Twins...

Okay I couldn't help but post this! 

 

The man in the red shirt with his arms folded, with dark hair and glasses is NOT my older brother Trever. 

But...

As Andy and I were listening about dental implants, Andy glanced over and I hear "ahh!"  I look over at him and his eyes are huge and he leans over and whispers, "Sherr...don't look now, but Trever is here!"  Well, of course I looked over and gasped!  I had to do a double take...and then a triple.  This guy is my brother's twin!

 

So Andy takes out his phone and casually takes this picture.  It makes me laugh every time I look at it! 

 

Trever, are you SURE this isn't you?  Were you down in Scottsdale for an Idaho Potato Growers meeting...and decided to catch up on dental implants while you were at it!?  We kept laughing about this all the way through the airport...expecting to see you on the flight home.  You were secretly spying on us...

 

 

When we got home, I showed this picture to each of the kids individually and in turn asked them who this was in the picture.  Each one of them looked at me funny, like "duh Mom" and said, "it's Uncle Trever." 

 

We'll just call him Trevon...Trever's Scottsdale twin.

Business and Pleasure

Last week, Andy and I were able to go out of town for a couple of days together on a business trip.  It was wonderful.  For him, it was lots of meetings, but for me...once we finally made it down there...it was just rest, which is exactly what I needed.  My doctor told me that after week 30 I can't travel out of Boise, I'm currently at week 27, so this was my last "hurrah" before the baby comes in July. 

 

I was worried about the plane travel and security checks, especially with my heparin vials and needles.  My doctor told me not to worry, just put them in my checked luggage and I'd have no problems.  Well, I didn't have any problems making it through security...but when we made it to our condo and started unpacking, we knew immediately that our suitcase had been searched.  The corner pocket where I had all the needles must have made them nervous...a druggy was on the plane!  I just wish that as they're searching, they could be polite enough to put things back where they were and zip things back up. 

On the other hand, going through the Boise airport was pretty funny for me.  Right at the kiosk where we were printing out our boarding passes, the security officer commented on my "cute little baby bump" and started telling me about another woman who had boarded an earlier plane and how from the front you couldn't tell she was pregnant, but when she turned sideways, her tummy was huge.  This officer told me how sorry she was for the lady because she was only 18 weeks along!  But she said it was her 4th baby...so you couldn't expect much else.  In other words, she thought that if you've had any more than 3 children, you will automatically just be a huge pregnant woman.  huh.  Why is it that society just thinks it's okay to scrutinize and make negative comments about a pregnant woman's body?  I just don't get it.  It's offensive and it's wrong!

 

Then, she looked at me and said, how far along are you?  I told her, "I'm 26 weeks." and then she said, "Oh!  Well, you're so cute and little this must be your first?"  I shook my head "no."  Then she guessed "2nd?"  I again shook my head, and said, "No, this is my SEVENTH!"  I thought she was going to hyperventilate and fall to the floor.  At least she was nice though...most people I run into cannot think of one nice thing to say to me about having 7 children.  They can get so offensive, but she was nice.  So Andy and I proceeded our way through the different security checks and when we finally made it to the boarding gate...the officer there says, "Oh you ARE so cute!  We've heard this is your 7th baby!"  Okay, that's a little weird, to know that the airport personnel are talking about you.  Anyway, I just said, "wow!  I'm famous at the Boise airport!"  Andy laughed and said that maybe they needed to know where I was in case I went into labor or something.  ha ha ha.

 

Friday Andy was in meetings all day, and I kept trying to tell myself that I was in Arizona, it was beautiful sunny 90 degree weather and that I should go outside for a walk or something...but I didn't listen.  I stayed in the condo and slept, worked on a church lesson, and read a book.  I did pretty much exactly what my doctor has been trying to get me to do at my house...except I could actually do it because I didn't have little ones running around or big kids' schedules to accommodate.  The best part was that I rested without having to feel guilt about not doing the million things around the house that always need to be done.  Guiltless rest!  It is amazing!

 

That night we went to the Scottsdale outdoor mall for dinner.  I loved it, they had live bands playing, and yummy Mexican food.  We were both kind of sad that I couldn't walk around more, it looked like there was lots to see.

 

And Saturday after I checked us out, I met Andy back at the venue and attended the last two seminars with him.  It was fun...it sort of reminded me of our college days, flirting together in our institute classes at ISU.  ha ha!  Except now we were listening about medical billing...and watching a dental implant surgery.  But some things don't change.  I was the one taking notes on my Ipad...and he was the one who kept leaning over saying, "did you get that down?  I think that might be important."  We make a great pair.

 

After the meetings, we had a couple hours before we needed to get back to the airport, so we went to the Nascar racing museum in Scottsdale.  We both kept saying, "oh man...Matthew would love this!"  The museum is located inside the luxury car dealership buildings...no.  Not BMWs.  Those were across the street in the "regular" car lots.  We're talking Rolls Royce, Astin Martins, etc. type luxury models. 

My favorite race car. 

Andy's favorite.  He stuck his head inside, and said, "Yep.  It smells like a racecar!"

We thought Matthew would like these ones.

Okay...forget the race cars.  I fell in love with this car!  The sales associate (who happened to have the most delightful British accent) said I had good taste.  Ya...it's a 2014 Astin Martin Vanquish.  The sticker price is only $335,000.  It was a SWEET car.

Andy liked these Lambourgini's that were outside.  I wish the glare wasn't there so you could see the grin on his face. 

After perusing we headed back to Phoenix and checked in to the airport.  Going through security check, Andy's backpack got stopped because there was a big chunk of metal in it.  He had found a bolt of some sort on the ground and being Andy, had picked it up and put it in his backpack.  Oh brother.  First my needles...then his bolts.  Just a warning to any and all who may be reading this...you DON'T want to travel with us!

And I just have to document how thankful we are to our friends who took all four of our school aged kids while we were gone...who got them to and from school, brought them home from track meets, and showed them such a great time on Friday night...fishing, painting nails, etc.  The kids had a blast!  And we're so thankful to Uncle Kyle and Aunt Ashleigh for taking Lainah and Addy for us...they had so much fun at the zoo and playing with their cousins!  Andy and I have been able to go away just the two of us exactly...three times... since we were married with kids.  This trip was the third...the first was about 10 years ago when we lived in Iona and a friend offered to take our kids for us in return for some car work that Andy had done for her, last year we took a business trip to CA and our kids went to different friends' houses, and this trip.  Crazy that we've been married almost 16 years and only been able to get away alone 3 times!  Life is busy.  We SO appreciate you, the Andrews family and Kyle and Ashleigh!!!  Thank you for loving our kids for us while we took a little time away!

Are You My Mother?

Taylor is such a nut.  He makes me laugh ever single day with his funny stories about school, or just the way he can see the humor in about anything.  I think it's a gift that he has, and I'm thankful that he has the ability to laugh at himself and find humor in life. 

 

Today he came home from track practice to the kitchen where I was getting dinner ready, and with a huge smirky grin he said, "Mom!  You'll never believe what happened to me today at school!"  I thought, "Oh boy...what this time?" 

 

I better back up and say that this morning before he and Rachey left for school, I was wearing a pink maternity t-shirt with shorts, and I had my hair up in a messy ponytail. 

 

Okay, back to Taylor's day.  So at lunch, he said he saw from across the cafeteria a woman who he was SURE was me.  He said she was pregnant, wearing a pink shirt and shorts...and he thought, "Hey!  Mom came to say 'hi'!"  (I think I'll take this as a MAJOR compliment, that to him it didn't seem out of the ordinary for me to be seen in the school...so okay, pat on the back for me for being an involved parent who regularly volunteers.)  Anyway, he got up from his friends and said that he walked straight towards this woman, who had stopped and was talking to some kids...Tay kept walking, and he said it wasn't until his was about 5 feet from her and she turned and looked directly at him, walking directly towards her with an excited smile on his face that he realized, "this lady is NOT my mom!"  He said he was actually trying to sneak up behind her to give her a big hug! 

 

By this time, I have the tears just rolling down my face as I'm trying to imagine what this poor woman's reaction would have been to some strange kid coming up behind her and giving her hugs, saying "hey mom!"  Tay said that as soon as he realized his mistake, he just kind of changed directions and walked off.  He said she was looking at him sort of strange because it had been obvious he was walking to her before he all of a sudden changed course. 

 

Too funny!

I didn't say this to Tay...but I thought to myself how sweet it was that my almost 14 year old son was ready to come and give me a hug in front of everyone in the lunchroom and wouldn't have been embarrassed by it.  I'm glad he hasn't outgrown that yet.  I'm still cool enough for him. 

 

Taylor, Oregon Coast, August 2013...being a goof as always.

He really is such a nut.  I think I'll be laughing about this little mom mixup for a while...and I'm sure Taylor will be more cautious about who he sneaks up on...hee hee.

Conference Traditions

I love General Conference weekend.  I look forward to it every six months.  It refuels me, gives me encouragement and hope, and helps me to see where I need to make improvements in my life.  It also always helps me to feel so much love for my family...every time we finish with the weekend, I just find myself looking around the living room at my children and husband and feel so much love for them.  I'm so thankful for them.

 

Andy and I started some fun little conference traditions while we lived in Cleveland...we don't really do much with the general conference packets that can be printed out online...our kids seem happier and more attentive just snuggling up and watching or building legos or working on puzzles while they listen...and hey let's face it...when the kids are happy and quiet...then the adults can listen too.

 

One of our favorite traditions is Saturday night dessert after the Priesthood session.  This year, I wasn't feeling up to baking the pies as usual...so we took the kids out to ice cream instead.  Funny enough, I didn't hear any complaints!  Win/Win.

 

I think most of our traditions center around food.  I'm not sure what that says about us.  hmm...Another tradition is a big Sunday morning brunch.  We're talking the whole spread, breakfast burritos with all the toppings, fresh fruit, different kinds of cereals, yogurt, waffles...you name it.  All of our favorite breakfast foods are usually prepared and then spread out for a big Sunday brunch feast.  The kids love it. 

 

And then...inbetween sessions, we put together a big fruit pizza to snack on during the last session.  Yum.  Here are my little busy helpers this year.  Matthew, Lainah, and Brooklynn could hardly wait for me to get the fruit prepared so they could start designing. 

 

 They did an awesome job and were so proud of their beautiful design!

 

 

Another tradition that some of us have is to fall asleep...ha ha!  Rachel zonked out just as the first session was ending and had a good nap inbetween...but Addy was wide awake all day until about the last 30 minutes of the second session.  We had Rachel's under-the-bed bin out, which had all of her art supplies in it.  Addy emptied it out, and snuggled in it with pillows and blankets.  It was the cutest thing to see her all snuggled up in this plastic bin.  Such a funny girl!

 

I noticed that this year, Taylor was really soaking in everything he heard.  He made so many comments about the "awesome talks."  He came home from the priesthood session so excited to tell me all about it...I have really seen him mature this year.  He is awesome.  And I think my favorite part of conference this year was watching the Women's session with Rachel and Brooklynn.  Looks like we'll have to figure out another tradition to go with the women's broadcast for next time!  Maybe something like the BOYS bake desserts for us, ha ha!  Weird to think that by the time the next General Conference rolls around...we will have seven kiddos gathered around the living room with us!

Time for Another Dinner Date!

Last week Lainah finished the second book in her preschool series, "Explode the Code."  She was SO excited because she knows that means another special dinner date with mom and dad.  We took her to Sizzler last time...and she wants to go there again.  She's already talking about the ice cream bar.

 

Kindergarten registration is coming up in a few weeks...and she is so excited!  She is so ready for Kindergarten, and I know that, but I'm going to miss her so much next fall...she has been such a joy to have with me all the time, and she has been so fun to teach.  She is so bright and fun and eager to learn new things! 

Spring Break 2014: St George, UT: Part 5

Our last hiking day we spent at Pioneer Park, which was awesome!  About 10 minutes from our condo...and 52 acres of just bouldering and hiking.  Perfect. 

I loved how happy Addy was all week.  She just went with the flow of things so well, and loved hiking "by herself!"  She was happiest when she just got to explore like the big kids.  I love how you can see her sweet little dimples showing in this picture.

Brooklynn found a fun crevice to climb, with lots of fun little places to sit on the way up.

Super kids!!!  I asked Brooklynn why she didn't flex her muscles with the rest of them...she told me she didn't know how.  We have since fixed that little problem!

Again, Taylor was all over.  I actually had to start watching him to remind him he didn't have ropes...and put my foot down on a few climbs he wanted to do. 

Just Taylor, the rock, and the sky.

I found that if I followed the curvature of the rock walls and walked slow enough, I could pick my way up to the top of a lot of places.  It took a lot of time and patience.  I just cannot express how hard it is to know that you can usually do something but not be able to do it for a while.  Its a great motivator to always stay in good shape so that as I get older I can continue to do the things I love to do!  Its even harder knowing that its no fault of my own (for example being out of shape) that is keeping me from doing these things...but from a literal tearing of cartiledge away from bone which is causing severe and acute pain...and there's not a single thing I can do about it but try to "keep off my feet" and endure it.  Sheesh...16 weeks to go.

Rachey was really high up with Andy who is just outside this shot.  She was really scared...but I told her, "okay now smile at me like you own this mountain and you're not one bit afraid!"  She did a great job. :)

Yes, you guessed it...the mountain "was calling."  Seriously.  And he'll probably kill me for documenting this...but...the need to document it is "calling me."  This is the last day for this pair of Andy's shorts.  They were good shorts.  Loyal shorts.  He loved those shorts.  But his need to climb one last wall was their final undoing.  Literally.  He split his seam with one final big stretch to reach a foothold.  (Yes, you know which seam I'm talking about).  The split was about 12 inches long.  Let's just say that he carefully made it back to the car and he was done climbing for the day. ;)  I think the mountain may have called him one too many times.

Not the wisest thing I've ever done...but I knew this was our last day so I figured the pain was worth it and I could recuperate in the car.  I guess that darn mountain kept calling to me too...I was itching to climb, so I just did this one little overhang.  All right....yes...you guessed it...I'm 2 feet off the ground.  And you can see that I'm grimacing smiling.  It was a few seconds of pure agony.  I do miss rock climbing though...I didn't realize how much until there were all these walls in front of me!  Ya, I took a Norco that night so I could sleep.  All for this one picture.  (Thank you Taylor for being my partner in crime.  Andy was slowly and modestly making his way back to the car at this point...ha ha!)

Matthew the conqueror!

Andy and I were laughing because we have seen at least one lizard on every single vacation we've been on.  From California, to Oregon, to different parts of Idaho, to Colorado, to Utah...we always see lizards and my kids think they are the best.  So here is our lizard friend for this trip.  We'll call him Ralph.  Just for fun.

Okay, the best thing about hiking in St. George!?!  I found superman!  Whoa! Who knew he vacationed here too!?!

So of course I had to give him a big smooch...

Tay said that a new family tradition is mom and dad smooching somewhere.  So here we are...my big belly and all.

And here's cute little baby Thuernagle at 25 weeks!  She is quite the kicker...we think she enjoyed St. George too.

Spring Break 2014 St George, UT: Part 4

Part of a good vacation, in our opinion, is NOT scheduling or planning packed days but allowing for down time to sleep and relax.  It's really one of the biggest reasons why we do it.  My calendar is always so filled with appointments, concerts, sporting events, meetings, and lists of things to do it just is so crazy.  And even when we get away, we still have to turn off our phones and ignore emails or we get bogged down.  Andy actually got a few dental phone calls in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, yes at 1:30am...honestly.  So needless to say, we greatly appreciate the dilemma of having "nothing to do." 

 

I documented some of it.

 

Matthew decided he liked golf this vacation.  It was his favorite thing to watch.  Weird.  Really, it's just weird.  Andy and I can't stand watching golf.  But here is Andy being a great sport and watching golf with Matthew.

Taylor, on the other hand, was watching a basketball game in the girls' room.  If I remember right, this was the afternoon that I spent on the couch reading a book and resting while the girls baked us some cookies.  Frozen chocolate chip cookie dough is a vacation tradition.  It's just not a true vacation without it.   

One morning I woke up and found Rachey and Addy like this.  Rachey had the priviledge of sharing a bed with Addy all week.  Addy was either snuggled right up to her in a little ball, or laying like this, perpendicular with her feet in Rachey's tummy or back.  It looks like they had a rough night.  Addy did start out the night with pajama bottoms on...don't know what happened to them, and she must have stayed up reading just like Rachel, because her shapes and numbers book is right there on the bed.  Too cute.  One morning, we heard Addy wake up and she immediately started making the sounds of the minions from Despicable Me.  So we woke up to her little voice saying, "beedo! beedo! beedo! beedo!"  and then, "Wake up!!!"  She is a pill.

This was an afternoon after one of our climbing days.  Matthew had been all over the place...he never naps, but he was so out...drool and everything.

One of their favorite games is "Marco Polo"  except when I'm playing with them.  Taylor thinks I cheat.  I just think he doesn't listen very well.  hee! hee!  But again this vacation was kind of sad in that respect, I couldn't do anything even in the pool, I had to just stay in one spot or move really slowly. 

By the end of the week, Addy was a little fish and loved the water.  Rachel was such a huge help all week.  I think I only picked Addy up one time (which I'm not supposed to do at all for the rest of the pregnancy).  So between Rachel and Andy...I had a complete rest from picking up and holding this cute little 21 month old.  I miss carrying her around though...she's so sweet and cute and fun.

Lainah always loves the toddler pools.  She usually has them all to herself, and calls it her "mermaid pool."  She pretends to be a mermaid, and even tries to swim keeping her feet and legs together like a mermaid's fin.  I bought her a new "ballerina" swimsuit before this trip that has an attached tutu on it.  So all week she was swimming like a mermaid, or twirling around like a water ballerina.  She is so fun.


And no pictures, but one of the things Andy and I enjoy is table tennis (ping pong.)  At dental school, I used to meet him once in a while at the school for a good game or two during lunch or in breaks.  He and a group of friends played every day during their lunch break and got pretty serious about it.  We spent part of an afternoon showing the kids our amazing ping pong skills.  Ya.  They were impressed.  Move over Forest Gump...cuz...the Thuernagles are in town.

Spring Break 2014 St George, UT: Part 3

St. George Children's Museum

 

One of the days we spent some time downtown at Pioneer Square, what a beautiful area!  Andy thinks it would get way too hot for him in the summer, but by the end of the week, I think I had developed a full "crush" on St. George, UT.  What a great place to live, and the heat wouldn't bother me a bit!

 

I think nearly every vacation we go on, we spend at least a part of a day at a children's museum.  Its a great way to get the little kids wiggles out, let them explore and play to their heart's content, and really make them feel like they had a special day just for THEIR interests.

Here we are...waiting to get our wristbands.  The museum itself was in this beautiful historic brick building.  I'm kind of an architecture nerd, so I'm surprised I didn't take a picture of it, but I liked the museum even before we entered it, just because of the building it was in.  And yes, I pretty much wore pink stripes the entire week.  It's okay.  It's vacation.  It's allowed.

First room the kids explored was "the farm."  Lainah thought this cow was so strange.  She couldn't figure out why it was giving water instead of milk.  Rachey and I got a good laugh out of that one. 

The kids loved this room.  Tay was actually a pretty good player in a wheelchair.  Addy just thought it was a cool ride.  Matthew had a rough time getting control of his wheelchair.  He kept stopping too fast and about tipped over backwards a few times.  Hilarious.

And the kids aren't the only ones who enjoy children's museums.  I admit it, Andy and I are both kids at heart...we love them too.  These glasses I had on obscured my vision, shifting everything to the left.  I was shooting hoops like that.  The kids were having a good laugh at my terrible shot.

We wore Addy out this week.  She found the "princess castle" and then found the princess bedroom where all the dress up clothes were.  Instead of going for the gowns and capes and crowns...she went for the bed, and closed her eyes.  Too funny!  It is a cute little bed, and just her size too.

We told Matthew not to worry...he'd grow into that crown someday.  I was just proud that my little super hero was willing to play dress up with his sisters.  They wanted him to put on the dragon costume but he stood his ground.  No way.  He was going to be the King.  Smart boy.

Obviously you do NOT grow out of enjoying dress-up!  These two were so funny! 



Taylor is such a great kid.  He was for sure the oldest kid there that day, but he dived right in and actually spent a lot of his time showing the younger boys how different things worked and helping them build stuff.  It was pretty cute.  He's a great sport.

After the museum, we treated the kids to milkshakes...again I'll have to post pictures when I sinc Andy's phone, but holy cow!!!  St. George knows how to do a milkshake, we stopped at this diner nearby the museum and ordered their "mini's"  They were HUGE!!!  Then back to the condo for relaxing and swimming...and weight lifting.  Yes, Andy and Taylor went to lift for a while.  I'm still teasing them about how huge they are after just one session.  ha ha!

Spring Break 2014 St George UT: Part 2

We spent another day hiking around Snow Canyon, this time I didn't take the big camera with me...so I'll have to post pictures of that day after I sinc Andy's phone...but we found some cool lava tubes, and Andy and the kids explored one of them while Addy and I stayed up top and ate apples. 

 

After a while of hiking, we went to the St. George Temple grounds to walk around.  We try to spend a little time each trip at the nearest temple, its fun for the kids to see them and spend time there.  Andy and I like them to know that pretty much anywhere they go, they can find one closeby and go there.

This picture makes me laugh right out loud.  I don't know what had happened, but Rachel and Matthew had gotten into a little tiff in the car and she was NOT a happy camper.  So, I looked over and said, "just pretend to be super happy and smile for the camera!"  Her "super happy" look cracks me up!  We all look windswept from hiking too...but here we are.

The St. George Temple design seemed like a mixture of the Kirtland, and Nauvoo Temples.  It was gorgeous how white it was against the red rocks of the canyons behind it.  There were a couple weddings there that day, and so the girls got to see the beautiful brides...they loved that part.

Andy said he needed a picture of all seven kids...which meant I needed to go stand in.  So there they are, all seven kids...and mom too.



Addy had to climb all the way to the top of these stairs and pose just like the beautiful brides did.  She loved it up there, she was all smiles and waves.

As of right now, my girls still want to get married in the SLC Temple...I then reminded them of the San Diego "princess castle" temple, and Lainah's eyes got huge and she said, "Oh YA!!  I forgot!  That's where I want to get married, nevermind!"  Too funny.

One of the things that the kids mentioned to me while we were walking around, is how happy everyone was who was at and around the temple.  I'm so glad they noticed that.  There is a wonderful, warm, and inviting peaceful spirit that surrounds the Temples of the Lord...they are holy places on the earth and I'm so glad that my children recognize that.

Spring Break 2014: St. George, UT: Part 1

 

I love Spring Break!  The kids have been looking forward to this trip for weeks, especially Matthew who has asked me ever day for the past two weeks when we get to leave.  Lainah kept asking me when we get to go to St. George.  We've never stayed in St. George, only driven through it...so it was cracking me up how excited she was at going there...when she's never been there before.

 

I didn't have much planned for this trip.  With the condition I'm in with my pregnancy, I am physically incapable of doing much so I was worried that I would ruin it for everyone, but we managed to find enough to do and the kids had a blast anyway.  I just took my time and hobbled around behind them slowly, and then spent a lot of time laying down on the couch when we'd get back in from our excursions.  It worked out pretty good for all of us.

 

Snow Canyon State Park

 

We spent a lot of our time here.  The kids loved scrambling around on the rock formations.  I don't think the weather could have been better...mid 60s all week and sunny with a few afternoon showers.  It was beautiful.

 

All of the kids on top of the petrified sand dunes in Snow Canyon



Brooklynn and Rachel were my helpers with Addy...who kept saying, "Let Go, Let Go, Let GO!!!"  She wanted to walk on her own.



Just being goofy and showing off my 25 week baby belly.



And the belly disappears.  My kids make fun of me that from the front you can hardly tell, then I turn sideways, and it's like, "Whoa!!!  You're pregnant!"  I like to believe that normally I'm a lot slimmer from the front and do actually have a waistline, but I try to be a good sport with their teasing.



Matthew and Lainah were in heaven.  They were climbing and scrambling around to their heart's content.  Finding grasshoppers and lizards, and tiny desert flowers.



Brooklynn kept commenting on how huge the rocks were...definitely terrain they were not used to.



And little Addy finally had her way and we "Let Go" of her...but we watched her really closely, always a step behind.  She just had to climb on her own, just like the big kids.  She'd keep saying "it's ok, it's ok, it's ok" as she was climbing...too stinking cute!!



Rachel asked me if she could skirt around this ravine to the other side...here she is, this is taken with my long lens.



And here she is for real...so far away! 



Andy kept saying that the "mountain calls to me."  He wanted to go climb it.  I have to admit, this was a hard vacation for me.  The rocks kept "calling to me" too...I was itching to scale a wall or two...but had to be content with watching and taking pictures.



Addy had no sense of, "oh hey!  There's a ledge right there!"  So she was very unhappy sometimes when we wouldn't let her walk on her own.  She was all over the place, a cute little mountain goat.



Lainah figured out that she could climb better without her shoes because her toes were "more grippy."  She was actually a natural at it, her little fingers found the tiny cracks and crevices, all the natural handholds that a climber looks for...Andy and I thought maybe we should get back into climbing...it seems as though all of our kids like it.  And Addy thought the hole in the wall was pretty cool.



Addy tried and tried to get up that wall.  She saw Lainah doing it with bare feet and then she wanted to take her shoes off too. 



Matthew was in a 7 year old boy's paradise.  Running, climbing, lizards, grasshoppers...he was having a blast.



Every time we tried to get Addy to smile for the camera, she'd squeeze her eyes together...she was being such a pill!  We were laughing all week at her funny little antics.



And yes, the mountain kept calling to Andy.  Again this is with my long lens, he's probably a good 50 ft up right here, and said it felt weird not having a harness on.  I agreed, and told him to get down.  Sheesh.



The kids had fun with this little crevice.  I taught them how they can use two walls that are close together and literally "walk" up a straight cliff.  They thought that was pretty cool...and again, it made me itchy to climb, its been a long time.



Lainah and Matthew called this little alcove their "secret hideout."  Lainah's face says it all.  They were so proud that THEY found it, and not the big kids.

I didn't get a ton of pictures of Taylor on this day because he was ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!  I just literally couldn't keep up with him, but he scaled about every rock he could find, and had a great time.  I thought they'd be bored after a while, but a few hours later...they were still going.



After a morning of climbing and walking...we came back to the condo for lunch...and then...Addy and I watched the big kids playing shuffleboard down below our balcony while we ate M&Ms.  Now THAT'S what I call a vacation right there.  After a while, we took the kids down to the pool for a couple hours.  For me, the pool was like heaven after all of that walking...



To cap off the awesome day, we grilled and had watermelon.  I think this picture of Addy about says it all...YUM......