it's taken me all week to write this because part of me wishes i could forget.
it was the trip to end all trips.
(it's a long story but if you read it all you will be laughing (or crying) with me.)
there are pictures at the end…i promise.
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we went to my parents' this past weekend for an early Thanksgiving.
My grandma needed her car there also so she rode with me and craig drove her car.
20 minutes later than scheduled we wrangled everyone into the 2 vehicles.
all the girls (me, my girls, my grandma) in my Suburban.
craig and the boys in grandma's car.
oh yes…and waffle in the kennel in the back with me.
craig and i both get out of our cars twice to run back inside for forgotten things.
we pull out of the driveway…finally.
craig is leading.
we get to the last gas station at the edge of town.
craig pulls over…needs to fix sean's seat belt.
annie says "i have to go to the bath-frroom"
i park and take her inside the lovely gas station bathroom. talby shows up too.
ok…on the road again. 30 minutes late.
grandma and i chit chat while being constantly interrupted by annie.
constantly!
craig hits his brakes. i look for deer.
he comes to a stop and pulls over….i almost hit him from the back.
his back door flies open and we get a side view of scott's projectile vomit.
i am shocked.
and of course…like i always do at inappropriate times…i start to laugh.
bad mother.
craig throws his hand up, smiles and shouts "first puke of the day!"
(when someone spills at dinner we (try to) say "first spill of the day!" instead of yell)
i get out and help craig clean things up…as best we can.
the wind was so strong everything was blowing around.
scott changed his clothes and calmed down.
i gave craig my package of baby wipes…just in case.
sean announced "i'm going in mom's car!"
we get back on the road.
veggie tales is crankin' and grandma and i are talking again.
about 10 minutes has gone by…
i smell something.
i ask sean to look at the dog….and oh yes…
he has pooped in his kennel and is sliding around in it.
i call craig's cell & he says "i'm going to the station up the road…i'll meet you there."
i am on my own…in the wind…with the poop.
i pulled out his rug and blanket and toss it in the ditch.
goodbye forever winnie the pooh sleeping bag.
lauren is supposed to have waffle and she lets go…
now we have a dog running in the ditch of the highway,
a nicely dressed woman in leopard shoes cleaning up dog poop with notebook paper
and 3 kids shouting "ewwwwwwwww!!!!"
i get it semi-clean and we get back in….
sean announces "i wish i was with Dad now"
and talby shouts "first POOP of the day!"
we meet back up with craig and get the wipes back!
i think for the first time grandma was happy she'd lost her sense of smell.
lauren is dousing our car with her pineapple perfume and it's even worse than before.
i had to just put my nose into my shirt.
we drove onto lawrence (another 1.5 hours) with no more problems.
miraculously.
it felt like a never ending candid camera episode.
i told my grandma "i dare you to have that much fun on your way home!"
aren't you glad i had no pictures to go with that story?
here are some sweet pictures after all the insanity ended.
my mom put on a big spread for 20+ family members.
it was all very yummy.
my cousin came with husband and children all the way from minnesota.
that is so nice of them to make the trip. i love spending time with them!
the kids made glove turkeys…very cute.
aren't annie's twin cousins just as cute as can be?
she sure loved h
aving TWO four year olds to play with.
grandma turned 91 this week and talby helped her blow our her candles.
thank you for hosting mom and dad.
my uncles, my father, my husband, my sons, my brother-in-law, my cousin dave….all the men
were here also but for some reason there are only girls in these pictures?
i guess i should have gone in by the football….
carissa - girl… WHAT you do with those crayons… i can only imagine… you’re the best!
Gini - only you can make a bunch of crayons look so beautiful, fun, inviting….can’t wait to see the project.
Robin Laws - happy thanksgiving you crafty happy girl you!!!
XOXOX
Tausha - so-what are you going to craft!!! I must know. I too have a lot of ideas spinning around in my head-making me feel more busy than I really am!! I think that it’s a holiday thing. I have great ideas of wanting to make christmas a homemade one–I am just not too sure where to start!! So, I want to see your ideas, you know so I can copy!!!
melissa @ the inspired room - I think I might have the same meltdown as we are saying we are moving out of our house (not all of our furniture, but some of the basics) on January 2 and putting our house up for sale. Yeah, great idea! But WHO is going to do all the work necessary to get to that point? I don’t know. Not me. I think they call that denial. And that is why I will have a meltdown.
Annie I love your new shirt! You look so festive and pretty!
And her pose is priceless!! LOL!
xo
Amanda - I love how the kiddies see you have the camera and start tugging on your shirt and saying ,”Mom, mom, mom take one of me! mom, mom, mom , mom…of me! of me!” So you finally change direction and get ready to take a shot of them and they get shy and look away and stand really still and act like they aren’t sure of what to do. Ha! Genius!
Shirt is lovely by the way. And crayons. Well. I like jsut looking at them.
God bless-
Amanda
Kelly - oohhhh! such fun! Have a good time! Kelly
traci - i think i know your very clever idea. but i can’t wait to see it. annie looks so cute in her christmas shirt.
Christy - My guess is big crayons too! Silly me, I never thought about melting them all the same color!
I like Craigs’s wau of thinking, I thought about that too. Haven’t actually executed it yet, but thought about it. 🙂
Becca - Hmmmm…What are you up too with all those crayons>????
Annie’s new shirt is cute, I love snowmen, aren’t they fun??
lee ann - My husband does the same thing Craig did. He already bought me a new washer and dryer for the new house. Last year he did it with a TV. Just make sure you go to the store during the hours the item is on sale!
Ashley - I think I know what you’re doing…. Looks like so much fun but I’ve never done it before. Annie is just cute as a button!
Julie K. - You cannot leave us hanging like that with those gorgeous crayons. I have the same tension of so many ideas so little time. I’m going back to the handmade christmas this year. Last year I got all my shopping done on black friday then felt like I missed out on the whole – ‘joy of making christmas’ feeling. But I’m overwhelmed with all my own ideas! Yikes! Best of luck on your list. Maybe you can post a ‘Christmas Craft Organization’ post and help the rest of us out! :o)
MGF - Sorting your crayons- wow that takes some serious time and some OCD, hahaha
Have fun with your sister.
Aubrey - I think I have a mental illness. It’s where I’m busy in my mind, but my body doesn’t respond, so I only THINK I’m getting so much done, when really things aren’t happening. Then I am so shocked when I discover all this stuff I have do and wonder why I didn’t do it before when it was on the list. I always forget all the little details too. Ironically, I always try to keep it simple, and I never do. Can’t wait to see your project–are you making big crayons like Emily (little momma) did with her boys?
a thorn among roses - i can’t wait! i love making big crayons…i hope to see them soon!
katie - can’t wait to see what you are up to. i decided it is going to be a homemade christmas. me sitting fireside, lit tree, stitching ornaments…hahahahahahahah…..NOT!! i feel your sense of impending busyness.
kristin at prairie daze - oooooo, i have a crayon melting project of my own going…hmmmm. i wonder how they’ll match up.
thanks for yesterday. good times.
Lorelei - I love these pictures of the crayons. Are you going to melt them down? That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw them paperless and naked, in a baking pan. or is it? lol
Rachel - How cute is she!
Happy Thanksgiving
Lorilee - Love the shirt, Annie! Meg, I can’t wait to see what the crayons are for! I know what you mean by Christmas Eve meltdown. Mine usually hits a bit sooner! So many ideas and plans, so little time!
Blessings,
Lorilee