Summer Travelogue 2013

This summer has flown by!! We just returned from a 2 month vacation in the US and I just have to document everything about it. We had a really wonderful time visiting with friends and family and doing and going everywhere! No wonder it went by so quickly.

Part 1:
We left June 20th and flew Qatar Airways from Doha to Dubai, then Emirates Airlines from Dubai to LAX. The second leg of the journey was 17 hours in the air. Kind of rough, but still worth it. Our first flight left around midnight and the boys were so excited they did not sleep at all that night until we were in the Dubai airport waiting for our 6am flight to LAX. Then they crashed. Future note: Zip up jams are kind of hard to navigate in small airplane bathrooms. Next time, I would do a long sleeve 2 piece PJ set and socks and shoes.

We rented a car in LAX and stayed that first night with Brooke and Ryan in Valencia. Everyone was up by 3am-ish, so we headed to the beach to watch the sun rise and have a picnic breakfast. We were back by 8am or so when Brooke, Ryan, and Amber woke up. My dad was driving through so he met up with us for dinner and then we carpooled back to Bakersfield.

The next week was spent going to Wal-Mart getting goods not found in Doha, eating Smith's doughnuts, going to Murray Family Farms and adjusting to the 10 hour time zone change. Matt left at the end of that week to get back for work. As always, we missed him.

^BEST trampoline EV-AH

The Jolley Family Reunion at Ventura beach was the following week and it happened to fall over the 4th of July. Fireworks on the beach are my new favorite. It was so sweet! They were coming from

every direction and the entire sky was lighting up. My boys were a little tired, scared, and cold-- but licorice, hot chocolate, and a snuggle under the blanket made it alright. We had a great week spending time shopping at the Camarillo outlets ($5 skinny jeans from Cotton On!), going to the pier, digging in the sand, playing in the giant pirate ship, having family dinner and FHE every night, and just relaxing. Grandpa Oates was with us and Shelly and a few of her kids came by and so did the Fink family. Dallas and Matt were missed. I can't wait for next year's reunion! Below is one of my all time fav pics of Jakey. Love the aviator sunglasses!

The next 2 weeks or so my boys and I spent in Bakersfield. We went to Story Time at the library and learned about the summer reading program. If I read 10 books to the boys, we got a prize. Easy. We turned in our reading log a few days later and they hooked it up!! Free passes to LegoLand, free sandwiches and ice cream, free admission to professional hockey games, free books, and more! Jackpot! And we got all of that-FOR EACH KID! I was amazed!

We swam in my parent's backyard pool, went to a music class, picked berries, went to see The Lorax, and caught up with friends. The time went too fast.

We met up with Dhalquist and Smith families, old friends from Michigan, at Pretend City in Irvine on my last day in Cali. 7 little boys aged 3 and under between us. Good times. We stopped by Cafe Rio near the airport for a quick bite of lunch and James decided to drop his drawers and pee on the tree right out front, facing the street. We still need to work on a few things regarding potty training.

Matt was supposed to meet me in LAX and then we would all fly to SLC together. Well. He didn't make his flight. That means I fly solo. No big deal, right?! We boarded, other passengers giving me their sympathies with 'that look'. (You know the one.) Then, like ducks, we sat. And sat some more for and extra hour and a half. The boys were going crazy and I just about lost it with a full on tearful breakdown. But- I pulled myself together, barley, and we landed in SLC to find Laura there ready to take us to our hotel in the borrowed Suburban. Once again, she saved he day!! That girl is THERE WHEN YOU NEED HER! She helped unload the car and we laid the boys down for bed. I love Laura. SO MUCH! Matt arrived in the wee morning hours, with our rental car, and the smell of airports on him. Poor guy had been stuck trying to come see us for hours. Reunited, we all slept great in each other's arms. I love when we are together.

The crazy kids waiting to board.

Part 2:

The next day, Laura met up with us at the hotel for the free breakfast. Girlfriend deserved it. We headed right down to Manti for the WINTCH family reunion! It was all of Richard's siblings and their cousins, and whichever of their children could make it. In other words, tons of people were there. We swam at the Manti pool, had a BBQ, and caught up on each other's lives. The next day was family pictures and then we headed up to 'The Mountain' (you know the one) for food and fun and horses---all in matching shirts of course! Nothing, NOTHING says 'family reunion' quite like matching shirts. Next day baby Andrew was blessed, Aunt Mary spoke in church, and then we all dispersed. It was over too soon!

Matt headed back to SLC to go fishing for a week up in Nootka with my dad, Ryan, Grandpa Oates, and a whole bunch of other 'in-laws' and 'friends-of-friends'. They had a good time and the salmon they brought back was tasty and FRESH!

Me and the kiddos headed back down to St. George for the next 3 weeks and played with Ethan and Evelyn at Grandma B's house. There were several squabbles between the 5 of those kids, and at many points I thought I was going to loose my mind, but in the end they would hug it out or just forget about it. 5 kids 3 and under in one house is a handful! We enjoyed Costco, the jump house, St. George temple, saw the new movie 'Planes', made an ER trip for James's leg, dinner with friends, downtown splash pad and carousel, and Grandma B's backyard: water, sandbox, and a camp out. We also went up to Sandy for the annual Michigan Friends Reunion. I don't have a picture from that but it was so great to catch up with the women whom I admired from our days in MI. Love those ladies!

Matt, Grandpa, and Phil at Nioche property. Guys day out.

The day we were supposed to fly out, there was a travel advisory towards Americans in the Middle East and Africa. They shut down 22 Embassies for about a week during the end of Ramadan. We didn't feel comfortable going over there right then, so Matt went back for work and we stayed an extra week. I flew with the boys to Washington DC where Matt met up with us and we all flew back to Doha together. Now we're here safe and sound.....and HOT and HUMID!

It was a magical summer. Until next year America!