Off Track Vacation-Extended

**Thank you everyone for your sweet comments to my previous post.  Sometimes I write things and then the next day I just want to erase everything I wrote because I get embarrassed showing through to much sometimes.  But then I remember that those are real feelings that maybe someday my kids will go through.  So I keep it.  I really do appreciate such positive feedback!

David took off to the Philippines on a last minute trip and it really worked out great because 2 days after he took off, the kids went off track from school for 3 weeks.  So after the Primary Program on Sunday, we left Monday morning bright and early at 4 am.  The kids slept the first 3 hours, but I was struggling to keep my eyes peeled!  Maybe to early without a driver to switch off with!  Made the trip go fast and we arrived at my parents at 1:30.

I had my week planned and packed with fun things.  Picnic at the park with my sister, SIL’s and their kids, haircut, hair highlighted, visit from my high school friends, dinner with my mom, sister and SIL’s at Olive Garden…YUMMM, picked and canned tomatoes, watched General Conference, family get together Sunday, and a call in the middle of all of that from David letting me know he was extending another week!

So the party extended and we crafted it up!  Hair bows, sun mirror, Goodwill shopping, visits at Grandma and Grandpa McGary’s, cracked walnuts, canned grape juice and lots of working out!  I had a few goals I set for myself.  The first week was to get to the top of the hill above my parents home.  Then when I knew I was staying longer I set another goal for myself, to run up that hill and go a mile farther and then run back home 6 miles total.  It felt great!  We loved our time with everyone and will cherish the memories forever.  How often will we be able to take off for 3 weeks in the middle of October? 

At the Olive Garden!  It was such a treat!!  Thanks Mom!!

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We had a cousins sleepover night for the older cousins.  The girls came to Grandma’s and the boys went over to Seth and Heather’s.  IMG_1848 IMG_1850 IMG_1852

The kids enjoying the fun things at grandma and grandpa’s.  Jenna enjoyed a crayon!

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If you have a grandpa as cool as ours, he will do whatever it takes to hook up his grandkids for a very fun day!!  My dad helped build the brand new rollercoaster at the Country Mercantile and got a sweet deal for 19 lucky grandchildren…free, unlimited rides!!  And this was really SWEET because it would have busted the bank if we had actually paid for as many rides as we all rode!!!  And even more fun when your cousins are all with you!

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1/2 Price Appetizers at Applebee’s after 9 PM!!  Oh Yah!!!  Lots of FUN!!!

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Andrea invited us over to swim at her parent’s indoor pool.  It was a nice change up, since we haven’t been swimming in a while!  The kids had a great time and Alyssa was jumping off the side of the pool with Addysin by the end.     IMG_1937

David flew in Wednesday the 16th to Pasco.  We were all glad to have him home.  David’s brother Chris hooked us up with a hotel that night and Andrea watched the kids for us while we went to dinner at Anthony’s.  The service was terrible and my dinner was not very good.  So, we got a free dessert for the both of us because it was so bad!  We picked up Jenna on our way back to the hotel and left the other 4 kids.  One child is like nothing compared to 5, but It will be nice when we will be able to leave all of them!

Thursday we headed out to Connell.  We went and watched Mark and Andrew play their soccer game.  We all hopped in Melissa and Ryan’s new 15 passenger van.  We almost filled it up with 14 of us!  It was a lot of fun to spend some time with them!

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We took family pictures with our whole family the night before we came home .  We are working on lighting, some head swapping, but I love all of the colors.  We have such a beautiful extended family!!mcgary family

Thanks to everyone, especially my parents, for letting us stay so long!  We are adjusting to life again and getting into the swing of things.  The first few days I was thrown for a loop and REALLY felt out of it!

Comments

Scott & Ali said…
wow-the McGary family has exploded! There are so many of you-how great!
October 22, 2010 at 9:21 PM
Enriquez Family said…
hahahaha!!!! I love the pictures!!! Especially of us!! Good times!!! Miss you already!
October 23, 2010 at 11:27 AM
smcgary said…
We loved having your family visit. We love you and your children. :) Dad was going to call Melanie and tell her how much he missed her. The rabbit must be feeling extra lonely with you gone. :)

Love
Mom
October 25, 2010 at 1:30 AM
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