Vacations galore.

And they were great fun! We are very thankful for safe travels, time with family, and the ability to see Bethany's dear friend and freshman roommate from Wheaton get married (thanks to the economic stimulus check that paid for it all) (yahoo) (just doing our obligatory boost to the American economy).

But as with all good vacations, they wear you out. We put on 1700 car miles in one week, after a three-day whirlwind trip to Minneapolis. So we are both tuckered out, with both of us sporting monstrous cold sores and Bethany just recovering from some gross tummy troubles (you never know what you ingest when you eat out a few times each day).

But no tummy troubles with the baby. Bethany has assumed a new role: Goldfish Bowl. That's what she feels like these days. There is an Altogether New Human Being swimming around inside of her. And she feels it. Almost all day and night. Kick. Wham. Kapow. Whee. It has been fun to compare this pregnancy with that of Luke. We definitely felt this baby moving around a few weeks before we felt Luke. Hopefully more an indicator of our experience rather than of Baby's future hyperactivity levels.


Bethany was super nerdy and actually read the Northwest Airlines magazine, because its feature this month was the Minneapolis area. She made lists of places to go and things to see. So we were officially Tourists, and had a grand time. First stop was the Mall of America (of course), and then to one of the lakes that are EVERYWHERE. So gorgeous!


We enjoyed a walk in old St. Paul, on the street that boasts the U.S.'s longest line of Victorian homes. Richie enjoyed the engineering marvel of the beautiful bridge behind him...


...while Bethany found her favorite home on the strip and begged for another economic stimulus check to purchase the home and relocate it in West Davis. Not that it would stand out or anything.


Emily's eyes don't always shine quite like this, but boy was she a happy bride. This was one of our favorite weddings we have ever gotten to attend.


And it didn't hurt that we got to sneak in Liz time, too! It has been 10 years since Emily, Liz, and Bethany all arrived as freshman at Wheaton. We are so happy to all have kept in touch as close friends.


The partygoers before the reception. Did we fail to mention that this trip was Lukeless? We very much enjoyed our three-day date, and appreciated our gracious parents who took care of a sick little Lukey.


After we recovered from all our tourist activities, we boarded the trusty Camry and began our trek to Escondido. We had no idea how it was going to go. Luke had diarrhea, molars coming in, and a cold; Bethany was wiped out; and Luke traditionally hates being in the car. So a 9-hour car ride? Hmm. He actually did great, and at stops would actually beg to get in the car, because it meant getting to eat and getting to be read to! We thought bringing thirty books with us was overkill, but it wasn't. We read them to him constantly. When he wasn't sleeping, he was being read to. We now have all thirty books memorized, we think. First stop after we got home: the library. New books, please. Anyway, this is a shot of when we stopped in Santa Barbara (we took the longer coast way to pick up Richie's new surfboard, made for free for him to replace his last one, which had a defect.)


You have to click on this picture and take a look at Luke's face.


Hanging out in the trunk before we leave for our last stretch from Santa Barbara to Escondido...


...and we arrived safe and sound. Mandie was probably much happier before we came, as she was kicked out onto the couch in the central living-room area of the timeshare, and Luke wakes up eeeeearly... Will 12 pillows block the sound?


Grandma presented Luke with a gift: a Nemo tin lunch box! He is in love with it, and looks like a little kindergartner ready for school.


Beach time with Grandpa Tony.


Of course, spending time in a hole.


Richie handed over a defective white board and got a blue one in return. We were just glad it wasn't pink tie-dye or something (these Channel Islands retro single-fins come in some pretty wild colors). Luke assisted in the initiation of the board's first layer of wax, and then decided to pour sand on it. Richie was very patient, although this ruined the whole layer of wax.


Richie's first surf with the new (sandy) board.




Unfortunately, our time in Southern California did not include too many happy beach days. Luke spent the week pretty grumpy, still suffering from tummy troubles and also developing a rash that looked like welts wherever the sand would touch him.


It was neat to be staying so close to Pop-Pop (Bethany's dad's dad) and his wife, Marguerite. They prepared us a delicious feast and gave Luke a few terrific gifts. We decided visiting them every day right about dinnertime wouldn't be a bad idea.




One thing Luke was not grumpy about during our week was chicken. Grandpa grilled up some mighty good fowl. Luke probably averaged about three chicken breasts a day. Look at his excitement! You'd think he just won the lottery. (He also looooved sitting on books.)


Showing us his flex. (Yes, Luke, the chicken makes you very strong!)


One evening, we enjoyed a stroll around the resort with Mandie. Luke was really in a show-off mood.


Clearly, in a show-off mood.


He even tried to do a somersault on the asphalt. It didn't go over so well. In fact, it ended in tears.


To make Luke's owees all better, Richie offered Luke "Freddy Finger," normally used to tickle him, this time used to give a kiss to. Distraction is the key.


Mandie also made Luke happy by spoiling him with the use of her camera. The rest of us are too mean to let him touch ours.


"Yahoo, Grandma! A skateboard!" (Please, no somersaults this time.)


Riding tandem with Dad.


There was something funny about this picture. So here it is.


The sisters-in-law, lazing on the steps.


One of the highlights of our week was going miniature golfing as a family.






While we were down there, Luke also got a few new caps, since he always wants to wear a hat, lest he feel naked. This one's his favorite, but it isn't ours; he always takes it off to admire the helicopter and then can't figure out how to put it back on again.


We got to see Pop-Pop and Marguerite again before we left (only 15 minutes away from the Lawrence Welk Resort where we were staying), and we couldn't help but admire Pop-Pop's strength and health. In his 80s, he bent over and scooped up nearly-30-pound-Luke like it was no big deal.


There's something fun about reuniting with relatives, and bringing along a new generation, and realizing you all look eerily the same... (Italian wine belly and all.) Luke very much misses Pop-Pop, and each time had so much fun at his house. Cat! Chicken! Trees! Dirt! He chants "Pop Pop!" several times a day, and each time a cat appears in a book, Luke faithfully reminds us of Pop-Pop, who has one, too. The best was when Luke had a poopy diaper, and Bethany asked if he wanted her to change it, and he said, "No." "Do you want Daddy to change it?" "No. POP-POP!" He was in love.


On our way back, we took an Eastern detour to the desert, Yucca Valley to be exact. Uncle Edgar and Aunt Mies are two of Bethany's favorite relatives, yet we have never managed to make a trip out to see them. (Edgar is Bethany's dad's mom's brother.) Something weird has always happened (like the time first year of marriage when we were on their way to their house, stopped to look at cactus, and Bethany got the barbed Jumping Cholla balls stuck in her ankle and feet and had to go to the emergency room). This time, our attempt actually succeeded, and aside from a pretty grumpy little guy, we had a wonderful, wonderful time.


Aunt Mies has lived nearly eight decades, yet she had more energy than the three of us combined! She had homemade fresh-halibut soup and mini-pizzas waiting for us when we arrived, and then spent a couple of hours chasing Luke around. There were lots of hazards wherever he turned, but she kept him safe and sound.


She even gave him a long pole to tote around. He felt like he had something very important to do.


The men, in front of one of the wings to an airplane Uncle Edgar is building.


Uncle Edgar leads us into the rocky cave under the deck he built.


Now Luke takes the lead.


In admiration of... ...a stick.


Shoveling sand with Aunt Mies's gardening tools.


Embarking on a wee part of the four-mile walk that Edgar and Mies hike each morning.


The drive up to their place. Amazing!!!


The six of us (yes, Bethany's belly now counts) before Luke had some good tantrums and we had to go. We were so sad to leave. Why do families all live so far away from each other? Like visiting with Richie's family in Escondido, Luke was finally a happy little clam toward the end, right when we had to say goodbye. We hate it. (He was very cute there toward the end, begging to go for a walk with Grandma and Grandpa, adios Mom and Dad, arriving back sound asleep in his stroller!)


We took our time on the way back, as we were tired, and Bethany was getting awfully carsick. Well, she thought it was carsickness. But it all "passed," (unfortunately, quite literally), and we realized it was probably a bug or bad restaurant food of some sort. Here Luke is doing the same sort of "passing" business, and just looks so cute we had to get a picture of it. He gets silent, stoic, and leans hard against a pole. A work this good takes some concentration.


The business of pooping all done, Luke poses handsomely for Mom outside of our hotel room.


Morro Rock: the view from our room!


Morro Bay Albertson's. You know parenting is still in the EASY stage when your son is more interested in a balloon than in the nearby booze...


We spent time at Morro Beach early in the morning before we took off again, and Luke was faithful to point out the moon. It is so fun to have a little critter around, who marvels at all these things we don't even notice.

Side note about moons: In Escondido, Luke pointed out the moon each evening, and one evening, Bethany asked him:
"Who made the moon?"

No answer.

She explained, "GOD made the moon! Can you say 'God'?"

"Dod."

Several minutes later, she asked him again, to see what he would say: "Luke, who made the moon?"

He responded with lit-up eyes and a loud, eager voice: "DADA!"

(To his credit, we later asked who made his special ball blanket. He normally answers "Bat" for Beth, Timothy's mommy (his Christmas gift from her), but this time looked at it again, rather carefully, and said, "Dod!" Apparently, Daddy makes moons, and God makes blankets.)


Richie comes in from his surf, with the moon he made still hanging in the sky.


Morro Bay water was extra inviting to Luke, and he was very brave in the water! He trotted right in with glee.




But he had to get stripped down nudey-patooty after he fell into the water and got soaked. Richie gave him a "Brave Trophy" (a shell) to honor his valiant courage.


And then we headed home, safely directed by our 19-month-old nude navigator.