THINKING BACK.....TO ONE OF OUR FAVORITE VACATIONS!!

Oh  memories are wonderful.  The vacation we took back east to visit with my sister Esther and her family and to visit Washington DC and surrounding areas, is one of the most talked about memories in this family.  I thought since things are quiet around the Evans house I would take a trip down memory lane, and blog about one of our favorite vacations.

It was Spring break  March 2009, we wanted to take the kids on a surprise vacation, and we also wanted to do something kinda cool, because we could see that our family would be changing in the next couple of years.  So Saturday morning we were sitting around the table eating our traditional waffle breakfast, and Scott casually said..."Well kids, we are going to be leaving this afternoon on a week long trip."  Oooos and Ahhhhhs, and "What????" went around the table.  (I was loving it all).  Then I handed out a packing list, and told the kids that it all had to fit into a airplane sized suitcase, no exceptions.  The kids kept looking at each other with questioning looks.  So we did tell them that we were going to fly somewhere in the world, but that's as much information as we would give them.  We spent the next few hours frantically preparing our house and animals, and suitcases and everything else that goes along with leaving for a week.  I think it was close to 5:00pm when we left Safford and headed for Mesa to stay in Mom and Dad's condo. (thank heaven for that place, thanks M&D) The kids were questioning us and questioning each other, but no one would give, and none of the kids knew except for Allison, who had to arrange her work schedule at Dairy Queen. 

Sunday morning we woke up at the crack of dawn.  I think we got to the airport at 5:30am.  When we were sitting and waiting for the airplane, the announcer came on and told us about the boarding and the fight we would be on.  She said, "this is a non-stop flight to New York City"  Every body's eyes got huge.  They thought for sure they knew then.  We just smiled.  We flew on a really cool airplane with individual TV screens.  The kids were loving life.  We landed in New York, and the kids discovered that it was just a layover.  They had fun in the airport though, and we bought a NY taxi car magnet.  We knew that the kids would be finding out where we were going for sure in our next plane so we, asked each kid where they thought we were going.  It was fun to hear the thoughts.  Some thought that we were going to stay in NY, and some said London, I think one actually said DC.  Anyway it was a fun game.  When all of the guessing was done, I told them that we were going to Washington DC, and to Crofton, Maryland, where Esther, Shad and family lived.  Oh the kids were ecstatic.  We then boarded a smaller plane that we had to walk outside to, and climb up the stairs to the plane.  It was a little nerve racking to fly in something so small, but it was all part of the adventure.

So here we are at the condo, it's late and no one really knows what's going on.

Allison, DeWitt, Scott, and Polly

Dallin and Lillian

This is early the next morning, just getting ready to leave to the Sky Harbor airport

Dallin and Rebecca

Polly, DeWitt, and Scott, in the Gecko bus, taking us to our terminal.

Dallin, Lillian, and Allison enjoying their Gecko ride.

This is Polly in the NY airport, and she is threatening Scott, so that he will give up the info and tell her where we are going!

I couldn't miss a picture of this little plane.  Polly, Lillian, Dallin, and Allison waiting to board.

DeWitt, Scott, Polly, Dallin, Lillian and Allison waiting to board.

Oh we've got to get everyone in here, so DeWitt, Scott, Polly, Dallin, Lillian and Rebecca waiting to board the tiny air plane.

Inside the tiny airplane.

Dear brother Shad picked us up at an airport near Crofton, Maryland.  (maybe they will remember the name of it), I wish the picture were less dark, because Shad has on a Hawaii shirt to welcome us to his town. He makes me laugh.

Here is the Brown clan eagerly awaiting our arrival.  Bridger up at the top, Soren in Marlie's arms, Marlie, Esther and Harrison at the bottom of the steps.

I ran up the stairs real fast to get both views, so here we are getting out the car.

It was so exciting to be in my sister's town.  She has lived a lot of different places, and it's fun to see her casa and where she lives.  Esther and Rebecca

Love this picture, it is a classic.  Soren was so very excited to see DeWitt, and visa versa I suppose.

Soren's first birthday.  We made it in time for his party.  Um that cake was so very yummy.

This is one of the kids most talked about memories, and that is commuting with Shad into the city.  We would leave his house around 5:30am and then he would park, and we would walk in the morning darkness to his law office, and we would go have breakfast at the Old Post Office Pavilion.  Then we would continue walking around the entire City of DC until Shad was done at the end of the day, and we would drive home to their house, where Esther would have a yummy dinner all ready for us.  I'm going to start a fresh new post for the other parts of the vacation, but I have to first say, a huge thank you to Shad, Esther and family, for doing so much for us.  We never could have done something like this, if they hadn't of been so willing to give us room and board.  We just had a super time with them.  A few memories. The kids staying up super late and being scared by watching "So I Married and Ax Murder" they got mad at Shad the next day for suggesting such a scary movie.  Shad had a good laugh, and said that it wasn't scary, so he watched it with them the next night, and now they love it and own it.  We got to celebrate Esther's birthday, Soren's birthday, and Esther and Shad's anniversary with them.  The four of us went out to eat at Kung Pao's or something like that, it was a really  nice restaurant, and then the Cheese Cake Factory for dessert.  Family Home Evening with the Browns, was a treat to be sure.  Um....their traditional opening song is "In My Room" by the Beach Boys.  I'm not sure if we laughed more or sang more.  We played in the beautiful park by their house.  Allison drove their car to baseball practice, to pick of one of the kids, and was given directions by a British computer lady.  She made it home so I guess it worked.  Dallin buying a real life Civil War sword, and he and Esther walking into the Crofton post office wanting to send it home.  The kids thought they were in heaven when Esther took them to Sam's Club and they could eat all the free food they wanted????  Good times.....Good times!!!!!