Happy Fourth of July!

We have survived our first weekend away from home with 4 kids! PHEW! We went to Dan's parents place out on the Spokane River in Post Falls, Idaho.

Friday we spent all morning packing and cooking. I baked four loaves of bread, two batches of Chex Mix, some Cheerio Peanut Butter bars, as well as packing bags for 4 kids, 2 adults, 2 bouncy seats, 1 swing, a package of diapers and several miscellaneous items. The preparation and planning paid off! Our entire weekend went off without a hitch!!!

We left Friday afternoon (Dan's mom came and picked up the boys giving me an hour to finish packing and follow them). Dan rode his bike out with his dad. I had a nice quiet ride with the girls and my apple juice slush. :) After playing outside for hours with cousin Kierra, the kids watched a movie while the adults played cards.

Saturday was SUPER hot! There is no air conditioning so the girls were very warm. Most of their day was spent in front of a fan on the floor. The boys spent the day at the beach and then on all the play items by the house. After 2 days in the sun the boys were EXHAUSTED! They fell asleep on the way to church and we managed to carry them in and they slept through the entire service. Crazy! After church we went straight to the beach for the fireworks show. Again, planning ahead paid off. The boys spent hours swimming, playing at the playground, coloring, playing Leapster, etc. We knew the noise from the fireworks would be bothersome to the boys, so we brought ear guards (that Dan normally wears when working on airplanes) and the boys were perfect! We had learned from watching fireworks the night before that neighboring places had set off that Molly would sleep through the fireworks and Katie would cry, so I planned ahead and nursed her to sleep and then tucked her in my shirt for the firework show. Worked like a charm.

Sunday we slept in until nearly 9:30...all of us! Obviously, we were tired! We did our last swimming sessions and had a wonderful breakfast and then packed up to head home. All kids are now sleeping peacefully and Dan and I even got some time to sit and relax.

Overall, a fantastic weekend. Dan's mom commented that it's the most nudity she's ever seen out at the river (the boys stripped frequently). :) I believe it's the most peeing in the grass she's ever seen either. :)