Define Vacation

The smell of pine trees and dirty kids is in the air. The wonderful mountain air of Flagstaff, that is! My sister Amy doesn't realize it, but her home is becoming a favorite summer retreat, the kind of place that you get homesick for when you are a kid and you can't sleep at night because the next day you'll be on your way there and you'll get to see all of your cousins and swing on the zip line and play swords and princesses and eat popsicles and pizza. Life is good at Amy's house. Crazy and busy and mattress free (you have to remember your sleeping bag when you come here!), with late night movies and food, food, food.

I am here with Amy and her four kids, Amanda and her four kids, and my three kids. My parents and Tyler were here too...they just left. We went on a hike on Saturday, can you imagine eleven kids and seven adults exploring cliff dwellings. Wowza. I'm amazed we didn't loose anyone. We took an awesome family picture that I can't share with you because my camera abandoned me halfway through the hike and now it is in time-out for the rest of my trip. Deserter.

I love being around my family. I always find myself analyzing things about my sisters or brother or parents, and then wondering/hoping that I do/don't have those traits myself. Amanda is an amazingly optimistic person, always engaging strangers in conversation. She is wonderful with my kids, is a talented seamstress, and is very particular about things (The syrup must be hot and Madison's dress, just right). Amy is determined to be laid back and "if there is a problem, solve it!" kind of person. She is an entrepreneur, a think outside of the box, "drop eggs off the back porch and see what happens" kind of person. She has seemingly endless energy. (Oh, how I would love to have that!) Tyler is anal, and I say that in the most loving, understanding, respectful way. That is why the food he cooks always turns out so delicious and why the wood he crafts is joined and stained so perfectly and why the kitchen counters and Amy's iron (iron!) are so clean. And that is why he probably does not appreciate the blue crayon that Beau colored on his white sunday shirt and the homemade chocolate ice-cream that boiled over because I was changing Beau's diaper, and the vegetable oil that spilled on the floor that should have ended up in the pancake batter. He puts up with it all so well and it is always so fun to have him come.

Mmmm. I love my family. I love that I can find bits of them in me, good or bad.
And being with them is what makes up a perfectly crazy vacation.