Home again--for a second anyway.

Once camp was over with we managed to get all 8 of us and our luggage back in the car and headed back to D and Aunt A's house.  We stayed one night with them and then the girls and I headed home the next day.  I was ready to be home, but trying to drive 8 hours by myself when I was completely exhausted was not a good idea!  I was much more rested waiting until the next day to go home. 

And so began our one week we had at home before leaving again for 2 1/2 weeks.  We traveled out to California for Hubby to hold a meeting for a church there and to spend some vacation time with his family.  I don't remember much about that week other than laundry.  A lot of it!  I could have left some of it, like our sheets, until we got back from California.  But really, who wants to walk in to their home after being gone for a couple of weeks and have a pile of 6 sets of sheets to wash?  I knew I would be much happier if I just got it all done, so I did.  And #1 and #2 were happy because I just did all the laundry together, they didn't have to sort or do any of it themselves.  I've gotten pretty good about letting go of their laundry having to be perfectly sorted and folded, but when I'm in crunch mode I don't have time to mess around!

Fresh produce from our friends!

The three older girls did have a sleepover party that they went to on Friday night.  They got to stay in a hotel which they all thought was pretty awesome.  Funny how when we were traveling they weren't that thrilled about the hotel rooms.  Probably because our hotel stays didn't involve swimming in the pool or staying up until 12:30!  They had a really good time though.  And I had a very serious conversation with them about the fact that when they got home on Saturday I expected them to be helpful when I needed them to help with the packing and to have good attitudes.  There was no way I was going to put up with whining and fighting and ugliness just because they didn't get enough sleep.  And I'm happy to say that they all exceeded my expectations.  With the exception of #3 being extra weepy, which really is nothing new, I didn't have a single problem with them.  I was extremely proud of them!

So this is what almost all our clothes looked like before I got it put in suitcases.  I have to boast a little bit that I got all of that in just three suitcases.  I had it all sorted for traveling, for the meeting, and for our trip to the beach, each in separate suitcases.  And it all worked out exactly like I planned for it too.  The only fail was our last Wednesday night there I didn't have nice clothes to wear to church, so we were all in some pretty grungy clothes for services.  Luckily for us God knew our hearts and didn't judge us based on my lack of planning!

Sunday morning we got up and got the Suburban packed up and headed off to church.  We ate a quick bite of lunch and then got on the road for our first day of travel.  Our travels definitely deserve their own post.  More to come later!