2 weeks at mom and dad's house

After packing us all up 4 times, I was ready to settle into one place. Paul headed back to Phoenix to work so, here we come, mom and dad. It was so nice to be able to set up camp and know we didn't have to move again for a couple weeks. And let me just say how nice and relaxing it was! Mom baby proofed her house the best she could (the kids will always find something they shouldn't) which made it possible for me to relax a little bit more. Drake was finally used to sleeping in the port a crib, so no more spuradic sleeping, and no more crying himself to sleep, which was also a huge relief.

Monday night, mom babysat the kids while dad and I went on a date. Ate at a yummy BBQ joint in Provo and then headed to the dollar theater (wish we had one of those here). "Ghosts from girlfriends past" was the choice. In the first scene, a lady was in nothing but her bra and panties (I leaned over to my dad and said, "You're eyes are closed, right?") The next scene, eluded to a three-some. What kind of quality movie did my DAD and I get into? This type of movie would make me a bit uncomfortable under normal circumstances--I'm not big into casual sex being portrayed on tv or movies. But compound those uncomfortable feelings with my DAD sitting right next to me, and well, we'll just say I didn't relax for the next hour and a half. I loved spending time with my dad and we joked after about how uncomfortable that movie made me. My mom's solution to the problem is that dad and I should have had more sex talks when I was younger. RIGHT!!!! No thank you! I love my dad and otherwise really enjoyed our daddy/daughter date. Can't remember the last time that happened.

My parents live in Provo and most of the rest of the family (mine and Paul's) live in the West Jordan area. So while it definately wasn't convenient to do a lot of visits, it was sure nice and relaxing to bring down our pace a bit. We walked to the park (still sweated, but at least the park was an option--in Phoenix, it's not even an option in July), we went to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point, went to see Monsters vs. Aliens (cost a total of $2.50 for dad, me, Andrew, Barik and Cooper--loved that!), played with Lori and her kiddos, took a day to go out to the Boleys where the rest of the Boleys came to play. It was nice to have so much time to spread out all the visits. We were able to visit my grandparents.
We only stay for about 30 minutes, not because I don't enjoy their company, but because Cooper-kazi can only handle those cramped quarters for about that long. He is my alarm sounding that it's time to go.

Over the 24th of July (Pioneer Day) the Telfords got together as a "family reunion" (not that anyone needs to be reunited, it's just a title for getting all together and spending a lot of time together. Thursday, Debbi and her kids came up to moms house and we all prepared as much of the meals for the next 2 days as possible. It's a lot of work preparing that much food for 32 people! But couldn't have been happier to spend that time with my sister and mom. Just wish we all could have spent that time together. That was yet to come. Friday started at the Kearns pool. This was not just a pool, but many pools and pool areas. Could be kind of tricky with 4 little boys and only one of them able to be off on his own (according to the pool standards). But even still, with as many people as were there (thousands) on the 24th of July, I was really nervous because I couldn't find my kids in that sea of people and worried that they wouldn't be able to find me either. But Brent volunteered to watch over Barik and Brett volunteered to watch over Cooper. I was in charge of Drake and Andrew could hang out on his own (could usually be found with Dillon). What a relief that was for me to know that my kids were being watched over and loved by their uncles.

That night dinner was at Brett and Heathers. They have always made me feel super comfortable at their house--like I'm at home. We showered and bathed and then did the last prep work for dinner. BBQ chicken, garden salad, corn on the cob, baked beans. Yummy (except for the baked beans)! Then it was time to go the the West Jordan Bull Riding show. The kids got up close and personal with the horses and clowns. Mutton Busting was announced and Barik and Maegan said they wanted to sign up. $20 later, they were signed up. Come time for the muttons to be busted, they were both pretty excited. Maegan was a bit apprehensive, but Barik was stoked.
He was petting those poor wide eyed (a little crazy looking) sheep in their pins. I was so proud of my little Bear for being so brave and secretly wondering if he was really as brave as I had hoped (or maybe hoped he wasn't all that brave after seeing some of the kids tumbling head over heels with a mutton attached). We found a more mellow sheep, started to put Barik on it, I was getting the camera ready to snap his photo, knowing I had less than a second to capture that moment, and then it was over. No picture proving that he had even sat on that dirty, crazed looking sheep. Oh well, at least he tried. So Maegan would be our saving grace. All the cousins were waiting for one of these kids to come out riding in all their glory. Brent got Maegan's glasses off, I snapped a photo, and then her mutton busting days ended just as prematurely as Barik's. Oh well. It was sure fun to get down close to all that action. And I'm still just as proud of my little Bear for trying.

After the bull riding show, it was off to Debbi's for snow cones, fire works and camping in the back yard. Any fire work that requires a match is illegal in Phoenix, so I was pretty excited for my kids to be able to see these fireworks. They loved them! By now, everyone is pooped! Cooper hadn't had a nap that day, and it was pushing 11 pm. Time to set up sleeping bags and hit the grass. Right after the kids had fallen asleep, it started to rain. Just a little, at first. I was so tired, I didn't care. A little rain never hurt, did it? Brent checked the forecast--a 30% chance of rain until 1 am. Not bad. Just a couple more hours. And 30% chance? The odds were in our favor. I stayed put. The sprinkles started to get a little more serious. I still didn't care. I was tired and wasn't moving. Brent and dad were concerned, so Brent set up his pop up shade and put that over us as shelter. Just after he did that, it started raining pretty good. Brent and dad were out in the rain finding tarps to drape over us to make a little "homeless" tent. Still I was too tired to care or move. And now it was downright POURING!!! The boys had no idea that it was even wet outside. Debbi's sweet dog Sierra slept just outside the opening of our "tent" all night--she never left us. What a good dog! Thank goodness the clouds were still covering the sun Saturday morning--that meant the kids all slept a bit longer than would have normally with the sun poking up at 6 am. In fact, I don't think I woke up until after 8 am. How often does that happen while camping with little kids? Breakfast was served and then there was debate as to what activities to do Saturday. The forecast didn't look good for going to the lake like had been planned.

Throwing all caution to the wind, we packed up and headed to the lake. Brett took Andrew, Barik and Cooper with him and his kids. Drake, Austin, Dillon, Maegan and I met up with them at the lake for a beautiful day! Lots of sand castles, and more time with cousins. Barik loved playing in the sand as much as building sand castles. Cooper was loving the beach so much that he was rolling all over in the sand (with a wet body). He was covered head to toe in sand. He did NOT appreciate me cleaning him off in the lake. He was absolutely exhausted and fell asleep in my lap after the cleaning ordeal was over. I don't think he has fallen asleep in my lap since he was a newborn. Andrew thoroughly enjoyed playing by himself in the sand. He was a bit tired from the night before and prefers to be by himself in those cases.Drake was crawling all over, and was pretty self contained most of the time. But there were many times when Denice and Debbi took over helping him out. My mom and dad helped a ton with my sweet kids also. Everyone did! I felt so loved and taken care of! What an awesome family I have.

After the beach, it was off to Denice's for dinner. We got cleaned up at her house and then had BBQ ribs, more salad, veggies, potato salad, snow cones and funnel cakes. Yummy (again)! The night at Denice's was a bit more low key. All of us were getting tired. But more fire works made their way out--the boys got to do sparklers for the first time (Andrew for the second time, but he doesn't remember the first). Then back to mom and dads to sleep. We were all so tired Sunday, I couldn't imagine getting myself and all the boys ready for church. So we didn't. Just stayed home and recovered.

What a great, fun filled, memory made weekend! I sure love spending time with my family!

Snowbird

So, from Brian Head, we headed up to Snowbird to enjoy Paul's parents time share. Paul has always loved Snowbird and gets super excited when we can make it up there. After being in 110 degrees, what could be better than ski resort hopping? More pine trees. More hiking and exploring. More family time. The boys got to spend lots of time with Connor (who stayed with Carol and us for the first couple days) and then lots of time with Adam, Marc and Treyson (and Connor as well) when Michelle and Emily came up. Emily took the boys to the game room one night and spoiled them by buying them tokens to play games and even bought them snacks. She sure loves her nephews and niece. Matt and Maria came with their kids and spent some time with us as well. Having grown up away from cousins, the boys sure enjoy spending every waking minute with them. It doesn't matter whether it's in the pool, or running up and down the halls. It doesn't matter whether it's going down the alpine slides, or hanging out in one of the rooms. It doesn't matter whether they're riding a mechanical bull or staring up at the stars from the balcony (wondering aloud if the lights on the mountain are monsters). It doesn't matter what's going on, as long as they get to spend time with each other.

We celebrated Andrew's birthday a few days early with Paul's family at Snowbird with Sponge Bob cup cakes (you know how much I love my son when I buy him Sponge Bob cup cakes--I hate Sponge Bob). (no candle? Not to worry, Emily came prepared with a lighter:))
He had just gotten some pretty good road rash on the Alpine slide (oh yeah, we were racing and he lost control--poor little dude). He was in some pain and having a hard time getting over it, but when Paul decided to give him his new MP3 player, it seemed to make everything better. Paul was almost more excited about Andrew's MP3 player than Andrew was. He's such a good dad. Spent hours downloading all the songs he knew Andrew would love. He also got the pocket knife that he's been asking about for over a year. Paul always told him that he could have it when he turned 8. Seriously?! What does that kid need with a pocket knife? Now there's a disaster waiting to happen! Happily, it has been hidden away in my purse ever since.All the Boley cousins (notice there's only one girl?!)

Brian Head

The first stop in our trip to Utah (besides the night we spent in Cedar City) was a beautiful cabin (selling for only$550,000). Debbi, Austin, Dillon, Bailee and Mom and Dad met us down there. Brian Head is near Cedar Breaks and is absolutely breath taking!







Dillon and Andrew enjoying the very chilly view.The pine trees are surrounded by the red rock we have come to know as home. What a stark and amazing contrast!
We got settled, and then the exploring began. Of course, the first thing the boys did was build a fort. They spent hours gathering the perfect logs and sticks to put their master planned fort together. I loved that Dad was right in the mix with the boys (Dillon, Andrew, Barik and Paul) building this fort. Once the fort was finished, they moved on to bigger and better things--like building another fort. Except this one was WAY cooler! They found nails and ply wood and 2x4's. And then when that fort was finished, they hiked.

There was a lot of time spent playing pool, which was a big hit with Austin who is too old to be building "dumb forts" (my words, not his). Cooper fell in love with the doll house that was upstairs in the loft. Heaven knows we don't have doll houses in our house. Sponge Bob Life was brought out, which my boys loved (stupid Sponge Bob).

On one of the late mornings, Cooper, Drake, Debbi and I went looking for Bumble Bee's (from Transformers) house. Cooper was convinced that Bumble Bee lived in one of the Cabins right next to the one we were staying in. So off we went. Cooper didn't find Bumble Bee at the first cabin (imagine that), so off we went to the next one. Up hills. Down hills. (Remember we are at a ski resort--in the mountains, of course). We visited 3 different cabins, and never found Bumble Bee (or "Octimus Pwime", for that matter). But it was sure great hiking around with this little boy filled with a HUGE imagination.

After dinner one night, we all made smores on the back porch overlooking the grand forest. Dad got to show Andrew the finer points of Smore making.Cooper really enjoyed his Smore.And of course Barik did too.


Dad took our family pictures at the cabin. We even got one where we all look pretty good.
We hadn't had family pictures taken since Cooper was 4 months old. It was way past time! Family pictures always stress me out. Having to look just right, have the boys look just right, praying that no road rash happens moments before the pictures and that everyone will be in good spirits. Debbi was the briber, clown, and anything else she could be to get all 6 of us looking at the same thing, at the same time and preferable with smiles on our faces. She did a great job! Dad did a great job capturing the beauty of our surroundings and of course our little boys. Mom did a great job as dad's assistant (she has been his unpaid assistant forever). I am so happy to have our current family pictures hanging on the wall.


We celebrated Drake's first birthday at the cabin. He got his very own cake, only ate a couple bites of it before pushing it away, but we sure enjoyed watching him on his first birthday. He was cruising like a champ and could win any crawling contest. He finally cut 2 top teeth (he only had 2 bottom teeth until right before his birthday). He was sure grumpy--cutting teeth and being in a different house and a different bed. But he sure is cute! Can you say "cookie"?

One day after hiking with Barik, Debbi called me over to show me the project Barik was working on. With a rock in his right hand, he was pounding a larger boulder. "What are you doing, Barik?" "Making snow." "What for?" "For the ants. So they can make snowmen." "That's nice of you Bear. Hmmm. The wind is blowing some of your snow away." "I'll make extra so the wind doesn't blow it all away." Such a gentle, thoughtful little guy.

On yet another hike, Cooper was found reading a very detailed story to an even more captive Badger.Good thing the Badger didn't see these two strong boys, or surely it would have run away.
Lots of great memories were made at the cabin. I'm so glad Debbi and her kids and my parents decided to come down to spend time with us.

Oh Boys!

Cooper is very energetic. And he also LOVES to play and wrestle with his older brothers. Andrew likes to wrestle back with Cooper, but Barik is a bit more "soft" and gets annoyed by Cooper easily. So, when Cooper goes into attack mode, Barik turns the other cheek. Again, and again, and again. Barik always ends up in tears. After exhausting our other discipline tactics, we finally turned it over to Barik, instructing him to stand up for himself--that when Cooper goes into "Cooper-kazi" mode, to retaliate. However, much to our dismay, this form of retaliation only encourages Cooper. He's like a helicopter of arms and legs flying after Barik. Barik begrudgingly retaliates, but still cries (after all, the desired effect of Cooper being stopped in his place by his other brother is not achieved). This has been going on for about a month. Today, Barik informed me that he was no longer going to hit Cooper back when Cooper hits him. "Why?" I asked him. "Because I love Cooper." to which I reply, "You know Barik, that is what Jesus would do." Thanks for putting me back in place, my little Bear.

Another day in Paradise

Paul and I are in Hawaii with our good friends Bret and Arainne. It has been a dream of mine to come to Hawaii for as long as I can remember. I joked with Paul that when he graduated from Law School I would take him to Hawaii (really more for me than him, since he's already been here). We're staying at the Turtle Bay Condos, which is on the North Shore. It's much less populated here than in Honolulu. There are even open fields with horses. Who would have thought? The beaches here are picturesque. The first full day we were here (Saturday) we went to a quiet little beach just down from Shark Beach. There weren't many people on the beach, probably due to the sharp lava just under the water. Makes swimming a little more tricky. I cut my feet up pretty good. Paul and Bret were out playing in the water when they saw a turtle. They called to Arianne and I to go out to visit Mr. Turtle. I had never seen a turtle in the wild before. Amazing! It was about 3 feet across. We were swimming so close to it that I actually touched it!!! (But shhh! I later found out there's a $2000 fine attached to anyone caught touching a turtle. Oops!). We later went to Waimea beach. Paul enjoyed a little cliff jumping. Super crowded with many body shapes and sizes--all of whom were wearing as little as possible. I was constantly surprised by the shapes of bodies that felt perfectly comfortable bearing it all. I don't think I would bear that much skin in public, but still wish for that same confidence.

One of our favorite places to eat was Angels Shaved Ice. A scoop of ice cream on bottom, topped with snow-like shaved ice, three flavors soaking into the snow, doused with sweetened condensed milk and topped with whoopin' cream. Heaven on earth. Or better said, Heaven in Heaven. We went to Hukilau beach to walk the beach and eat our little piece of heaven. We need an Angels in Surprise...

So, we got suckered into using up some of our Hawaii time to attend a "vacation club" (not "time share") sales pitch with the promise of free ocean parasailing and jet skiing. Just have to give up 60-90 minutes of our time in paradise to get these "free" gifts. Knowing these were things we would not otherwise pay for, we took them up on their offer. But to make things a little more interesting, Paul suggested "code" words. Each word would be worth a set amount of points and whoever had accumulated the most points by the end of the meeting would be declared the winner. "Bumblebee" was worth 10 points. "Corn beef and hash" was worth 25. "Sex" was worth 100. Surlester (our "vacation club" guide) was taken back a bit when Paul introduced me as "Leslie, my little bumblebee". Who could help but laugh? Surlester wanted to know the story behind that nickname, to which Paul was able to use "bumblebee" at least 5 more times. Paul was definately in the lead. But not for long. As we were walking back to the presentation room, Bret dropped the "sex" bomb and immediately earned 100 pts. The bar was raised, and you can only imagine what a great time we had. We lost track of points only a few minutes into the challenge, but I'm pretty sure Bret won that contest (although Paul will contest that). It definately made an otherwise super boring presentation more entertaining. After saying "NO" as many times as they allowed, we went to retrieve our well earned "free" parasailing and jet skiing adventure. Knowing Waikiki was an hour drive for us, we planned on staying the whole day and made sure that Julie (the gal who had talked us into this event) could get us our "prize" that same day. Funny how things change. Wouldn't you know that all the parasailing trips had been booked for the day. Blast! Now what? We were a little ticked at having just wasted 3 hours of our time in Paradise. But, we did end up coming out of it $120 per couple richer. Not too bad. We really should have known better.

We hiked up to Waimea falls. We swam across the little pool to reach the waterfall. Yes, Paul and I were bathed in one of Hawaii's waterfalls. Who wouldn't want to do that?! There were beautiful botanical gardens with flowers made of colors I had never before seen on petals. How fun to feel like an awesome photographer when our pictures were able to capture these amazing species. Gods creations are breath taking!Paul and I were actually fighting over to camera so we could each capture our own visions of beauty.

Some of our other favorite places to eat were Ted's bakery and Hukilau cafe. Ted's had some of the most amazing pastries I have ever seen and tasted. Paul got a coconut cake that was amazingly fluffy and delicious! Paul LOVES coconut and this was a super wonderful treat for him. I had a doughnut that melted in my mouth. The Hukilau cafe had some of the best, most fluffy and biggest banana pancakes I have ever eaten. Totally a local hang out. The waitress, bus girl, hostess, cashier (yes, she did almost everything, except cook) referred to the locals as "uncle" "cousin" and "auntie". I love the family feeling I was able to observe while on the North Shore. Ohana (family) is a very important part the Hawaiian culture.

We made a point to go to church while we were in Hawaii. A questionable decision at first, but after spending a Sunday at church with these culturally diverse people (especially at BYU Hawaii), our decision was well rewarded. I loved seeing the men in their white shirts, skirts (I still forget what they're really called) and flip flops. Our Sunday school class only had 4 white Americans (Bret, Arianne, Paul and I). There was an array of accents to be had. So sweet.

The last couple days on Oahu were rainy. I had heard that Kauai was the rainy island, being called the "garden island" because of all its greenery. So I was bummed when our last days on Oahu were wet. Oh well, we were still in Paradise, right? The last day we went to the PCC (Polynesian Cultural Center). The polynesian islands were represented in vilages--Tonga, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa. Each of the villages showed dances and customs unique to their culture. We all had a good time with the Fiji representatives.I loved the look on this poor, embarrassed girl, being kissed by 2 handsome men. I definately had a special affection for Samoa since that is where my dad served his mission. But they were also one of the most entertaining vilages we saw at the PCC. The night show gave me chills--it was breath taking to watch these beautiful people in their cultural outfits so proudly sharing the traditions of their people.

So, we landed on Kauai, got our car and headed to our condo. It was so nice! The condo's we stayed at in Turtle bay were fine. A little old, with white wicker furniture. Not my taste, but just fine. But let me tell you, the condos on Kauai were ideal! Our room was on the 3rd and top floor, and overlooked a green field and the ocean (at Turtle bay we had a 10 minute walk to the beach). We could hear the waves crash up on the beach when our sliding glass doors were open. The king sized bed was new and oh, so comfy (the queen sized bed at Turtle Bay was very firm and squeeked when the fan hit it). The kitchen table was real wood (the table at Turtle Bay was laminate). The family room had a nice looking sofa and a flat screened tv with a remote that actually worked (not that we spent much time watching tv). There was a contemporary cd/radio sitting next to our bed with music to greet us. (Turtle Bay had clock radios). The bathroom had a giant, granite counter top with two sinks (Turtle Bay had the pedestal sink that sat next to the toilet, that sat next to the shower). The shower at the Kauai Coast Resort didn't have any black stuff in it. It was beautiful! The pool was right next to the ocean. It had two hammocks hung between palm trees. THIS was my vision of paradise! So the first night, when we were drenched with rain, it was ok, because that was exactly what I had resigned myself to getting on the "garden island". But the sun greeted us the next morning and every morning after that.

The first morning on Kauai was spent on a 65 foot catamaran cruising the Napali Coast Line. This is a part of the island that has such steep cliffs that it is only accessable by water or air. We were greeted by spinning dolphins--a small type of dolphin found in Hawaii. They jump out of the water and spin in the air. They love surfing in front of the boats because the current that the boat creates helps them swim with little effort. The cliffs were phenomenal! Steep ridges covered in green! It is beyond my imagination how these were formed. Once the boat was stopped, Paul and I were able to SCUBA (something I hadn't done in nearly 8 years). I was a bit nervous at first, wondering if I would remember all the nuances of SCUBA again. But after a very brief 5 minute review lesson, I felt confident enough to take the plunge. We had to follow our dive instructor (if that's really what he was). He was able to show us all the little valleys we may not have otherwise found. While I wasn't very impressed with the colors and variety of fish we saw (the Keys were much prettier), it was super cool to see more turtles. One of the turtles was at least 4 feet across. A very old turtle who had survived a shark attack--he was missing his back two flippers and part of his tail. Oh, the stories he could have told.

The next morning, we woke up early again to get our rented kayaks and kayak up a quaint (somewhat creepy) river. I mentioned to Paul several times that I was sure we were going to spot a dead body floating in the water beneath the tree branches. It was a little shady (in more than one way). We made it to the start of the Waimea water fall trail (yes, that's right, another Waimea fall). One of the guides suggested water socks since the trail can get pretty slick. So with our newly donned water socks (my black and hot pink water socks were just new to me, had been purchased at the Thrift store located behind the kayak rental place). I soon realized that the new to me water socks had no traction as I was slipping all over this very muddy (like water and oil) trail. What a great idea...give the girl who is already balance challenged a pair of water socks with no traction and stick her on a trail as slick as they come. Oh yeah, it took me a while to get anywhere. I am proud to say that although I came close several times, I never ended up on my rear end. The water fall was well worth my stress in getting to it! Paul ducked under it (without me this time, I had already experienced my picturesque Hawaii waterfall). The water was falling with such force that he compared it to pennies being dropped on his head. No thank you. I made better time on our hike back down to our kayaks--it wasn't quite as slick. We continued our little adventure up the river a bit to a rope swing and a cliff the boys just had to jump off. Paul did several "America's Funniest Videos" worthy belly flops off the rope swing. And of course each time one of the boys jumped from the cliff, the next had to jump from just a little bit higher, and the next, just higher than the one before. Boys will be boys! (no matter how old).

And then it was Sunday again. We found a little chapel in Kapaa just up the road from our condo. What a beautiful sacrament! Not only was the building beautiful (a separate room for the chapel with three walls of french doors allowing all the sun light in), but the meeting was beautiful as well. I just can't get over how beautiful these people are! I love their dark skin, dark hair, big dark eyes and big smiles. A family of 5 kids were confirmed members. There were 4 boys in their white shirts and a beautiful girl without any shoes on (only in Hawaii). The girl (whose name I can't even come close to pronouncing) was confirmed first. I was stuck by the spirit that was present there. Next, a young boy was confirmed. I was especially effected by these young boys. By this point in our trip, we were really missing our little boys. The gentleman confirming this boy had a thick accent. It was obvious he was new to the church. He didn't quite have the proper verbage down for the confirmation blessing. I noticed that he had omitted the part about the Holy Ghost. I was disturbed by this, mentioned it to Paul, but was comforted when it became obvious the missionaries had noticed it as well. They were instructing this brother on what he should say. I could hear them whisper several times "I say unto you..." but the sweet brother just couldn't get those words to come out of his mouth. He got the job done to the best of his ability. It was so fresh to witness the rawness of new members performing these ordinances. What a treat for us! I felt especially uplifted knowing it was our choice to be there. We could have skipped out and been perfectly happy at the beach, but we were so much more uplifted having participated in this sacrament meeting.

We did a bit more beach hopping. Found a beach on the North Shore of Kauai that Bret and Paul had an absolute blast at! The surf was a good 10 feet high. They played in that surf and were slammed to the ground for at least half an hour. Slowly they would pick themselves back up, laughing, and run back out for more beatings by the powerful white water. What did I say earlier about boys being boys?

We had an unforgettable time with our great friends Bret and Arianne. They are moving to San Antonio for Bret's residency in just a couple days. We had become such great friends before, and are even better friends now. The boys were able to do boy stuff while us girls were able to do our girl stuff. The trip together is making their departure so much harder to handle. They are the type of people that make us want to be better people by being in their presence.

Our time in Paradise was coming to a close quickly. We had an amazing time! Paul and I were able to spend one on one time together connecting in a way we have never connected before. Ten years of marriage, 4 sweet little boys, and 2 graduate degrees later... we needed that reconnection! I am more in love with my husband now than I have ever been. He is so handsome, has such a great sense of humor, is so adventurous, and is developing a bit more of his sensitive side (but don't tell him I said so, he would lose some of his "man card" points). He treated me like a lady and absolutely adored me. And I did my best to make the trip amazing for him as well.

As our flight landed and reality set back in, we were refreshed and ready to be parents again (at least that's what we told ourselves). We kissed each of the boys goodnight. Andrew, who had missed us more than I could have ever imagined, awoke with a huge smile and an "I love you" then went quickly back to sleep. Barik and Cooper didn't stir. As we kissed Drake goodnight, we couldn't help but get him out of his bed and snuggle him a bit. If his looks had a caption bubble above, they would have said, "Is it really you mom and dad? Are you really back? I wondered if you were ever coming back." I can't imagine the fear our sweet little 10 1/2 month old baby felt. I had written each of them a letter the night before we left describing the blessing Paul had given each of them, also telling them what I would miss about them and the things I looked forward to doing with each of them when we got home. And while the older boys understood to a certain level, how could our sweet baby understand that we were really coming back?

The boys put my fresh loving motherly skills to the test today--fighting constantly and tattle telling. BLAH!!! Welcome home, mom and dad.