Ya can't OD on family!

PART 1 OF EPIC SUMMER AWESOMENESS

July and August were wonderful. My dream come true really. After reading this post some of you will think I should be admitted to The Home for the Crazies because I do love it. Pretty much every minute of the chaos. Anybody else out there love family induced chaos as much as I do? Please don't start dialing The Home's number until you've read me out. Maybe you'll even try to finagle a way to fit in one more family visit before the summers over :)

My family is special. And by special I mean that we spend every bored minute conniving ways to get to some other state to visit family, or to get family to come visit us. Sister? Brother? Other sister? Parents? It doesn't really matter...we're all pretty fun:) Although Mom is the jackpot. I have endured literally a few hundred hours driving in some very patient person's backseat with one or two screaming babies while smiling all the way because I get to spend a few weeks with my family. Totally worth it.

I know you're saying, "your poor husband! He probably feel so second rate". Not so my friends! My man married me knowing full well that he's my priority but if by chance he is working/studying around the clock and the opportunity provides itself to send me home for a few weeks of provided childcare (compliments of doting Grandparents and Aunties and Uncles), music concerts, art projects {ya know, like painting a house!}, and good food I'm gunna take it! He also appreciates the fact that I come back much more relaxed and able to once again shoulder the non-stop responsibilities of a single mother (Thank you very much law school! I really hate you.) So really its a win win for every one.

Ready. Set. GO!

My sister, Jana, and her husband, Bret, and 3 kids and my two little sisters, Katie and Michelle, came to stay the entire month of June with us. We have 3 bedrooms so Kiel and I and Parker had our bedroom, Jana and Bret and their baby had the guest bedroom, and all the rest of the kids slept in the kids room. We had a pack n play, extra mattress on the floor and the bunk bed in the kids room. It was amazing.

And we all had so much fun. Mostly laughing at each other, playing games, and trying to get the kids to quite laughing and go to sleep.

Special thanks to an amazing husband who was not raised with such unheard of practices but is still so patient and understanding of my ways!

{Unfortunately I didn't have my camera for this part...I will steal the pictures from my Grandma and post them later...don't hold me to that.}

My whole entire family joined the partay the end of June. We had a Petramalo family reunion (not quite the Hawaiian experience we had last year, but still fun) and then the boys went on a few-day fishing trip while the ladies meandered around Leavenworth and Cle Elum. {Mindy, you're amazing for putting up with us!! This is true folks, I have a pretty awesome sis-in-law}.

This party went on for a week and then they all went back from whence they came.

Except Michelle.

Michelle is my miniature only 100x smarter/talented/mature than I ever was. We were so lucky to have her stay with us for almost a whole month! We gallivanted around Washington and played a few hundred games of cards. Dang that girl is smart! Maybe devious is more fitting.

This is Michelle in all her cuteness in front of Seattle.

Are you paying attention?!

We rode a steam train while Michelle was with us. She took the picture.

Michelle and I parasailing for her birthday

Michelle left us end of July and Kiel and I were left to fend for ourselves for a solid 3 weeks. No live-in babysitters/cooks/cleaners. NOTHING. Yikes. I was so out of awesome-housewife practice.

During that 3 weeks we went to the ward youth camp out. FUN! Caleb still talks about it.

Our awesome Bishop and youth leaders

Caleb loved hangin with the gang!

Cool swings!

I keep telling Kiel how awesome he looks doing his interpretive dance...

Part 2 where I drive to Utah and Arizona on a whim and Kiel's family visit comin right up!