fiesta san jorge

Part two of our adventure to Grandma’s house.

Free at last! We arrived in St. George and the adrenaline was pounding through our veins! What glorious reward have we achieved for patiently keeping our butts in one place for the las 13 hours?!

Well for starters, Grandma had the freezer stocked with faux dilly bars. Victory!

Rowan was the wrapper keeper, she didn’t mind. She likes anything that crinkles Nice tongue! And yes, you are number one, no doubt!

The Princess went for several glides on the tree swing. Isn’t she the graceful swan? The best part about Grandmas house, is that this was MY Grandma’s house when I was a kid. I have many memories swinging on this swing.

Drew’s bike has been gathering ice dust in the frozen wasteland we call home. But down in balmy St. George Drew was burnin’ rubber in no time after he and Grandpa got this bike put together.

Rowan practiced her sitting up skills. She was still pretty wobbly. Tiiimmmberrrrr!!!

That’s okay, because there was always a plethora of people willing to prop her up again. Is she a lucky girl or what?!

If you’ve never had the opportunity to pluck and orange from a tree and eat it while it is still warm from the afternoon sunshine, you are SO missing out.

Juicy deliciousness right there. Totally unparalleled, even by those little orange blobs called “cuties.”

Drew taught himself to play T-Ball. He also caught this ball and tagged himself out at home plate. I think he may have a future in sports, despite the shallow athletic ancestral gene pool…

We took Candy Grandpa’s Jazzy Chair for a spin. I don’t know who had more fun, the 15 year old, or the 3 year old. Don’t worry, we didn’t leave ole grandpa sprawled out on the floor like a turtle on his back.

Drew put a call into Grandma before we left to make sure she had construction paper. He was fully prepared to bring his own stash, but Grandma assured him that she had some to spare. The kids made lots of Thanksgiving decorations, and some badges to hang around their neck. Who knows when they might need to identify themselves.

The Mecca of Fast Food has arrived in Utah! For a moment it’s not so special because it’s down the street, but then you take a bite and forget all about that… We also stopped at Cafe Rio, but I was too busy snarfing my salad to take a picture. YUM-o.

Even though we were far from home, Drew was sure to keep his chef skills razor sharp. He toasted come coconut for a thanksgiving pie.

Mmmm…Kelsey slaved over a blueberry pie. Can life get any better? I submit that it cannot!

During some down time on Turkey Day, the kids watched a movie and strung some handmade napkin rings. Yay for multi-tasking!

Welcome to our fine family restaurant. If you need to know how much it costs you can’t afford it.

After operation napkin rings was complete, the kids primped for Thanksgiving dinner. Brinley was lucky enough to get her hair styled by Uncle Dan.

Miss Diarrhea-Rashy-Pants aired out for a bit while the rest of us bustled about.

Dinner was so good that Drew went back for a hefty pile of seconds. He helped himself to just about everything from potatoes to green beans. That boy is growin!

This cute couple is always the star of the show. Uncle Boone and Aunt Shauna, two of the most special people you will ever meet. Guaranteed.

Great Grandpa J, also known as “Dinosaur Grandpa.” Not because of his pre-historic age, but because he accidentally unearthed dinosaur tracks and founded THIS place.

The Jazzy went out for another spin around the block. I’m pretty sure they turned a few heads rolling down the sidewalk like that.

The kids made many much visits to “Candy Grandpa’s” house to load up. Candy Grandpa knew they were coming for a week long visit and decided to put out three bowls of candy. Candy Grandpa lives across the street, and also had sugary beverages to share. I’m sure he is glad to get these two hooligans out of what little hair he has left. They’ll rob you blind in a matter of minutes. They’ve been known to bring bags and strollers with them to carry back the loot.

We went to visit Aunt Kristy’s Lamb “Leonitis,” She almost named him Baaaarack Obaaaaama. Baaaa!

There are plenty of trees made for climbing at Grandma’s house.

Grandma bought these fancy wiggle racers at a local craft show. The learning curve was a little steep for Brinley, but she worked it out.

Drew had a blast zooming down all the windy driveways at Grandmas.

If Thanksgiving dinner wasn’t enough to clog your arteries, these will do it. But oh they taste good, SO good.

Back at home Fall is a distant memory, but here the Leaf Patrol is still in full swing. It looks like a training day, with several new recruits! Wipe those smiles of your faces this is the…oh nevermind. 

My sister attempted to teach me how to sew, we made a purse and a nursing cover. Santa, I want a sewing machine for Christmas.

One last orange for the road. Oh yes – it will be hard to eat a store bought orange after this.

Before we left the men made sure all of Sally’s systems were operating normal. Check, check, check. And an oil change to boot.

And we are off! Part three coming soon, a harrowing tale of a family of five trapped for hours in the frozen tundra of the Rocky Mountains!