Vacation Time

Well, it's official. We are NOT going on vacation again! Well, I shouldn't say that. What I should say is that it was hard. Matt and I and all 4 kiddos flew back to California for a week vacation. We had been planing this trip for about 8 months or so. We debated over flying vs driving. Flying - a direct 3 hour flight, no plane changes, no layovers. Have to rent a car though and have 4 kids on a plane. In a confined space for 3 hours. And it's gonna be about triple the cost of driving. Driving - we can take our own car (a plus) but it'll take us 3 days to get there. THREE DAYS! Have to rent a hotel 4 times (2x there, 2x back). It would save us a lot of $$$ though. But it's going to take 3 DAYS! So the argument came down to cost vs time.

After much internet searching, I found us some great rates on Jet Blue and we ended up flying! Woo Hoo! (I really didn't want to drive.) Everyone, including the babies had their own seat. We even took the babies infant carriers on the plane to keep them strapped into. We packed everything in the house it seemed, taking 4 suitcases, 3 backpacks, a laptop bag, and a large catch-all bag. The big kids each carried their own backpacks on the plane, plus their jackets and their blankets. (Thanks Auntie Sam. The kids LOVE the ones you made for Christmas last year. They go everywhere with us.) Getting through security was really the hardest part. We were carrying on 5 bags, the blankets and the infant seats. It was way too much. Coming home, we eliminated 2 of the bags and it helped a lot. The actual flights weren't too bad once we had given the babies a little help falling asleep.


During our vacation we got to visit with some good friends, see all the family, do some touristy stuff, and even relax a bit. Our friends, Mike and Joy, threw a BBQ and invited a bunch of friends we hadn't seen since we left 3 years ago. None of our friends had seen the twins and some hadn't even met Maggie. It was so good to see everyone. Of course the kids didn't seem to mind playing with people they didn't remember or only having just met.






We also got to visit with Matt's grandparents. The last time we saw them was 2 years ago when we made a trip out for Grandpa McMillan's 90th birthday. Grandpa and Grandma both looked good and the visit was sweet.




Teri and Alan took Mason and Maggie to Disneyland one day while Matt and I stayed home with the babies. I have to admit, I was nervous that one of my kids, or both, might get lost. So before they all left for the day, I went over some basic info with the kids. What is your name, who are you here with, what is Grandma's name, what is Papa's name, etc. I explained to the kids that "sometimes parents and grandparents get lost with so many people around. And if you cannot find Grandma or Papa, you should go to a worker, someone in a uniform, and have them take you to Lost and Found where they will help you find your lost Grandma or Papa." But all was well and no adults or kids got lost. And from reports, everyone had a good time.


Matt and I and Teri took all the kids to Legoland too. All the time we lived in So. Cal., we had never been to Legoland. (It is geared to kids 6-12 years old and Mason was 3 when we left for Texas.) It was really neat seeing so many things built from Legos.






The big kids also found the sprinkler area at the end of our day. Enjoy the video...






At the end of our vacation, Teri and Alan had a big birthday bash for all the June birthdays in the family at El Torito Grill. We filled the entire banquet room. (Mmmmm, I love the Cesar salad dressing there.) Again, more family and friends and some good Mexican food. (The Mexican food is different in California than in Texas. Texas has Tex-Mex. I think it's different spices and ways of preparing the food.) Our family's June birthdays: 6/4 Walter (G-pa Revell), 6/4 Teri, 6/6 Madison, 6/11 Megan, 6/11 Morgan, and 6/29 me.

The party was a nice way to round out our trip, but I was glad to be going home. Vacationing with 4 children is hard work. Especially with 2 of them being babies. I wish we would have had some way to contain the babies a little better so I could have relaxed a bit more, but that's okay.

So, maybe when the babies are Maggie's age (3) we might try this flying thing again. But until then, we'll just vacation close to home.