Anderson Adventure #1

OK, so I'm finally catching up with blogging... seems to be the line I always use.

But there isn't much time to blog when you are having as much fun as our family is having this summer =). We have had all sorts of little adventures, and I've been keeping pretty busy with the kiddos, in my attempts to keep them engaged and active this summer... plus cool in this darn heat.

I've started to come to terms with the idea that once kids are in school, the only true quality time you have with them is on weekends and in the summers. The school nights are filled with too much activity... sports, errands, homework, dinner, and if we are lucky- a little bit of time before bed when were can read with the kids, play in the pool or play in the playroom. But then, its off to bed, and the day starts all over again with the rush to get out the door to school. And that is just not ok with me! God has given me this teeny tiny window of opportunity with my kids while they are this young, and while they are forming and shaping who they are... and I just feel like I need more time with them to make a true imprint. And this mutual desire to be with our kids is what has made me fall even more in love, and appreciate even more, about John. He's not the kind of guy who wants to sit around and allow our kids to interact more with the tv than with us.... he wants to get out there and make fun memories, and have quality time as a family. Gosh I love that about him!!

So thus begins my posts on our family adventures... beginning with the first (and biggest!)... our very first family motor home trip!!

The kids were having so much fun with the idea that you could get up and use the bathroom and walk around on the trip out to San Diego, but the trip was definitely not without its hiccups! Both kids enjoyed lounging on the couches and watching movies while we drove.. and I guess Bella felt like this was the perfect opportunity to travel in her underwear =)

Here was our fearless captain in his chair. And no, we weren't in California yet, so its perfectly fine for him to use the phone ;)

Ty liked sitting with me in the co-captain chair =)

And sometimes he was able to be daddy's co-captain all by himself.

I will spare you the details but basically, here is a rundown of our funny mishaps:

* the motorhome overheated on the mountains just before San Diego, and we had to turn off all the AC and sit in a hot motorhome on the side of the road while it cooled down enough to continue. Not fun.

* Ty was walking around with a blanket on his head (I have no idea why...) and ran into the counter, producing a small gash above his eye. And lots of tears.

* The refrigerator was doing something funky.. and started to smell like the worst gas every time you opened it. We started a routine of spraying Febreeze before and right after anyone opened the fridge. Ugh.

* We failed in trying to start our BBQ. I still don't understand why. But nevertheless, we sat there with cold, raw, hamburger patties until John had to practically light them on fire to cook.

But those were all funny memories made... and we have laughed about it since then. It just wasn't too funny at the time! ;) Once we got there, we enjoyed family bike rides around the bay, trips to Sea World, the beach, and of course- Grandma's house. Bella even made homemade cookies and lemonade with Grandma, and they had a cute little lemonade stand in their neighborhood (which by the way- thank goodness for their neighbors in the cul-de-sac, because you wouldn't believe how many people would just drive by and wave instead of stop! I mean, c'mon people- you don't have 50 cents to make a little girls' day?! Sheesh!)

At the end of the trip, we hit up Disneyland in our good ol' motorhome :) And actually, it was quite convenient to park in the parking lot and be able to go back during the day for snacks and a nap! I'll be posting pictures in different installments, so stay tuned! But let me warn you... I took a "fancy camera hiatus" during the vacation, so pretty much everything was taken with my iPhone! Yippee for Apple technology ;)