Greetings!

We have finally returned to the land of excessive heat warnings. I have been meaning to blog about our trip before I forget the details, but I decided to take a little vacation from our vacation instead. This vacation included two days of neglecting all household duties and letting the kids run wild and (gasp) watch TV all day long so I could curl up on the couch and read Breaking Dawn. Instead of well rounded meals I indulged in an abundant supply of Paradise Bakery cookies and fruit pizza. I never do anything like this. EVER. It was blissful.
ANYWAY...our trip was fabulous. It was so nice to escape to cooler weather. The boys and I went up to WA to spend time with family and catch up with old friends. J-P went to NC to be initiated into "business school jail", as his classmates/inmates called it. During our trip we...
-picked endless amounts of raspberries, apricots, and tomatoes
-took walks by the river and the ocean
-gave the baby his first haircut (he was WAY overdue)
-took the boys on their first tour of Pike's Place Market
-watched the boats go through the locks into Puget Sound
-dragged the boys on various shopping trips
-watched the family of deer that live in my grandma's backyard
We had a great time. It was hard to leave, especially knowing I would be coming home to a husband I will barely see over the next two years. Max grew VERY attached to his grandma and threw his biggest tantrum yet at the airport as we were boarding. After he realized grandma wasn't coming with us, he went hysterical. He refused to board and instead flung himself flat onto his back, sobbing and screaming "GRANDMA!, GRANDMA!...I want GRANDMA!!" Since I was carrying the baby, Max's car seat, and three carry-ons, it was impossible for me to scrape him off the floor and add him to my load. My emotions (which were already close to the surface) could not be restrained and soon I was sobbing right along with him. It was quite a show. SO embarrassing. A flight attendant took pity on me, scooped him off the floor, and carried him (still screaming "GET GRANDMA...I WANT GRANDMA!")to our seats. Sadly, the flight did not go any better than the boarding process. I rejoiced upon our arrival, even though walking off the plane felt like walking into an oven.

It feels good to be back in the swing of real life, although I wish I could have extended my second vacation a little bit longer. More pics on flickr.