Beach Bums

I am still posting things from my trip to the East Coast. Sorry! There are a lot. This is Ocean City, New Jersey. The kids had a good time, but were reluctant to jump in the ocean with me. So, being the good mother that I am, I dragged them in! Like wet cats both of them.

Philadelphia

This is Independence Hall in Philadelphia. This is where the

Declaration of Independence was signed. It was cool. And the Liberty Bell. This was also cool as you can imagine. The last picture is outside the home of Betsy Ross, who never actually owned a home, just rented her whole life.

Here is a hodge-podge of our trip. We did so many
cool things and had such a great time with my mom!
Thanks mom! We love you! This is the Washington Monument and behind the kids is the Lincoln Memorial.

This is Evelyn's haircut before and after. She decided to cut her hair the day before we left on our trip to the east coast. Isn't it adorable when little girls cut their own hair!

Act II

Scene: Monterville (sweet, middle of nowhere road of a town) West Virginia. The past few days have been a schizophrenic weather anomaly of rain and sunshine. Taking into account the size of bugs and foliage akin to the rain forest. Don't mistake these specifics to mean anything negative. It's quite beautiful, and a little daunting for someone who doesn't know what poison oak or ivy looks like. :) Moving on. 12th day of vacation. Scheduled to go home in two days. I can't remember the last time I had such a good time, but today things were different. This morning I woke feeling achy. I thought to myself;

Self: hmmm. Did I run ten miles yesterday?

Alter-ego: No. never in your life have you run ten miles.

Self: Well, I feel like it.

The day continues with a pig roasting. Yes, pig roasting. Everyone that is coming for the Bun-Anna Massey reunion is there. There is a lot of laughing and teasing going on. Sarcasm running free. Typical Massey style. I start feeling flu-like symptoms around 9pm and head back to the cabin with Amy and Jerry. I spend the entire night having false alarm throw up sessions in the bathroom. Until the following morning, it comes at 6am. Not pretty nor fun.

So by now I'm genuinely worried because I have to leave Monday morning at 9am to drive the rental car 5 hours to Washington DC. After which I fly from there to Denver (a 4 hour flight) sit in the airport for a couple hours then fly to SLC. Even in top shape it's taxing with two unrelenting toddlers.

SO...Thankfully I spent Sunday in bed feeling like death, while my parents and Amy watched the kids. All day I ate a few bites of apple. It was one of those days. Sunday night I asked my dad for a blessing. My Uncle Brent was prepared enough to have some oil and so I was able to get a blessing. The next morning I woke up at 6am to see Amy and Jerry and my parents off. I was a little nervous because I still didn't feel all that well. But the most amazing thing happened. The minute I got in the car to drive home I felt good. Not completely healed, but good enough to handle everything. That is the power of the priesthood, and I couldn't have had the strength if it wasn't for Heavenly Father. Thank you Uncle Brent, Uncle Rick, Jerry, and my Dad for the blessing.

We are back home in Zion (laugh it's a joke). Things are going well. Ethan starts school on Monday and I haven't decided whether I'm going to be one of those moms that bawl or that is happy. Probably a little of both. :)

Act 1:

One mother and two toddlers in tow flying the not-so-friendly skies of Frontier Airlines from SLC to Denver. Family looks outside and notes that hail the size of marbles is mixing with sleet pelting the ground. Mother wonders if they will make it out of Denver alive, and if so would they die en route to Washington DC, from storm?

Evie: I'm starving, I think I'm going to die, and I'm cold. I think I'm going to die.

Anna: You aren't going to die. Lets see what we have in the carry-on.

Mother rummages to no avail. There are various toddler clothes, make-up, and crackers.

Anna: This is what we're going to do. We are going to get hamburgers from the over-priced McDonalds and then we're going to cover you in clothes! Won't that be fun!

Ethan and Evie: (combined whine) NO!

As most of you are parents and have had the pleasure of traveling by yourselves with children you will understand the law of parenting karma. YOU WILL NEVER PACK WHAT YOU NEED. NEVER! And of you do you will have forgotten all about it when you need it. And all of it will be compounded by the fact that kids pick up on your stress and then have a monster melt-down in front of complete strangers that give you the stink-eye.

Baaaaaaaaaaa!

Joining the crowd was so easy to do. I never thought that I would post a blog. I thought that only really nerdy people or parents who love their children just a little too much had blogs. Or really pretty people who liked the thought of seeing themselves sent through cyberspace to millions of viewers. I was wrong. You see, I have to say that because if I didn't I would get a huge tongue lashing from my family and friends. And I guess a part of me just wants to say...hey my kids are cuter than yours.