It's Not Too Late To Post Pictures From October '09, RIGHT?

Remember when I told you I went on a sibling trip to visit my Dad and Step-Mom in Washington? Somehow I never got around to posting pictures. So for posterity's sake, here they are. And I'm sorry it's so late.

We decided our LAST TRIP was so much fun we'd try to make it a yearly tradition. Unfortunately, not everyone could attend this past year. Grant and Joyce weren't able to make it, but we still had fun without them (although they were DEFINITELY missed).

It's funny to look back at these pictures because I was in quite possibly THE MOST AWKWARD STAGE of braces to date. We're talking a 4 inch gap in between my two front teeth. So, any smiles in the following pictures are completely absent of teeth or any hint of a smile at all (and rightly so. Believe me when I say you did NOT want to see that gap).

Moving on...
The drive to Washington is a highlight. Sure, we all get severely bloated from snack intake and our armpits start feeling a teense sticky by the end, but it IS SO MUCH FUN to sit in a car without screaming children in the back and carry on normal, adult-like conversation.

You see? I wasn't kidding with the awkward smiles, was I? It's really nice of me to post these pictures for everyone to see. Maybe now I understand why it took me so long.



I LOVE this picture of my sister, Laura (below). You see, Laura thinks I'm pretty hilarious. She's laughing at me because I'm so funny.

But really, Laura was the one who was making me laugh my head off during the trip (which I really needed because it was a REALLY REALLY bad infertility time for me. Possibly my worst month EVER). I distinctly remember her fake sales pitch for 'Scab softening cream'. You had to be there, but believe me when I say you'd be rolling.




I also love this picture of my sister, Charlotte, because well... let's face it. It's hilarious. But look at her teeth! One day soon my teeth are going to be straight like my sisters' teeth. And then I can be lovely and smile with my mouth wide open just like they do. I can't wait. I'll be sure to post a picture when it happens.



Is it just me or does this picture scare the living crap out of you? Look at the road, CLARK! We're all going to die!



Four of the kids and my handsome Dad...



While we were at my Dad's house, there was a HORRIBLE incident. We were all hanging out one night and my brother Clark was making himself a health/protein shake. He added flax seed to it. My step-mom, Bette, wanted to taste it. She dipped the tip of her spoon in the shake and immediately started coughing. She coughed for quite a while. And pretty soon her coughing turned into wheezing. And pretty soon after that, her wheezing turned into her not being able to breathe very well. It was VERY SCARY. And then all of a sudden, she collapsed on the floor. And we had to dial 911. Once she came to and we were waiting for the ambulance, I asked her if I could take a picture of her on the floor so I could put it on my blog, but for some reason all she cared about was her stupid hair brush because she wanted to brush her hair so she could look pretty for the hot ambulance guys once they got there. That and she wanted to brush her teeth. Oh, and she wanted to tell us about her new comforter. And all of this happened while she was trying to come to and she was laying on the floor and she sounded a bit drunk. She was making us laugh, but we were also REALLY worried so it was really nervous laughter. She passed out three times and I hope I never have to see that again because it made everyone scared and worried; especially my Dad.

It turns out that Bette had a pretty SEVERE allergic reaction that we eventually found out was affecting her kidneys and giving her a LOT of problems. And it's all Clark's fault. He was the one with the shake, afterall. He was trying to POISON her! And we kept telling him that to make him feel better since he was having a lot of guilt over the stupid shake.

Poor Bette had to be in the hospital practically our entire visit. We sure missed her, but we visited. She pretty much hated being stuck in the hospital bed. She's not one to 'sit down and take it easy'.



Even though the trip didn't go perfectly, we still had a wonderful time. I can't wait to go this year! Hey Dad and Bette, can I come this year and bring my nursing baby with me? Pretty please? I promise to be good.

And to not poison you like someone else I know.