Ok, time to pick up the pencil again, or at least the keyboard. It's been too long when it's been almost two months! So over the last several days I have been wanting to write, but not really knowing what to write about. There's more than enough material. I mean, with ten kids there is always something to write about, right? I think today I will write the ups and downs of vacationing with ten kids.

Up...Vacation! The very word instills joy and happiness (for most anyway!). We don't get to vacation very often and thus when we do, we do it up big. Thanks to my dad who rents a condo on the beach every year, we get to go in style! Beach, sand, sun, water, water and more water, dolphins at sunrise, beautiful sunset over Dana Point, shopping at cheesy gift shops and dining at fun restaurants! It's all so good I am salivating as I sit here describing it!

Down...12 hours in a car with ten kids. Wow...where do I begin with that one? Isaac vies with Colby over the third bench because Isaac likes to lay down when on the road. Well, with twelve people in the car, a whole bench to yourself only comes if your puking, farting or just bullying. It always spurns an argument from several people. Then there's the fourth bench. Most people don't want to be in the very back of the car, until they realize how much crap they can get away with back there. Sleeping on the floor, bouncing around without seat belts because mom just can't reach all the way to the back like that, and playing naughty games that can't be heard from the front seat. The road trips are always split into two days and by day two this year right around Ontario California (only two hours from the beach) Colby looked up at me, sighed deeply and then said "Mom, I am so damn bored!". Normally I would threaten soap in the mouth of my five year old when using this language, but in this situation I just burst out laughing, in fact I am laughing as I write this....so I guess that could also be an up!

Up...the road trip does have it's perks too though because we get to stop in Vegas on our way down and back. I love this town, but mostly because we get to see my sisters and their families, at least usually we do. This year we couldn't, so we stopped in St George on our way home, and that was great too. Love those towns!

Down...sand. I love the sand, when it's on the beach, but seeing as our condo is beachfront, we have sand in every crevice of the condo all week. By the end of the week you learn to just deal with sleeping in sand. I know it's a stretch, but it can be considered a down, right? Ok, I guess lots of folks would take that when they get the beach in return. I know, I know.

Up....just about everything else is up! How could it not be? Lazy sleeping in days, casual not much to do days except lay on the beach. Shop, eat and have fun with the family in ways we can't do at home. No pressure from schools, no friends, no worries, just fun. I love these times with my family. We are in our own special element when we are on vacation. Most of the time we just sit around and enjoy each other. Those are our times to get away from the stress and strain of life and just be ourselves, with each other. Hot dogs and mallows over the fire pit. Swimming in the ocean. Burying each other in the sand, and not with the intent of murdering each other! Smiles from my kids that we just can't get any other way. I love vacations with my family. They are the best!

Down...coming home. Please don't take this personally friends and family, but when we get home there is a mailbox full of bills, crowds of friends on the doorstep, and reality staring me in the face. I have decided that I like the non reality part of life...it suits me! I admit I cried all the way to St George on Saturday. I didn't want to leave my happy place. But St George is at the top of my list of happy places and it played a good mediator to my soul. By the time we were headed back to Salt Lake on Sunday I was ok.

I am so grateful my family gets the opportunity to go on these vacations. Thanks to my dad for making that happen for us! I am grateful my family loves it the way I do. We are a better stronger family after one of our trips and that makes me a happy mom! Up!!!!!