair to comb, face to wash, teeth to brush… and yes it’s 10am) so I better get on with my day. I’m not sure if I will be posting before Turkey day so if not, I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving!
Love, Rach
Grey loved listening to Auntie play the piano!Excellent babysitters
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
The Gray Walls 