Part 2-the Journey Home

The boys in the tree-missing their shoes!
Ben all ready to go in the water!
Thomas with Grandma at the hot springs!

KC and me under the Russian Olive in the front yard!
Anna, KC and Brandi with mom!
Playing a game of ping pong over Grandma's porch!
Russ and Brandi enjoying some down time!
Thomas jumping all over Aunt Anna!
Three of Grandma Chase's runts ready for bed!
Thomas on Aunt Brandi's tire swing!
We made a mad dash to Oregon to visit KC's family there and get rid of the uahul! We were extremely happy to be able to crash at KC's sister's place and enjoy the company of Wade and Lauren. Thomas was happy to be able to sort through the toys and have some "kid time" with his cousins (i.e.- some one other than his non-potty trained brother). Brandi had a few tire swings and a large pool out in the back. Not to mention a lot of room to run and play. Dig in the dirt, chase the dogs, find the cats and climb apple trees. It was awesome! Wade put some wrestling moves down on Thomas (who needed it) and we had a great time. It finally dawned on us that the Olympics was right around the corner and we would be starting to watch it here soon.
We climbed back into the car the next day to drive the two hours to Burns, Oregon where the rest of our stuff would be off loaded and the uhaul dropped off. I love this house. It seems in the past three years, it has been the only place where I am able to get in a decent nap! Maybe its because I know in Grandma Diana there is a pair of very watchful eyes and we are two miles off the main highway so that if the boys did manage to get out on to the road, there is virtually no traffic. Things to consider when you have children!
We visited quite a few days and were able to have a get together with all the siblings when Brandi with Russ and kids in tow, along with KC's kid sister Anna (and boyfriend Dan) showed up and we ate a feast fit for a king. The kids played with the chickens, and Thomas took his first steps into riding his bike without his training wheels! (Lauren and Wade brought their bikes to Grandma's as well).
After Russ and Brandi and the kids left, Anna stayed overnight and Dan had brought some of the best fish (especially the halibut) that KC and I had tasted in a long time. That grill certainly got a work out!
On August 10th, it was our 7th anniversary. KC and I got up and went to mass. Grandma was happy to watch the boys. Even the cranky Benjamin! Later on that night, KC's mother cooked us a rather wonderful mixed berry pie as a celebration desert. I was just happy to surrounded by family and good food! I couldn't have asked for anything else. (well except a professional full body massage on my prego muscles, but I always want that!)
On Monday, we woke up and made our way with Grandma Diana to a place called Crane hot springs. A little spring where the water is around 100 degrees. I wasn't feeling well but it gave me some great opportunity to take some cute pictures!
On Tuesday, it was awesome to be back down to one car (and the fact I could sleep if I needed to) and we left Burns to visit KC's Aunt Karen in Redmond than on to Aunt Bette Lou just a little further down the road. We took a highway that cut through Oregon desert to a place called Christmas Valley where we stopped at a place called Crack in the Wall, a geological site where KC took Thomas hiking through rocks. Leave it to my guys to be gone about an hour and bring back two lizards upon their return! Than we visited a national monumnet called Ft. Rock where KC's family had once lived close by and he and Thomas once again when exploring the place. I just stayed in the car with Ben for the most part but it was nice that Thomas got to do some one on one stuff with dad. After that we hurried over to Redmond.
I had never met aunt Karen's husband, John or two children; Josie and Sky before. KC only remembered them as small kids and now they are grown up and Josie (who is made of sugar because she is so sweet) is engaged and getting married next June! I certainly hope she decides to come visit us while we are away in Germany!
We decided to stay at Bette Lou's for the night and KC's wonderful cousin Kelsy made sure to watch over the boys for us. Which was a big help to me because at this point, I was getting traveled out. We stayed up late and watched Michael Phelps win another gold medal. We got a bonus when Candice (another of KC's cousins) showed up with her husband Josh. We didn't get to attend their wedding last year so this was the first time we met Josh. They are great together and Candice looks very happy! At this point, nothing was broken by our kids...yet!
After a breakfast fit for the royal family, we were on our way again, this time up and around to the north east corner to visit with Grandma Lou. I could already taste the raspberries on her bushes in the back yard! In fact I don't think the boys left very many! She was very stubborn and wouldn't let me take her picture, but KC got some good ones of me on her front porch! We had raspberries, took a walk around Joseph, Oregon and made time for go-cart rides and even a dip in Wallowa Lake. The most beautful clear, cold water lake ever! It is such a difference from the muddy, murky hot waters of the south. I much prefer the cold crisp feeling of that water!
After a memorable goodbye both to grandma Lou and her dog BZ, we took off to meet aunt Zoe (Candice's mom) for a bite of lunch in La Grande. She picked out a pizza place that was delicious and we were able to see her and visit for a while which I wish could have been longer, but I hope that there will always be other times.
We finally rounded out the trip by ending back over at Brandi's (where Grandma Diana also came over to see us off) and then it was a few days of Thomas getting his bike riding down straight and making smores in the front yard. KC's family had never had them before! Crazy family I married into! I don't like marshmellows, only on smores, so that is the only time I ever eat them. I just had a hankering for them and so when the opportunity came up I was only to happy to grab the camera and get a few good pics of everyone enjoying the moment!