The Vacation

        I did not post between the 17th and the 23rd of last month as my sister and family had come to stay with us for a week.  The boys enjoyed climbing the hill that is basically our entire backyard.  Uncle Roland had introduced Gary to the blackberry bush.  Each day he would climb the hill and grab a few berries and bring them back to the house.

        They arrived on Saturday night and went with us to church on Sunday.  Those who served in the nursery LOVED BJ and were hoping for his return the following week.  (Kayla and Bill do have beautiful children) 

My brother-in-law took this pic just over a year ago.

Gary and Anna were in the same primary class.  I sat with them during singing/sharing time.

        I briefly described our Monday.  Picked blueberries and separated cars.  Roland went with Bill who drove his car to Canyonville to purchase  a camera from a pawn shop before going to the Big City of Roseburg.  I drove our car. Kayla and I would have taken all four kids had we had the room for three car seats and Jenna in back, but as we did not, BJ got to tag along with Roland and Bill.  Anna and Gary each sit in boosters which are easier to move from one car to another than I imagine BJ's car seat is

not the exact car seats, but a more spacious illustration of back seat

        We went to a local park where they could swing and slide.  While Jenna played with her cousins, it gave Kayla and I an opportunity to visit

 . 

        We spent the next two days on the road with them.  Two cars.  Anna and Jenna were in our car and the boys were with Bill.  Neither Kayla nor I wanted to drive.  And I don't suspect either of our husbands wanted us to drive.  But I still wanted to visit with my sister while we drove.  The next best thing was to have each sister ride with the husband of the other.  I was in the car with Bill on the way to and home from Watson Falls and Coos Bay and Kayla rode with Roland. 

starting trail to Watson Falls

  

        We stopped off at a view area and took pictures of North Umpqua River before we got to Watson Falls.

        We took pictures on the boardwalk in Coos Bay and went to a street fair before driving to Sunset Bay State Park.  Anna enjoyed some chocolate covered bacon. She would not share with Bill.

  

        It was a task trying to get Anna to leave the beach.  She told her dad that "her heart was in the ocean and she had to find it".  Unbeknownst to Kayla and Bill, the keys to their car were locked inside.  Now, I don't mention this to embarrass them, but to continue the story of the "heart in the ocean"

        As Roland and Bill worked at trying to break into the car (each has car rescue service card - unfortunately we did not get reception at the beach) and as the kids were get anxious, Bill told Anna she could return to the water, but that when he called her she would have to come right away.

 

        When he called out to her the second time, she said it was okay to get out.  She had found her love and her heart and everything was okay.  I thought it was cute so thought I would share it.

from hd wallpaper

        As with most children, BJ warmed up to Roland right away.  Roland is a kid magnet.  I haven't known a child yet who doesn't love Roland.

        The boys liked Watson Falls.  The girls liked getting wet at the beach. The adults were tired of being in the car.  We stayed home for the next two days. The dads helped the kids make pizza 

          Afterward the whole gang (except Roland) went to the pool for a swim.  I had an invalid check and had to return home for another, but I wanted the rest of the family to get all that they could and asked the manager if they could go in while I ran home to get the check. 

        By the time I had returned with the check, there really wasn't enough time for me that it was even worth getting wet.  So I just took pictures.  It's nice to have Bill in some pictures than as he is often the one behind the camera.

        We learned that BJ loved going down the slide.  After a while he got bored just going on his bottom, however and thought it would be more fun going down on some other body part - which did not go over well with either Bill or Kayla or (I would guess) even the lifeguards   Time for BJ to enjoy having a nap.

        As we left to go to the dressing room, Kayla announced, "WE are not coming back here tomorrow.  At least BJ and me.  If Bill wants to bring the kids, he can.  But it will have to be without me."

        We learned that BJ's first was "Google" He is quite proud to say "Okay, Google" and rattle off something the rest of us are unable to detect but the phone always manages to find something.  While visiting with us, and the phone in his possession, Google told him about "pronouns" which I don't believe he even cared about, but he was quite pleased to have the phone talking to him.

                     Their last full day with us was on Friday.  I had planned on driving Kayla over to the pool as the group had left their unused pool toys behind. I started to back out of the driveway - forgetting that about another car being there.  I scraped the side of my car next to Bill's and asked Kayla if she could have him move it for me.  Kayla returned with the keys and BJ; she decided just to drive their car so that she could tell people that she had actually driven in Oregon.  We allowed BJ a few moments of pleasure as he played in the baby park. The rest of their time with us we we either played games or watched programs and visited.

        It was a short visit.  Jenna and I realized that there was more we had meant to do while they were here with us.  Jenna is now going through cousin withdrawal I think even worse than before they came.  I'd love to let her visit with them for another month.  It would be awesome if we could all three return for a visit.