Palm Springs Family Reunion 2009

What a week. It went by so fast. Too fast. We had a BLAST hangin' with my family for the week. We were a little nervous at first knowing how hot it gets in Palm Springs, but even with the extreme heat we LOVED it!
The week started with a kick off desert night. (Nothing like an overload of sugar to get the party started!) It then went on to have a night of games (the first of MANY). That's one of my favorite parts about getting together with my family. They are big gamers just like me. I even remembered how to play "Nerts" which I love. I have a feeling we'll be playing that a lot in the near future.



We had family picnics, dinners, swimming, golf, shopping, movies, games, and we can't forget the slip 'n slide tarp the kids had going down one of the golf course hills outside our rooms. (The course we were on was closed for maintainance. It worked out really well as the kids then had a place to run, a short-cut to the pool, and or course the slip 'n slide)


Sam LOVES Megan. They enjoyed a little relax time after swimming.

Buds Sam and Haley enjoying a kid movie while the big kids played games.




Sam got really into earphones on this trip. He always wanted to use them. We just need to work on keeping them in now.



We loved the swimming. Sam got really good and learned to jump and then swim to the edge by himself (with his new cool floaties from Aunt Jonie...thanks). Swimming was an everyday, and all day adventure. With a visit in the morning and then one late at night after James was down.
We had so many blow ups to have fun with. Sam was in heaven being surrounded by sharks, whales, dolphins, and alligators.



Krista and Sam. Sam eventually got his little, skinny leg stuck down that drain. It's amazing what they get into!






Tressa and James

Sam trying to give us a hint that he was done...

Believe it or not the hot tub felt nice at night.

They had big checkers and chess as well as fuseball, air hockey, pool....anything you wanted seemed to be there.

The pool was awesome at night. Not only was it then bareable to be outside, but you could walk on the ground without frying your feet. Our last night there I stayed late with the kids at the pool and we had great time playing water games. From biggest cannon-ball, to colors, to sharks, to crazy dives...it was a blast. I of course kept my title for biggest splash in the cannon-ball department. It was the first time I think my extra baby weight was actually good for something! :)


Jonie put together an awesome family cook book I am really excited to try out. It is super cute and came with a recipe box. She is always so crafty.


Some of the nieces made funny name tags for the family. Some were very random. Karen the Carrot...need I say more?!

Jon and Liz put together a great trip...but then, nothing less was expected. They had a great tennis tournament for us all with FABULOUS prizes (the kind you actually want!) :) and a great handicap system where even I felt like a winner.
Joy and I took on the Mr.'s and won 4-0. It was a great day for the sisters.
The Scavenger hunt Liz put together was awesome. I wasn't able to go on it, but the kid's pictures were hilarious. They had to go around with the camera and take picture in certain places, doing certain things. It was so clever. I am definatly going to have to copy that idea.

Here's one group doing the famous 10-E sign.

Some of the things the kids had to do on the scavenger hunt.

I will have to add more pictures when I get copies. These are all I have.



While in Palm Springs we of course did our shopping (for toys of course). They were finally clearancing the "Word World" toys I have had my eye on for the last year. We had to go hunt them down. I was so excited. The teacher in my jumped out and poor Sam got grilled on his letters. I am now pleased to say he has the letters O, T, G down pat and does pretty well with about 5 more.


During our shopping adventures we saw the coolest looking Mexican Restaurant. We just had to stop for lunch. It was one of the coolest ambiances I've been in in a while. The food was adverage, but WOW! The chips and salsa were to die for.


This was what brought us into the restaurant. It looked so fun on the outside and we loved it even more when we got in.

The food was okay. Or maybe it was just to hot to eat hot food.

The restaurant was so cool. We just wanted to sit there and take in our surroundings.




It was a peaceful lunch. Sam slept on the bench half the time. He was so tired.




We got to share a room with Nate and his family. It was fun to have more time with them and let Sam, James, and Lucy play together.


Sam actually really liked sleeping in his Harry Potter closet. It was quite cute.

James got the brunt of things and got to sleep in the bathroom. Hey it was hard on us too. We would have to go to someone elses room to go.

We had a great trip and were sorry to see it end. The trip home took so long. It was a long, sad drive we didn't want to make...a trip back to reality.


Sam learned how to use the ear phones in the car. I had to turn around and help put them on him time after time, but he loved it....and we did too. We got to listen to Harry Potter!





James finally got the idea of road trips. Candy, candy, candy!