Stress-cation!!!

You have all heard of a vacation and maybe you have even been privledged enough to hear of a stay-cation... but today I will introduce you to a new kind of -cation. That would be stresscation 2010!!! And why was it so stresstastic!!??? Because we are looking for a house and it has got to be the most emotionally draining, frustrating thing I have ever done. We went down to the Valley on Thursday night and got back on Saturday. We planned on getting back on Friday afternoon, so we all ran out of clean clothes and stuff.... you know how it goes. And being that this is our first home purchase.... we were trying to get it done before next Friday, which is the last day of April, so that we could get a fat 8,000.00 incentive back from the good ole' gov'ment! But wouldn't you know?? Everyone else in the world had the same idea!!!! I am serious!! When we go to see a house and we like it, there are already 5 other offers on that house. So we try not to fall in love with anything, but that is hard when you find a good one. Easy to do when you walk through a horribly trashed one. We need to be in the house relatively soon, so we aren't messing with short sales. If I had hair, I would be pulling it out right now!!! But enough of the stressy part. The impromptu stress-cation also had it's up's as well. We stayed in the Dobson Ranch and the kids got to do a lot of swimming. We even invited my sister over one day with her son and they joined us in the pool. The kids also got really good at making waffles in the lovely hotel waffle iron. (you all know which one I am talking about... the one you turn over the whole thing and wait for the beep and then crank it back over and get out your finished waffle). Well, they seemed to always be in the mood to "make" a waffle, but not exactly in the mood to "eat" the waffle. Thank you staff at Dobson Ranch for being so patient with us!!

Another high point was on the way back to Bagdad on Saturday. We were headed home and the Hulse family from Bagdad was headed to the Valley to go to a baptism, so we met them at the good 'ole Pizza Mart and had a great time. (sidenote: Mike Hulse used to work there in high school. He told us that after football practice, he could down a whole large pizza all by himself! Luckily he shared with all of us this time. Thanks Mike! )

Here we all are gathered in front of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle game. (yes, it is still there). We couldn't pull Lund and Carolyn away from the game for the picture.

I love this picture becuase Carolyn and Megan Hulse are being so pretty and smiley and Daniel is making his new "crazy face". I guess instead of smiling, he does that.

Cassidy and Emily playing games. They are the best of pals!!!

Cousin Brody and Will hanging out at the pool. It was a bit cool this week, so they liked to bundle up and eat snacks instead of swimming the whole time.

My sister and her son Brody in the "hot water" (the hot tub)

Cassidy and Lund did a lot of swimming and diving together. I am glad that they get along most of the time.

My goofy boy with his goggles and Zebra. This is his form of "floaties". he has so much more swimming confidence with his Zebra. Love the tongue!

One of the Dobson Ranch fountains.

Will again with his best pal.

I love this picture because this is what loved to do over and over again. I also love that he has on TWO flotations devices. And again with the tongue.

Preparing to jump!

My crazy son Lund, the goon!

I put Will and his Zebra and his watergun in Time Out and when I told him he could get out, he decided to give his mother a lecture. Here you can see him lecturing me...