our lily pad...

primp and happydance...

loved going to karissa's graduation (lots of high school primping and happy dances)

loved hanging out with the family

love being within driving distance to oma and opa (although i have decided i could not be a truck driver...i mean, i could be a truck driver--just not a very good one as i might be prone to falling asleep at the wheel...)

still, loved roatripping with the kiddies--the are such seasoned travelers. (that and threatening them with bodily harm if i heard any bickering works wonders)

back to karrissa...my favorite niece who graduated in 2009...she did not take graduation pics and was really working her favorite aunt when i tried to take some shots of her.  i only got a couple where she (a) was not on the phone or (b) was not looking off ignoring me (like, really, auntie???)

she did her happy dance walking off the stage...

i'm proud of her...and kortne, who just finished her first year of college!

but, i just have to say--what's up with the lips nowadays???? they all look like they got collagen injections...

i noticed every photo i took of the youngbucks, they had their lips poked out...what's up with that???

so thinking it's a hip new think, i decided to do it too...

okay, doesn't look the same...how about this one...

maybe. but, let's see how my sis and i look...

ummmm, no! we look like a throwback to the movies "friday" or "autin powers" (hmmmmm, why have billion dollars...) 

how about me and kai...

even opa got in on it with caleb...

i think i am kind of getting the hang of it--although i think you must be under 20 to really look cool doing it...

peace, love and hair grease....

11:16

that's how long it took the kids and i to go over the mountains and through the woods to oma and opa's house.

the last 3 hours seemed like an eternity...e.tern.it.y.  but the kids did great. (dvds are our friend).  

and we passed a lot of places that we went to in the rv, so it was kind of like going down memory lane--we miss samson!!!! hoping we can take him out on the road for a little this summer...

but onto mother's day--the most wonderfuliest day of the year--no cleaning up wrapping paper like at christmas, no hurrying to cook the turkey like at thanksgiving, no trying to bbq in the heat like at fourth of july. nope. just one whole day to do absolutely NOTHING and watch the hubby do EVERYTHING. i lurve it!!!!

breakfast in bed...

cards...

flowers...

BY cooking...

and, of course, PRESENTS!!!! wooo hoooo....

in the words of my sweetest husband---i am SO spoiled!

but the best gift was this...

awwwwww....i could almost have four more just like them....

i did not get the camera until wednesday.  i am breaking it in at oma and opa's house...

but kai wanted the first pic i took with it to be of her...

peace, love and hair grease...

portland, oregon

i spent a relaxin' weekend in portland oregon with my favorite sister (same Father, different mother)...

big guy stayed home with the kiddies so i could have a weekend away (thank you, babe--you rock!)

we spent lots of time exploring portland and then got to hang out with toni (yippeeeee!).

at our fav store---anthro--but can you believe i bought nuthin"....

loved portland but sad my homie, partner in crime, accountability partner is so far away....

mt. hood in the background---can you believe everyday was gorgeous-except the day i left. then the cold front hit.  got out just in time...

the bakery rocked---the cookies were delish and the pecan cinnamon swirl roll added three inches to my hips just looking at them...

scenes around portland's alphabet district (which was way cool)..

we ate at this great little cafe that had yum yum desert--just go ahead and add another 3 inches to the hips...

the BEST part of alphabet district was discovering these letters.... yup, going straight to the scrap room.  i tried to figure out what word i wanted and bren said "i am" (not the i am every woman but the I AM as in God telling Moses to tell the Isrealites that I AM sent him----LOVED it...or louie giglio saying i am not but i know I AM) thanks, bren!!!!

  

then we hung out in the "grunge" district and went antiquing.  i found a cooooool christmas present for oma (shhhhhhhhh..can't show it...it's a surprise).

loved these old cameras...what did we do before digital and photoshop (and starbucks and cell phones and the internet and FACEBOOK.....)

fun times with fun friends and then i was time to go home to the kiddies and hubby!

funny....

ok, two posts in the same night...ok, two posts in the same night...

but 

this 

is 

funny...

we got the kids the original "hulk" tv series to watch while on the road. (side note: is it us or is it really hysterical to watch those old tv series from the early 80s????  i mean, the hulk (aka lou farigno (sp???)) was scary to me back then.  now to look at it with the kids, we see the green paint coming off on the bear he fights and people he touches. not to mention the special effects--i use to freak out when i saw david banner's eyes turning green) but bryce has not taken to watching it with us.  in fact, he RUNS crying in the other direction, closes both of the doors to the back and dives under the bed covers whenever it comes on (even if we are watching regular tv and a commercial with the hulk in it comes on).  so now, every time we put on the dvd, he thinks we are going to watch the hulk and bolts to the back of the rv.  only tonight, it was really quiet back there...he totally fell asleep hanging off the side of the bed. AND the other kids were just watching the original herbie movie...

which was incredibly funny!  the kids were howling!  i say, who needs lindsey lohan.....

we're going back to cali, cali, cali....

remember that song by l.l. cool j????  

that's where we are---still haven't made it home but crossed the california state line today...

we are sad, but excited to be close to home...and yal know us--the youngs do a lot of talking about leaving crazy california, but we are all talk and no action!  yes, there was excitement to see the mountains and feel the cali air...

we were able to stop in phoenix, az today and have lunch with don c. and barbara s. from ronald blue and company.  great peeps with great biblical advice!

and we passed by mexico...

the kiddies got to look out the window at mexico...

i would like to say that they love each other SO much that they just like to hold hands all the time, but, NO, they got in trouble for bickering and fussing with each other. so they had to sit on the couch and hold hands (which, might i add, is very effective at stopping the squabbling).

oh, and we had fun passing through texas too! we met two couples --one from outside los angeles who were way cool and the other from AUSTRALIA (they bought a rv in arizona and are traveling around the united states for TWO years---i told bryant that could be us!)

written from indio, california

magical without mickey??????

we were having so much fun in florida that i could not update the blog.

and we did not even make it to....

disney world

(gasp...i know, the horror!  seven kids and no one complained though!)

we had a ball with our friends---don't you just love having peeps who are just chill???

the kids were even crying when it was time to go because they will miss each other. (awwwww)

 

so what DID we do...hung out at the pool, went to epcot (ate our way through it--btw, epcot gets such a bad rap because it's not "real" disney---but it was da bomb!), hung out a fun spot (the go carts rocked in a big way) and then went to island of adventure (i will NEVER ever again go on the hulk roller coaster---i mean, seriously, after a certain age mini skirts, two piece bikinis and roller coaster riding need to go bye bye)

then we left and headed to atlanta (my home away from home).  we got to see my aunt and uncle again (yippeee), eat at papadeaux (yes, food again) and spend an afternoon with the petersons (Yay!!!!! why did colby cry all the way back to the rv when he left zach?????  like we were separating him from his soul mate. ok...another thing i don't understand---for a full 24 hours we heard, "when are we going to see the petersons???? oh, the petersons, the petersons" (seriously, constantly--nonstop)  then we pull up to their house and the kids are like, "their house, their house!!!" THEN they bolt out of the car, see z-man and hannah and say"hey." with their arms crossed (i'm like--wh...what????) 

one of the many blessings on this trip has been to see so many friends and family. (in addition to all the great comments left!)  but all good things must come to an end. so today we start the long trek home (ok, actually bryant is READY to go home.  he's like petal to the floor, let's get home!).  i'm kind of bummed but ready to actually have to walk more than three steps to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  

some pics of florida...

two reasons why i would heavily consider moving to chicago (yeah, ok--not really, but i love 'em like sisters...)

this lanyards were cute (and educational).  the kids got to make them at different stops throughout epcot.

turkey legs...need we say more?????

we did not see our two eldest children all week.  they hung out with the alamins the whole time.  and it was nice because everyone had a friend to play with.  we had to ask kai who her parents were....

the only afternoon it rained was when we were at epcot.  the torrential downpour did not keep the girls from having fun.  we ran from cover to cover....

rain, rain go away....

enough of epcot. fun at the fun spot...bryce was inspired by dale earnhardt...

look at kenny's face (hee hee). yes, we had to stop the ride and let her off...

bryce loved the plane ride...

and then on to....

the original rapper...dr. seuss was a bad dude!

so the kids decide to stand in a splash zone for one of the rides...colby was the smart one..

the girls and i soaked after a ride...

ok, enough with the water already....

i'm bummed--no pics from atlanta this time.  but i am going to try to wake up with my camera tomorrow so i can do an album on a day in the life of trailer trash.  feeling a little nostalgic about coming home...

written from the bustling metropolis of vicksburg, ms.

mickey, here we come!

charlotte was great!  think we found our next possible home (God willing!)  we spent most of our time looking at different neighborhoods around charlotte.  

we are continued our trek via savannah, ga to...

where mickey awaits us! (woo hoo!!!)  we are hanging out with the barkers and alamins.  after fighting with auntie cindy because she refused to take the big bedroom in the condo (ooohhhh, she is SO stubborn but such a blessing to us!), we have settled in for the next couple of days!  (and can i say it is SO nice to actually be able to take a shower longer than 2 minutes---it's the little things that make you happy).  i am not sure which the kids are more excited about--seeing the alamins/nashia, disney world or swimming in the pool at the condos.  we spent ALL day at the pool today---bryce's feet looked like chocolate prunes! 

some pics....

bryce spent the majority of his time in this innertube.  ok, is that his tongue in the water?????...

we had poolside games and music. the kiddies participated in the limbo and water bomb contest...

tikayla won the waterbomb contest!!!!!

kenny and her foggy goggles...

it was a good day....

today,the pool. tomorrow, mickey!

written from kissimimmee, fl

life is a highway...

we have been hanging out in the nascar capital of the world...

charlotte, north carolina.

one thing is for sure--folks down hea love their racin'.  bryant and i even watched talladega nights one night--that movie was sick and wrong (but funny).

i guess i should back up a little to baltimore, maryland where we hung out with the president.

guess who is coming to dinner...

mrs. brenda will appreciate me campaigning for her guy...

we hung out around the mall all day...

kennedy posing on washington...

flowers for me...

at the lincoln memorial...

i am bummed bryce's face did not come out in this one.  i am going to have to play with it in photo shop. but the silhouette is kind of cool.

after helping congress pass the bailout legislation, we headed over to the douglas' house for dinner (yummy--we are so blessed to have friends who can cook!) and watched the vp debate (painful---more material for snl!!!).  then we headed south to charlotte, north carolina!  charlotte has been on our "if we are ever smart enough to leave over-priced california" list of places to live.  woweee--what a fun place---three hours from skiing, the beach and atlanta! (and it has a chikfila AND cracker barrel!).  we have been looking at a lot neighborhoods and visiting some friends.  however, one night a strange scary man broke into our motorhome...

i knew he was up to something when he came back from the store giggling.  bryce, however, did not find it quite as funny and dived under the seat i was seating in (hee hee)...

we also were able to get our pe in on "the bubble" at the campground.  our kiddies think every child should have one of these in their backyard...

we were able to connect with a friend from notre dame who works for dale earnhardt inc.  we surprised the kids with a trip to their headquarters where they make the cars-- (SUH-weet!!!)...

this is the most photographed corporate lobby in america...

i could show you pictures of inside the factory where the cars are produced, but then i would have to kill you (TOP secret!!!).  

we will continue heading south into florida (disney world!!!) on friday!  after that we will make our trek back home!  sad to think that we are coming up on our seventh week on the road for this trip!  i don't know what i'm going to do when i can actually stay in the shower for more than 2 minutes!

oh yeah, and the answers to the philly questions (and yes, i am a college graduate and can't count)....

1.will smith

2. ghostbusters (who ya gonna call??)

3. the real world (ok, some of yal need to turn off the tv--i am surprised that you got that!)

4. interview with a vampire (tom cruise and brad pitt)

written from fort mill, south carolina

cheesesteaks, ducks, trivia and more...

we have been feelin' the love from the brothas' in philly!

great sites to see in the city of brotherly love.

the kids were happy just to FINALLY ride "the duck"...

we first saw these little ww2 half boat/half vehicle in boston, but were unable to ride one.  so when they spied them in philly, we had to go on it.  we quacked around philadelphia and then road down the delaware river (listening to great music from yesterday like the theme song from rocky and cops.).  the only downside was once we left the duck, the kids got to keep these quackers...

 

which really sound like a duck with a bad case of bronchitis.  we are hoping these get "lost" somewhere between philly and dc.

who said the housing market is bad????  this street has been honor of being the most continuously lived on street in the usa...wonder how much these puppies go for...

so, you can't go to philly and not have a cheesesteak, right????

we've decided it's all about the bread that makes the cheesesteak!  (yummy!!!!!)

AND, check this out...

tastykakes make the world a happier place!  we have not seen this tasty little treats since college.  (ok, why do my blog entries revolve around food??????)

on a serious note, the liberty bell was inspirational to see in person. as a longtime symbol of freedom and liberty, this bell rallied colonists to revolt against england, served as a cry to end slavery and ensure equality for women.  famous activists from dahli lama to martin luther king, jr to nelson mandela have all been photographed in front of it because of what it stand for.  makes me think about the other symbols that i wear and take for granted the depth of what it means...like my cross.

also the inscription on the bell is a scripture verse...leviticus 25:10 "proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" which the Lord speaks about the year of jubilee every 50 years (the year after seven sets of seven years) when each man is to return to his own property and slaves are to be set free every seven years.  Makes you think about the principles are nation was founded on...and how far we have come from them...

also independence hall where the declaration of independence was signed and the constitution was penned...and where colby was yelled at by one of philly's finest for climbing on the walls...geez!

ok, who's ready for some trivia????? we have three questions which are related to philly.  if you leave a comment with the correct answer to all three questions you can win an all-expense paid trip to an ocean front beach property in arizona*.

Question #1. Can you name the famous rapper/actor from philly who bought this riverfront property for his or her father????

Question #2: what famous 1980s movie was filmed at this building?...

Question #3: what 1990s reality tv series was filmed here (which really began the reality tv boom)?...

Question #4: another movie question...this boat was filmed in a movie featuring two well-known hollywood heartthrobs (well, now they are aging heartthrobs).  name the movie and the two actors... (i'll even give you a hint on this one...one used to be married to a friend and the other was a top notch fighter pilot but never went to flight school)...

please post our answers by sunday in order for your name to be put in the drawing!

(*disclaimer: ok, you really are not going to win an all-expense paid trip--yeah, right.  but we do have some scooby snacks)

can you guess where we got to hang out today while samson was getting serviced???  here are some clues...

yup, you guessed it...

hershey, pa...every kids dream town...

but the coolest thing was reading about milton hershey's life---only surviving child, raised in a hardworking mennonite family (sect of amish), married a woman named catherine "kitty" (kit kat anyone???), built a chocolate empire then a town that is family oriented and friendly, was not able to have any biological kids so, with his wife, founded an orphanage and boarding school for economically disadvantaged children (4-15 years old) to which he endowed his whole fortune at his death.---talk about leaving a legacy!!!!  

we are heading to dc tomorrow to help the house pass the bail out bill that we never should have gotten ourselves into anyway.  my suggestion is to take some of those bonuses that the execs made and use that to foot the bill. also looking forward to hanging with the douglas' and watching the vp debate.  

one last thing---after reflecting on the lifestyle of the amish, we decided that we where living in excess and needed to simplify our lives.  and the rising gas prices are putting us over our retirement budget.  so we sold samson and downsized...

written from baltimore. maryland.

blueberries, the beach and baw-ston,

we drove through new york state to saco, maine (just below portland).  gotta admit that once you get out of buffalo and new york city, the state of new york is just gorgeous!  the freeway was covered in trees that are starting to turn colors for the fall (beautiful too!).  we stopped one night and spent the night along a river (the kiddies and big kid got to go fishing)...

then we continued on to southern maine.  (another highlight: seeing a black bear on the side of the freeway in massachusetts---did not see any at yellowstone but saw one in ma.)

the koa that we stayed at in maine totally rocked (according to the kids).  every morning the merry moose cafe provided the biggest blueberry pancakes and strawberry and cream pancakes!  (woohoo--almost competed with cracker barrel for best blueberry pancakes!)...

we explored portland one day (which reminds me of oregon!) and chowed on some seafood...

(notice "the pose" again)

then we had lunch at the beach and let the kiddies play in the atlantic ocean...

then we pawcked up and got in aw caw and headed to bawston, as the locals would say!

the whole boston accent thing is a trip!  people actually sound like they are mad and arguing with each other when they are just having a normal conversation! 

boston is great too---a lot of history!  we walked the freedom trail (a 2 mile walking tour that takes you to all the historical sites in boston.  there is a red line that runs through the city sidewalks that keeps you on the trail.  pretty cool eh?...)

we did not make it to the end of the trail----but we got to see some cool stuff along the way....

this kid playing the drums on plastic tubs and metal pans...

colby was mesmerized---maybe those drum lessons can lead to him playing in the street too! (ok, maybe not that but who knows..)

so you think you can dance....

we saw LOTS of historical buildings!  this one the declaration of independence was read from the balcony...

with all that walking we needed a 'bucks break...

our first night here we were able to hook up with the websters and go to the movies (fyi, wait for the video for lakeview terrace).

a note on the rv park here: it's DA BOMB!!!!!! (not yer daddy's park)  voted best rv park in america. the kids are like--we are not leaving!  words cannot describe but i will take some pictures to post!  it's been raining here (great, hurricane season!) so we did not make it to plymouth because of the rain--i'm bummed about that!--really appreciating california summers now!  

tomorrow we take off for philly and dc.

written from foxboro (yes, the patriots), massachusetts.