aunt cherie's house

after camille's (again lots of tears...fun, cousin's, very sad to leave) we went to aunt cherie's house!  they have 2 hamsters.  they got them out and they were walking all over cherie's lap top.  so cute.  :)

we also played the chocolate game.  this was the first time lex and elaina had played it.  and they loved it!

i hardly saw elaina while we were here.  natalie and the other girls took good care of her.  when elaina got home she had a hard time getting herself dressed, picking up toys, playing games that other ppl wanted to play, all because she had her every need met while she was there.  she was the queen.  she loved it.   lex was interduced to "angry birds"  it's a game you can play on the computer.  he's REALLY into it now.    they also hada trampoline they jumped on and again...lots of toys.  and also cherie has a dog.  lex was in heaven.

this is cherie and i at the "Shakespeare in the park" preformance.  it was very well done.  all these california ppl were freezing that night...  it was just right for me.  :)  the kids stayed at cherie's house and watched a movie and ate popcorn.

camille came up to cherie's and we all went swimming.  this is camille and allison.  it was hot that day!!

lex with his floaties on.  very excited to finally be swimming again.

elaina in her floaty.

allison with grandma penner playing at the water park.  it was so cute watching her play.     that evening grandma stayed with all 8 kids and had an ice cream/ movie party while the adults went to leatherby's so i could get my whipped cream fix.  ohhhhhh.....  i was too busy soaking it all in to get a picture of it.  but here's a picture i took a couple years ago of the same thing.   totally worth the drive.....   mmmmmmm

we had a great trip to california!!!  it was very hard leaving.  but it was time to get back to my life and my husband.  i cried most of the way home.  one of the hardest things i've ever had to do was drive away from my 2 brothers and my 2 sisters when we moved to washington.  this was harder.  i drove away from my parents and all of my brothers and sisters.  because i knew my brother that lives in utah would be moving to california too.  that was very hard and still is.  i feel very lonely.  but i have my kids and husband.  and that's worth it.  :)