a camera-less vacation...

We went to St. George for the last part of the week of the kid's Spring Break.  My parents just bought a new house down there and we were excited to go down and see it - and of course, we had to take the 4-wheelers so we could ride while we were down there as well.  I did pack the camera.  I even put an empty memory card in it and charged the battery.  I intended on taking pictures. I really did.

We spent much of our time riding the 4-wheelers in the beautiful area behind Brad's mom's home in Leeds.  I didn't take the camera on the ride.  We found many trails we've never been on before.  Seth rode with me for part of the time, because he was brave...and I was a chicken.  He likes steep trails and bumps.  Me...not so much.  So it was nice having a brave little man on board with me. :)  Zach likes riding in front of Brad...and he almost always takes a little nap while he's perched on the 4-wheeler.  It's kind of funny, actually.  Must be something about the hum (ha!) of the motor, the fresh air, the sunshine...I don't know, but the little guy gets so relaxed he just can't help himself!  Meagan and Josh take turns driving the other 4-wheeler.  They are getting really good at maneuvering the machines, shifting, and keeping their speed under control.  Brad and I also built a fence for his mom...so she can plant a garden this year...and the rabbits (wild) won't sneak in at night and eat it all up.  While we were there we also trimmed a bunch of branches off one of her trees - we got quite the work out that day!

Meagan and I spent a day shopping with my mom - trying to find some fun things to decorate their new house.  (while all the boys went 4-wheeling again...it was rainy/cold that day, but the boys didn't seem to mind)  We found some great items (and some incredible deals)...but we were way off on the scale.  The items looked big in the store, but when we got them back to the house they are just not big enough to look good in the areas we were thinking they would go.  Oh well....we'll just have to go shopping some more next time. 

Speaking of their new home, it's beautiful.  We love it.  It's right next to an amazing park.  It's a new development and many of the homes are unoccupied right now.  It's really quiet...kind of tucked away in a canyon, but it's close to town.  The kids loved sleeping in the "kid's room" where there's a bunk bed w/ trundle and a big bed...and a tv!  Grandpa and Grandma really went all out! :o)  We enjoyed many hours in the house, grilled dinners on the deck, and lots of relaxation...which is our perfect vacation - we aren't the type of people who want to fill every minute of vacation time with schedules and so many things to do that you can't just relax.  This was our kind of vacation - lots of down-time.  We did go to a movie one night - Mall Cop - pretty funny show.  And mom and dad took us out to dinner to celebrate Brad's birthday. :)

The Easter Bunny found us Sunday morning (the kids had their doubts, I think, as to whether he'd find us down there or leave their baskets at our house here).  He left sand pails for the boys and a cute little purse/basket thing for Meagan.  They were filled with lots of treats, bubbles, t-shirts, cameras, etc.  I did take a couple of pictures of the kids with their Easter goodies.  But my camera is still packed.  I'll have to upload those later.

The ride home was long.  Well, it wasn't any further than it always is...but it seemed to really drag on yesterday.  The wind was intense.  Traffic was crazy.  The kids were restless.  ah, joy.  Eventually, though, we pulled up to our own little house, unloaded what felt like impossible amounts of suitcases (how did they all fit in the truck in the first place???), cooked up some yummy mac & cheese, and popped in a dvd...Bolt - an Easter gift from Grandpa and Grandma (thank you again!).  The kids zonked pretty quickly...and I wasn't too far behind.

So that's it - our little Spring Break vacation in words...not pictures...and I'm okay with it. :)

So now it's back to reality.  Laundry to do.  Suitcases to unpack.  Rooms to pick up.  Shirts to iron.  Groceries to buy.  Dinner to prepare.  Blogs to update.  Good stuff.  Happy Monday!