Category Archives: Family

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You Can Take A Family Trip To Vegas

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We had a resounding success this weekend! Nobody fought! Everybody partied! We couldn’t get anyone to go to bed! The only crying was during goodbyes!

We got everyone around everywhere. I’m pretty sure the first timers saw more of Vegas than I saw my first ten times – lions, sharks, one casino after another. With a sweet person who was willing to stuff herself in the trunk a bunch, having the car really came in handy. I even had a bunch of firsts too, like the roller coaster at NYNY, and a comedian. It was such a neat experience to do things a little differently. It was a little sad that our pool day was cloudy, but you can lay around anywhere. We just keep sight-seeing.

If 12 of my family members can have that successful of a trip, anyone can. A little planning, a little research, and everyone putting on their party pants made it a trip I’ll never forget. And not just because I am better at blackjack than my Dad, Mom, brother, and Uncle.

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Cinco de Mayo, 2010

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At around three, after painting the living room ceiling (oh yeah, we’re still working on the house if you were wondering) I went over to the B’s and babysat SB while TB and BB packed up and shipped off to the hospital, for T’s full term and ‘maybe baby’ appointment.

The lil man wasn’t ready yet, so they came home to chill, and MK and I got to play pretend house with SB. We took her out bowling, and like the pro that she is, she beat my score. They should have let me use the bumpers. We made a pit stop at the grocery store since we are totally unprepared for children – like, it was surreal having a car seat in my rear view mirror – and got some mac and cheese.

Dinner party at my house was fun. We played in the snow, played on the Wii, ate our macaroni, and had yummy cake-like bakery cookies for dessert. Meanwhile (it’s a shame she isn’t writing this blog post with her side of the story) TB did in fact go into labor, the super rad kind where you drive to the hospital and you’re  in such a hurry and the baby is ready and you leave the car IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING… she had RLB about 10 minutes later. I took SB home and readied her for bed, BB tucked her in, went back to the hospital, and relieved me a few hours later.

All our congrats and lots of love to a family I love as much as my own, the lil man is super handsome, and everyone is doing great. Yay! Can’t wait for the now-a-family-of-four to share many amazing and thrilling moments with us as they settle in.

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No Matter What

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So help me, we are going to have fun on this Vegas trip. The 12 of us that are for sure are going to go out, see sights, eat food, have fun.

I’m assuming if I just continue to repeat this mantra over and over, it will happen. HOW CAN YOU NOT HAVE FUN IF YOU’RE WITH ME? RIGHT??

Wanna do yoga at 5am? In a dress and sneakers? On the way BACK from the club? Done.

Wanna sleep until noon, lounge by the pool, eat 7 meals in 7 hours? Done!

If I’m the girl that won’t say no, will make it fun no matter what IT is, then you should be just as determined as me to make the best of anything. You’re my family, you must have a little bit of that in you!

I talked to my cousin and got excited. She’s really looking forward to her first trip to Vegas. And she said, with us, it’ll be fun. Awww. What she doesn’t know is I was about to just show up. Now I’m back in the trying to plan the best trip ever saddle.

As a reminder, if you’ve ever been to Vegas with someone that doesn’t drink, or gamble, or sightsee, let me know what you did…

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Momm! Brother! Here!

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FYI – even after those caps, there are many, many more.

MY Momm’s coming! AND my brother! To visit. UTAH.

Unfortunately, half the house is still up to the sills in snow. And it might snow AGAIN. And CH will be all, “It’s sunny in San Diego” and I’ll be all “Dude, YOU’RE WELCOME, I TOLD YOU TO MOVE THERE. BUT STOP TELLING ME HOW AWESOME IT IS, I KNOW”, and Momm’ll be all “KIDS!”

So that should be FUN.

MK prolly needs a drink. I better get on that.

But anyway. So, we’re all growed up. And that’s been on my mind a lot lately. If I pretended my Momm didn’t read my blog, I’d tell you all these thoughts I’ve been having about that. But since she does, I’ll just give her a taste:

I can’t wait to ask Momm some questions. Like, really. Not “Hey, how are you?” but like “DO YOU LIKE US?!?!?!”

No one has three kids and expects them all to be hilarious, right?

With TB on the verge of NUMBER TWO all I can think about is, what if they are so opposite they don’t get along? What if we don’t like him? SB has the bar set pretty high, what if he JUMPS OVER IT? What if he HATES ME? I’ll stop, since those aren’t my kids, but you get my point right?

Kids are weird. We haven’t been around each other and Momm a lot. It will be interesting. One third of the H’s reuniting. In my silly ski town. I hope they do that thing where they think, “not for me, but whatever floats your boat, wherein boat = SKIS OVER FRESH POWDER”.

🙂

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Side Tracked

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Nothing is better than my company! It has been too far and in between this year. We’ve talked to people that handle resort bookings and say it’s picked up this year from last year. I happily correct them and let them know we’ve never waited in line at our ski resort and our guest room has not been used nearly as much as I imagined.

Last year we had over 30 people come stay with us in under 6 months. This winter, less than 10. Maybe everyone knew the house was new and not as fancy as the rental, but I would think we could have hit maybe 20. Maybe they got the word we were having a weenie snow year.

Whatever the cause, MB and JB were probably our last ski guests this past weekend. I cried when they left, since they are the total awesomest, and since I knew I’d be back to house work. We skied The Canyons, had a girly shopping day while the boys did The Canyons again, then trekked out to my new favorite totally amazing place, Solitude.

We ate well, ran around town, and played some Wii. SB came over and beat us all, of course. I love a full house. I love having company. I don’t even know if I’ve gotten any better at it after all these guests (80+ and I lost count after trying to add up Seattle, San Diego, and Park City…). I try to let my company lead, and I follow. You fall asleep, I do. You say you’re hungry, I cook. You say it’s gross, we get take out. I’m not too pushy, not too overwhelming. Your trip is as jam-packed or calm and slow as you’d like it to be.

Each time someone leaves, I get sad. I clean the bathroom, wash the sheets, notice how my best friends leave the place cleaner than they probably found it, and pour myself a glass of wine they brought me as a gift.

It makes me ready to work on the house again after a day or two. It has a ways to go, but remembering that I’m happy if my guests are happy, I’m willing to strive to make this place as cozy as it can be. For us and them.

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Get To Work

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You’d think with only one thing I’m supposed to do every day, to stop by and say “Hi”, I could handle it! But no!

I had a hard time even getting in front of a computer all last week. We went out last Friday night to see District 9 (go see it!!!) with my brother, then downtown with some great friends. MK played volleyball Saturday AM and went to get his Mom at the airport. I furiously cleaned the whole house, cleaned myself, and made it look like we were even remotely ready to host company (minus the totally empty refrigerator). MIL fell in love with Temecula when we drove through on the way to LA, so we took her back.

I have to tell you, spending two whole days of my life that I can’t get back made me realize this:  I can’t live there. At least not until I feel old. Well, some days i do feel old, so that’s not it. I guess I’d need 3 kids, and a minivan. And a desire to farm avocados and citrus. And I might never have any of those things! The place is beautiful and cheap, but it’s just not for me. It’s too far from San Diego, we’d still have to rent here. There are some days I’m so over the fast paced life we’re racing trough in San Diego, but Temecula would be a change for the worse, not a fun alternative. I banned it.

We also took MIL sailing, which she seemed to really enjoy, and for many walks around the bay. It is nice to host quieter company over here, they really like just relaxing by the water.

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Starting A Commune

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Here’s the thing: there’s some company I never want to let go home. We got my brother out here, now I just have to recruit everyone else that I know and love, all the rest of my friends and family. If the beach isn’t your thing, I’ll even consider going where you are. No, wait. It rules here.

I think I’ll start a commune. Or cult. Or whatever. Steal your keys when you come to visit and lock you in the pool room. At least some kind of a thing where we all find a way to be together more often. Getting everyone every once in a while isn’t enough.

Especially now that I know I have to say goodbye to a life-changing experience with my SIL, MM and MK’s cousin BQ. And that I’m stuck wishing I was welcoming KD here tomorrow instead of next week, since she could help me process it all. I could just knock on SB’s door with a wedding/housewarming gift in my hands, with my Mom. But no. We have to do our best to be good on the computer and phone.

So maybe, no cult. Just more phone calls. I’ve got to start small.