Memorial Weekend in Panaca

Since Bailey's last day of school was Friday, I really wanted to get out of town and do something fun to celebrate one less obligation that keeps us IN town. But Jonathan had to work all weekend, so I was going to suck it up and stay home with him. But then he came down very sick--pretty much everyone he works with had the same thing, so we knew it was super contagious--and that was it--we're outta here!!!
We went home to Panaca to hang out with my parents and my sister Camille's family, who was up visiting from Vegas.
Friday night it was just nice to sit back and relax in front of the T.V.
Saturday we drove to Caliente for their annual Homecoming Parade, but we were 15 minutes late and missed the whole thing, even though we drove to what should have been the end of the parade route. Of course we were devastated to have missed what must have been the biggest parade ever! So we hung out at the park for a little while and visited with some friends and then headed back to Panaca so the kids could play outside. My parents finally got grass in their backyard, which officially makes it the awesomest backyard ever--for our family, anyway--and the kids were loving the constant weather confusion of sun/rain/sun/rain.

Bailey and Carlaya running in the rain.

Noah seeking some shelter under the balcony......

and again with Carlaya under the roof of the playhouse (isn't it cute?).

Back in the house, wet and happy!

Since we didn't have a swing for Brycen over there (until later, anyway), he spent a lot of time in his Bumbo.

Brycen in the swing my mom finally dug out of a closet. He was dressed and ready for church, so I put him in there while I got ready. He looked so peaceful that I almost stayed home just to let him sleep for awhile!

It's a family tradition that whenever someone has a birthday, they get to ask for whatever yummy dinner they want, and Mom (or Dad, in my case) will make it. My 29th birthday came over the weekend, so I requested dutch oven chicken and potatoes--YUM! My parents neighbors, the Bakers', son, Ben, has the same birthday as me, so they asked if they could join us for a combined dinner on Sunday. I wasn't thrilled about doing dutch oven on Sunday, but it was a fun little get-together--and great food!My brother-in-law, Jonathan, and my dad made dinner in the backyard.

The kids played outside while they cooked.

Carlaya and Colby playing in their "backyard" behind the playhouse.

Noah was exploring in my parents' raised garden.

Bailey is obsessed with dogs and spent the whole time looking through the back fence to the Baker's dogs. If she ever disappeared for long enough that I needed to check on her, that's where I found her.

Monday morning was my birthday, and I woke up to my motherly sister, Camille, making a birthday stack of pancakes for me. Thanks, Camille!

Yeah, I know, worst picture ever, but remember, this was morning, and I had just gotten out of the shower.
Colby was sneaky enough to blow out my candles right as I went to exhale.

My dad playing with Brycen after breakfast.

Sunday night my mom had a graveyard shift, so we were trying to manage the impossible Monday morning and keep the 4 kids (5, counting my dad, who loves to roughhouse with Colby) and the baby quiet. By 8:30 we'd realized it wasn't going to happen, so my dad spontaneously decided to take all the kids to the spring. He yelled for Jonathan and the kids to get dressed, leaving Camille and I to chase around after them with sunscreen, and then they piled in the truck and drove off. Camille hates the spring, and I can't swim yet, so we both stayed home, but about 20 minutes later we decided we'd better drive out and make sure there were still 4 little heads above the surface.

We were relieved to find all four kids safe and happy inside the old paddle boat that Jonathan and my dad had been thrilled to rescue out of a dumpster on Mt. Wilson the day before.

Camille was not impressed to find her husband floating around like this. It takes a real man.....

Camille has a way of looking fabulous even when she shouldn't. Doesn't this look like one of those paparazzi-style pics of an unaware movie star?

After cleaning him up from a major blowout, I let Brycen relax in nothing but a diaper for awhile, and my sweet family gave me a much-needed birthday present--a nap with my baby. He slept longer than I did....

My mom had also made a strawberry cheesecake for my birthday (love it!), so Monday evening before we all headed home, she broke out the dessert and we put candles in it, too, which I got to blow out all by myself! Then, as a parting present, my parents gave me $50 for my birthday! Woo hoo! Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Jonathan worked the swing shift that day, so I knew he'd still be at work when we got home, but I walked in the house to my last birthday present of the day: the entire upstairs was clean! (not the condition we'd left it in!) Thanks, Honey!
Then as my real present, he watched the kids while I went and got a pedicure this week, and Tuesday I get to go have my hair colored again, and we're both agreed that blondes do have more fun, so I'm going back to what nature intended--even if it takes some chemicals to get me there! :-)