We just finished a BUSY week. The fun started on Monday night when my sister and her 5 kids came from California. We hung out on Tuesday and introduced the cousins and Benji to the “Kong Cone” at Maceys – a whole lot of soft serve ice cream for cheap – None of them finished.

Wednesday was SEVEN PEAKS WATER PARK!! We haven’t been since Benji was little and I was sure that it would be more work than fun since I have 3 little kids that don’t know how to swim and a big pregnant belly and I can’t go on any slides. But my sister was going and my sister in law came down from Ogden with her kids so I was in, and I was planning on coming home whenever Cali threw a big fit and decided that we were all done.

We didn’t leave until after 5pm!! My kids loved it. The weather was perfect. They got ‘brave’ after lunch and actually did the baby slides. We didn’t do any of the other slides but they loved all of the little kid stuff. I would definitely go back. We came home exhausted and waited for Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Liz and 4 more cousins to show up from California.

THURSDAY, FRIDAY, and SATURDAY were the Reunion Days! We headed to a cabin in Fruitland, UT just passed Strawberry. Grandma and Grandpa Johnson were there and their 3 girls and spouses and then as many of us Grandkids that could make it with spouses and kids. There were 45 of us there by the end. We ate and ate and played and hiked, swam, and played games and enjoyed being with family. Grandma and Grandpa seemed to enjoy having everyone around so it was a success.

Saturday Night we had a program for Grandma and Grandpa Johnson and shared lots of fun memories about them. It’s great that they can still do so much. I didn’t get to see them more than once a year when I was a kid but now we live close and get to stop in and visit.

Another trip to Oroville but our first one in 2010!! I can’t believe I went 5 months without thinking up an excuse to get back home. It was good to be there. I love being at my parents house. I love that they have never moved since before I was born. Everything and everyone is familiar. I still get to sleep in my old bedroom and the bunk beds that we had during Jr High and High School are still in use.

My camera was hidden in the diaper bag most of the time so I don’t have a good picture report of our week. I’ll write a little of what we did for posterity.  I will start by saying that when I left I was starting to need to pull out my maternity clothes but putting it off – NOW – I NEED my Maternity. I got very pregnant while I was there 🙁 My stomach is huge now, hurts to bend over, back aches, legs fall asleep, blahh… I guess I’m hitting the end of the 2nd Trimester so it is bound to happen.

When we left I still had a sibling in high school but now I do not! Kelsey graduated – the last of the crew. All 12 of us went to the same Jr High and High School. There might even be a teacher or two that got to have each of us in class. We have had someone at Las Plumas High since 1987!  So the end of an Era – if my mom was a crier it was a crying moment – instead we just ate lots of ice cream and made lots of jokes. Way to Kelsey! See ya out here in Utah in a few months! ( I love living by the BYU)

I am allergic to cats. I don’t like them. A mommy cat decided to sneak into my parents garage and have some babies and my little sisters decided that they need to mother these kittens. So we had 2 kittens running around the whole time we were there. My kids loved it! Packer happened to bring his little pretend kitty and let it sleep out by the real kittens at night. They chased them and held them and watched them lots. I still don’t love cats but I liked watching the kids have so much fun with them. I also like watching my siblings try to rig a kitten wheel chair for the one that can’t use his legs. And my favorite part about the “kitty situation” is that Michael now calls Shannon – Momma Cat – makes me laugh every time.

The 10 1/2 to 11 hour drive is the worst part but I need to say that my kids are great travelers. They play really well in their car seats and they don’t expect much in the way of entertainment. A bucket of small toys and books does the job and then save the DVD player for the end when they are really bored. This trip home was one to remember. We stopped every hour for the first 5 hours. Hour 1 – Packer got car sick and threw up :(. Hour 2 – Packer got more car sick and we stopped to clean up again. Stop 3 – Gas and bathroom in Fernley. Hour 4 – Cali had bathroom problems and was super uncomfortable so we stopped to change that diaper. Hour 5 – Benji had downed a big Gatorade and couldn’t hold it so he peed on the side of the road. Stop 6 – Gas and bathrooms in Wells. After that Cali had another poop incident but Joel was driving so I just took care of it in the car and refused to stop again. We left at 7am and got home at 6:45pm.

Trip highlights: Seeing all of the Family!! My kids learned to run through the sprinklers and not be wimps, Yogurts to Go, Playing at Joshie’s, the park, moms cooking, Swimming at the Carter’s, Hula’s, Monopoly Deal, Graduation, Visiting Grandma at the dentist, I read a good book, eating lots of ice cream, playing with cousins ALL DAY, and snuggling with Grandpa.

Ben stayed home to work and go to Scout Camp! We missed him. Benji just couldn’t believe that Dad wasn’t coming and Cali started calling out for him on the way home. Now we get to spend one day with him before he leaves on a 3 day business trip in the morning. It’s good to be home.

We played games and ate food all day on Monday. I loved having my family come over. We ended up with 7 of 12 siblings, 3 of 6 in-laws, and 7 of 18 cousins!