Vacation Fun

Well with Rob gone for a whole month, he left on May 15th for some training, the kids and I decided to head to WA for a little over two week vacation. So on May 26th we headed to Kansas City. First let me back up to the night before we left and say the weather was horrible. Their was thunder and lightening and we were in a Tornado Watch. I was confident that it would subside by morning but on Monday morning when I woke up the thunder was still shaking our house. I hate thunder and lightening but knew I needed to get to Kansas City to our hotel for the night because our plane left very early the next morning. This being my first airplane ride by myself with two kids I wanted to make sure I was on time and leaving the house at 4am was not a good idea so we decided to hotel it. We made it with only flashes of lightening on the way and by the time we arrived to Kansas City it was beautiful. The storm had caught up in the middle of the night but cleared out nicely for a safe and wonderful flight.

We arrived with open arms from my parents at SeaTac airport and had a fun filled and tiresome vacation. Enjoy my pics they are from the last part of the vacation to the very beginning. A little backwards for some. Sorry no pics of my mom oops!

We arrived home on a very safe flight last night into Kansas City. All was good we got our baggage and our car and started the two hours back to Junction City. We grabbed a bite to eat along the way and half way home we stopped for gas and ice cream. A well deserved treat for a long day of travel. We headed home only an hour left of driving but wait what is that I saw in the distance lightening! I am driving right into a lightening storm. I called Rob, who was still in California and was a bit nervous! He helped ease my nerves. As the storm got stonger and we got closer to home lightening was striking all around me on the interstate. I was driving way too fast just wanting to get home. I turned the radio on immediately told of Tornado watches and warnings. I made it home safely and am proud to say I didn't even pee a little... We got inside and I ran back and forth from the car to the garage packing in all our bags. We got inside and I turned on the TV and learned there had been tornados touching down in counties all around us. The storm was heading right towards us. I was running around the house shoving supplies and pillows and blankets into our tiny downstaits bathroom. While of course staring at the TV scared to death. The kids were scared too. I tried to show no fear but good luck with that. Soon the TV says if you are in Geary county you need to be in a Shelter so the kids and I hunkered down and soon after the tornado sirens started going off. We spent 45 minutes in the small bathroom hunkered down. I talked on the phone with Rob and my mom. The sirens went off and the storm passed us by. However it hit a couple counties by us, flattening houses, injuring and even killing others. Manhattan were we attend church and shop was hit farely hard. KSU was hit and had a lot of damage. I was very scared and am thankful Junction City was not hit but am praying for the families that were effected by this storm.

It is Thursday the day after we arrived home and Rob arrived home. It was good to see him! But unfortunately was have more tornado watches and warning tonight in Kansas. This is one reason I hate Kansas-the weather! I would rather deal with the rain in WA on sometimes a daily basis rather than this horrific unpredictable weather.

Anyways this is my weather rant enjoy the vacation pics!!!

We enjoyed a catch up dinner with my friend Wendi and her daughter Chloe. It was great to see catch up and as you can see by the food on the kid's face it was good food too!






We enjoyed some fun with Katy's preschool buddy Hayden and his brothers and of course my most wonderful friend Nicole! We had a blast!!!





The great thing about my parents living on 10 acres surrounded by trees and as you can see a cow pasture is we can enjoy the hot tub with no leerkers!




The first weekend we were at my parents Rob's sister, Diana, her husband and my adorable little niece Genna came for a weekend visit all the way from Vancouver, WA. Rob's Brother Nick and new wife Callie followed from Beaverton, OR. My dear friend Jenne and her two adorable kids Thad and Rory made the trip for a visit from Redmond, WA. I was touched that they were all able to visit me and the kids despite Rob not being there too. For Nick and Di it truely shows how close we have become in the last 12 years. I love you guys!








One of the few nice days we enjoyed in Western Washington was spent on Neptune Beach. My Uncle Tony and Auntie Lita have retired to their beach house overlooking the bay. In the distance you can see the San Juans and Canada. This home belonged to my Great Grandparents. It was once a one bedroom cabin that my parents actually lived in when they were first married. My dad remodeled the cabin for my uncle, who owns it now, and it is a beautiful home. with many more rooms. My uncle and aunt have worked hard and the home and yard is beautiful and the view and fun we had on the beach was incredible. I love this place and remember fishing and playing on this beach when I was a child.






We were able to make it one day to the DeVore family cabin. It was very cold. But it was nice to see out beautiful Lake Place and soak up the memories!