Hilton Head

We just returned from an amazing weekend getaway.  It was a delayed celebration of 15 happy years of marriage.  December isn't all that great of a time to get out of town so we waited.

South Carolina might seem like a random choice but we our a little random ourselves.
Our criteria:
1. get there fast - not a lot of travel time
2. beach - that's how we roll and
3. somewhere new - bring on South Carolina.

Not only did we check South Caorlina off our list of travels we checked Georgia off as well.  Hilton Head is just a quick hour away from Savannah, Georgia.  We loved both places.

Since it was me on vacation, the first day was a down pour of Texas size rain (I really think it follows me) - that puts a little damper on a beach vacation but we woke up Friday to sunny clear skies.

 Hello Georgia!  Here I am in front of the oldest house still standing in Georgia - The Pirate House.  It's also haunted.

 Chris and I are awesome at making new friends.  Here's a few of them.

 Chris on our sunset sail.  Luckily we got this in.  We had reservations for Friday night that were cancelled due to the weather, then mother nature cooperated on Saturday night.  Chris was like a kid in a candy shop - he's not sitting with me because he got some fancy job raising the sails - such an awesome experience.

 Sunset sailing!

 Biking and more biking - this was awesome.  We were in no hurry, no kids to rush home to, know schedules to be concerned about, just us on our bikes.  The beach and the trails were both so fun.

 Harbour Town Dinner.

Kayaking, we opted for the dolphins and not the gators.  We saw plenty of dolphins up close and got stuck in a few oyster patches during low tide.  

Here I am  clinging to my chair on the balcony on our last day,  clearly not ready to go home.  

I'm so happy to have had this weekend to celebrate "us".  I'm so happy Chris has stayed by my side all these years.  He's the perfect catch to grow old with.  

Girls Night

Girls will be girls.  Mason knows that this house can get pretty girly!  So while my parents were in town my Dad took Mason out to eat one night.  Chris was gone on a campout which left my mom, me and the three girls.  We immediately devised a plan that we could never do with Chris and Mason around.  It involved polish, facials, curlers, cookie dough and the Game Show Network.
This was Mallory's dream night.  She loved all of it.  She insisted on helping with everything, much to our protest.  A few things she could get away with but nobody wanted their nails painted by her which made her so sad(angry).

Spring Break 2014

After 12 years of living in Texas there is still so much to see and do - so we don't have to move yet.
We decided to head to Austin/San Antonio area for some fun.

First Stop:  We betrayed the Czech Bakery for the first time.  Whenever we head south we stop there for some delicious bakery treats and kolaches.  This time we took the advice of the Travel Channel's Adam Richman and went to Round Rock Donuts!  The were as big as they look and just as delicious.  We could have turned around and came home after that and called the weekend a success.

 

If you know Mason, you know how happy he is right here.  

Our first stop was the Natural Bridge Caverns.  

We weren't sure what exactly to expect but the lines and crowds and traffic told us it would be amazing!  I guess we weren't the only ones with the idea.  

It was amazing!  We loved it! This canopy was definitely the hit!

 I don't know how long we waited in line to do this - maybe 2 hours.  Here we are all harnessed up and ready to go.

 Mallory survived!  So did her mom!!

Getting ready to enter the cave.  

 

 After the caves we headed to New Braunfels and stayed at Schlitterbahn that night.  New Braunfels is not huge or that nice but we did find some yummy ma and pop restaurants before heading to the parks that day.  

Here is the brief description of how the watermark went.  It was freezing.  Freezing.  Freezing cold.  That didn't stop the kids from wanting to do the lazy river or watersides.  Waiting in line was torture!  There was one hot pool - just one for all of those freezing cold people.  Think sardines in a can.  So between every ride we wedged ourselves in that little hot pool among strangers to try and warm up.  When you're desperate you do things you wouldn't normally imagine yourself doing.  

Charlotte convinced Chris and eventually Roz to ride the SkyCoaster.  It was fun for Mason and Mallory and I to watch.  Charlotte got to pull the cord that sent them flying and Rozlyn clung on to her dad for her dear life.  

Here they are getting ready to ride to the top before the big plunge.  Right when the floor went out from under them Rozlyn said "I regret this idea." 

 SOARING!!

Sunday March 16th.  We headed to church that morning.  We always love visiting a random ward on vacation and then quizzing each other on who the leadership was, who spoke, and play the "same and different" game, comparing it to our own ward.

 We tried to go eat at another Adam Richman suggestion: Juan in a Million.  We were nervous driving through the neighborhood and more nervous when we pulled up, saw the huge line and that we had very little in common with anyone in the line.  We safely made it out of that negihborhood and to the capitol.  

 It's a small world after all - we bumped into a family from our very own neighborhood right out front.  We had to snap a picture.  The kids could were our tour guides, Charlotte is learning the state history right now and Rozlyn studied it all last year.  We're raising some smart Texans.

Finally we headed home.  Round Rock Donuts was so good the first time we had to hit it again.  Rozlyn is holding a normal sized glaze donut.  Everything is bigger in Texas, even the donuts.   

Our Idaho Christmas 2013

Christmas is a production every year.  More so when you take it on the road.  This was a feat never beforehand attempted - but we did it this year!  Mission accomplished.  In years past I've felt a bit sad when the extended family has gathered together for Christmas.  I wanted it one time for my kids to experience an Idaho Christmas.  I wanted the traditions, the family, the food, the snow, the cousins and grandparents - just the way my Christmas's were growing up.
We had the best time - from start to finish.  By a miracle, we all stayed healthy, and we were there a long time.  Mallory got a little sick on the flight home, you'd think I would have been sad but I was so excited, I felt like it was a tender little mercy that she held out until we left to come down with a bug.

Our journey started in Rexburg, moved to Idaho Falls (Christmas) and then to Provo (New Years Eve).
We were able to see 35 cousins and 22 Aunts and uncles.  We saw everyone on Chris's side and all but a few sickies (which by the way was the most sad no Amy or Emmy, and Ryan's family didn't make it on my side).  

 Ready or Not - here we go!

I took a picture of the the luggage going through security.  FYI - the security guards don't like that.  

REXBURG!!

 You know we're in Rexburg when the Graham Stacker worlds start getting created.

 Or when you find snow.  So sadly it never snowed while we were there.  Luckily there was enough left over to enjoy.

It was a snow play day.  We headed over to the England's to get our snow fix.  Mallory and Mason didn't last long.  After a few snow angels and snow balls they realized the snow makes your hands really cold.  They much preferred the hot cocoa and warm soup they could find indoors. 

 Do you know what's scary?  Charlotte driving Me, Chris and Roz on the sled.  She's not a great driver.

IDAHO FALLS!!

 I was so excited to do a Christmas Nativity with more then the 6 of us.  We gave my mom and dad these costumes and loved the excitement of everyone getting dressed up.  My dad was the mean bossy shepard and i was his sheep.  Rozlyn also made an excellent Joseph.  You do what you got to do.

 Matching Christmas Eve jammies!  I was so excited about these.  I loved them.  I'm only sad that we never got a shot of all the grandkids together in them.

Ski Day!

Char and Roz at Ski School.  It was both of there first times to ski.  We wondered if they'd ever get off the bunny hill when we first dropped them off but they learned so quick and the last half of the day they spent with us on the hills. It was so much fun and Charlotte asked if we could do it every year.  Okay.  

Idaho is so pretty!

Breaking the piñata and opening pound presents at the church gym.   

 Crafting a stick bomb.

A day of fun in the school gym.  Tons of games and races and pick-up basketball games.  We played the largest version of the games sardines (opposite of hide and seek) in the church.  It was the most fun game that grandparents, parents and kids could all enjoy the same.  We loved it!

A-caving-we-will-go!  We headed out with the kids to the 17mile cave outside of I.F.  It seems like just yesterday we were going there in High School and now there are kids everywhere - and they're mine!  It was a lot of fun!

UTAH!!

 We've shifted from the Morris's to the Grahams.  This picture is called future cougars.  (You can see the Y under the snow).  Like it or not.  Start em when they're young loving BYU.  The best way to do that is with some sugar at the creamery.  

 Just chillin with our friend Cosmo.

 The train ride to SLC from Provo.  Mallory had a hard time all weekend knowing what age she was.  I really think that she thinks she's 16.

 I love to see the temple!  Christmas goals - visit the Temple Square Christmas Lights with my kids.  Check!

 Hanging out at Temple Square.  It was packed, and cold.  The crowds were just crazy, I was surprised because we went after Christmas, this was the 30th I think.  

 We went to City Creek and saw the candy displays in the windows.  This picture makes me laugh so hard.  This was our crowd - just the kids!  This is who we had to keep in tow.  We must have been a sight!

 We had the best New Years Eve party.  Julie and her family hosted at their home and it was amazing!  No detail was spared.  We had the entire Graham family there - every sibling, every grandkid (except Jason on his mission and Stefanie who's a responsible adult in Chicago)- Amazing!
We all did year in reviews and shared them, ate, made resolutions, ate, photo boothed, ate, dance party, ate, sent off glow lantern, and ate.  It was perfect!

43 people that I love!

I got a new years kiss from this guy - lucky me!

 I love the awkwardness of this photo.  This is so uncharacteristic of any of these Graham boys.

 I felt like I was in the Rapunzel movie.  My kids loved this - so did I.

Dance party all night.  My kids are now prepared for future youth dances.  The Franc cousins showed them the way.  This dance club was complete with security & some bouncers, courtesy of my nephews - and they took their jobs seriously!  Occasionally the dance party would congo line upstairs to add some life to the adults up stairs.

My  mission was accomplished - we had an Idaho Christmas!  I was so thankful that everything went so smoothly.  I'm so happy we got to see all the people we did and do all the things we did.  The holidays are magical when spent with family.  We have this holiday in the books, (and now on the blog).  They're memories will hold onto forever.