Hey, we ARE having fun!

 We went on our family vacation this past week.  We decided that we needed to take the whole family since this will be the last vacation before C leaves for his mission. We didn't want to do a couple motel rooms each night or flights for nine, so we decided to rent a cabin at the south rim of the Grand Canyon for a few nights, head up to the Hoover Dam and then take the four older boys to the American Idol Live concert in Los Angelos.  We even had a little extra time and found the L.A. LDS temple in Santa Monica.

A couple days into our trip, I found myself crying my eyes out to D wondering if we had made the right decision.  It seemed like all we were doing was cooking, cleaning, cooking, cleaning, the big boys playing games, me babysitting, and then when an older boy didn't cooperate he was sent to his room.  That's when I lost it.  It didn't seem like a family vacation at all.  Or rather, a vacation!  No one should have to cook on a vacation or even clean.  But then to have enough rooms to send your kid to his room, I couldn't take it.  I was ready to jump in my car and drive home. 

Before we had ever left, I had told myself that even though this wasn't exactly my dream vacation, I would be a good sport and go along with it since D has been so good to me letting me go to Oregon and then to see my parents in the Dominican Republic. 

After talking to D, I calmed down and swore that I would have a little better attitude.  Things changed from that point. 

I began taking pictures and noticing that we were making memories and inside jokes as a family.  It turned out alright despite what tourist trap of helicopter rides I bought into (the prices), the ghetto hood of a yard around the cabin, the two separate cars, the cooking and cleaning, no air conditioning for four days, attempt to walk on the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West (drove two hours on the worst gravel washboard of a road only to find out it was run by the Hualipai Indian Tribe and would cost about $900 for our family to enter!!) etc.  We had fun together.  We saw amazing scenery, neat wild animals, the coolest clouds, did things you can't do in the city, and got back alive.

All the kids have thanked us several times for each segment of the trip.  That makes me happy.  Makes me feel like it was a success after all.  Oh,and...the American Idol concert was the best concert ever!!

Here's what kept me going all week.