The Dish on St. George

It started last year. Epic. (As Emilee would say.) Four women and seven children, one massive house and a perfectly sized pool equipped with a diving board and an appropriate deep end. Five (ish) days of relaxation, sunburns, food, laughter and fun.
How could we not want to repeat it, now really?
This year there were six women and nine children...Momma Blau, Lindsey, Jamie (with baby Allie, nine months), Bryan (11), Amy and her kids: Joshua (10 almost), Luke (8), Sarah (5), Michael (3), me and my kids: Bekah (6), Jacob (near 5), and Beau (2), and my mom.
After a really long drive (no one could pin down the actual amount of drive time), to St. George there was only one thing on everyone's mind when we pulled up to the beauty of a home on St. James Rd...SWIMMING! The kids unloaded the vans and then adorned the stairway landing with their naked bums as they scrambled for their swimsuits. Sunblock was applied generously and life vests and floaties found their respective owners.
The water was deliciously cool...the perfect temperature where you barely notice entering the water. The grime of the road was quickly forgotten and play time ensued...Splashing, jumping, diving, laughing...kids yelling with excitement about new and forgotten discoveries. Sun on the shoulders, drops of water finding their way to sunglasses, feet scraping on the bottom of the pool. Shrieks and happiness relaxing every muscle and easing every tension.
Delightful.
That was our week at St. George. Throw in an evening walk, spray paint art, captive lizards and toads (RIP Todo), a hunt for an ambiguous, aged Fiesta Fun center (once was enough), and watching the Thriller scene repeatedly on 13 Going On 30, and you'll have almost all of the picture.
We also celebrated Amy's birthday (I was her slave for the day...totally exhausting) and we were lucky enough to go see Much Ado About Nothing at the Shakespeare theater in Cedar City. Babysitting was provided by Momma Blau and Jamie...wonderful, thoughtful, thank you!...So my mom, Amy, Lindsey, and I all were able to enjoy the show. Beforehand we searched for a place for dinner. We made Lindsey pick because she somehow just knows. When we saw the sign for Ninja!, a sushi place, we all might have let out a shriek, with the exception of my mom. For the record she was very brave, but I don't know that she really enjoyed the five sushi rolls we purchased as much as Lindsey or Amy or me. Yum. Amy was right, I'm craving it again already.
The play was exceptional. I *heart* Benedic. He was hilarious and...really funny. :) Also enjoyable were the tarts beforehand. Yum. Here are some more scrapbooked pics from the trip (more still to come; I'm on a roll!)And now I'm back home...Bekah started first grade today. Is it okay that I am really happy about that? Could have something to do with having two sleeping boys for naptime and no one else around to beg and plead for special girl time...Quiet. Blessed quiet. Ah. Sigh.
Here is my special girl on her big day of her own desk and playing on the big kid playground. I can't wait to hear all about it!
p.s. Like my background? Bekah picked it out. She's been bugging me to change it for months. Funny, huh...