a month of travels

The last month has been full, full, full of traveling.  From April 21st to May 30th we were home for 16 days (to be exact)... I just counted.

It all started with a trip to Hilton Head that we planned some time during February or March when I was working extra tax hours and we decided that a family get-away was just what we needed post busy season.  My aunt and uncle have a vacation home there, making it an easy and affordable trip to plan.  And it was the first time just the four of us went somewhere together... the boys are finally at a good age where it sounds fun.  And it was fun... started with C being sick with a high fever and diagnosed ear infection, but there's no place like the beach to heal, right?!  Beckham golfed his way through the trip and C was finally in better spirits the last couple days.

Then in late March Chad's parents invited us on a last minute trip to France at the end of May, which we decided we couldn't pass up.  However, the trip to France was over Memorial Day weekend, during which we already had a trip to Arizona planned to visit Seth and Brandy... so we moved the AZ trip up a couple weeks and went before France.

Traveling is fun and each trip was special for its own reasons, but it is oh, so good to be home!  (until we go on a friends trip to California in July :)).  Lets just say I won't be bit with the travel bug for a while after this summer!

Hilton Head feels like it happened too long ago to talk about and France is too overwhelming and needs its own post, so here's a little of our trip to AZ:


This is the first year that the kids were "easy" according to me and B... which means they were all talking, older than 3 and [almost] all out of diapers (way to hold out Creighton!  haha).  Which means that the kids all played together much better this year and we could have a little more adult time.  Love that every trip to AZ is different and fun in its own way!

On the flight on the way to AZ.  I love this picture so much b/c it shows the boys personalities... Beckham gets on the plane and instantly buckles his seat belt and starts studying the emergency manual (although when I told he would need to tell me what to do in the case of an emergency he replied "mom, I have no idea about those things." :)) and Creighton is climbing all over me (see the flailing arm!), messing with the tray, and is far from buckled in his seat.  I believe he was standing up during takeoff and landing.  Southwest stewardesses are the nicest.

Our first family hike!  Beckham was complaining about it before we left, thinking that hiking wasn't really his thing.  It wasn't long into the hike before he changed his mind and made the following comments:  "I was born to hike!  Hiking is my life right now.  Yea."  Who says that?!  He was even giving me "tips" on when to slow down and when I could jump off the rocks.  Needless to say, he didn't want the hike to end. :)

just love the sweetness of this pic.

at the train park - super fun little place for the kiddos

the kids riding in the train car by themselves... they were locked in during the ride!

hiking with B and being very unsuccessful at a selfie shot that included the mountain

a nice lady noticed me struggling to get a pic and offered to help :)