Just a few lessons...learned after 37 hours in the car:

• If your daughter starts to throw up, pull over right away (severe consequences may occur!)

• Bring a portable DVD player, and try to make sure all the DVDs are not scratched before you go so you don't have to constantly be climbing over the seat to fix it.

• Find every Dutch Bros Coffee shop between where you start and where you are going (it's really yummy).

• Make sure to eat at In N Out at least four times to make those 37 hours worth every bite...
  

• Try to avoid having your son catch the stomach flu while on your vacation.

• Try to find a hotel at midnight on the way home, they give you good rates that way ($60 off!)

• If your daughter says she has to go potty, pull over right away (severe consequences may occur!)

• Make everyone at least TRY to go potty every time you stop (it felt like we stopped every hour on the way down!)
  

• Start your roadtrip from the beach so you all have sand in every crevice and can start making those pearls.

• Leave some milk and cream in your fridge so it can be really nice and stinky when you get home. :)
  

Happy 60th Birthday Mom!

Mom turned 60 and we drove down for the event! It was a lot of fun and the party was beautiful (as was my mom)! Ava had the quote of the night when, during a pause in April's speech she loudly said, "Did you know this is fake grass?" Jonah is in awe that we had to put 60 candles in the cake (make that two cakes, hee hee)...oh, and that is my dad pointing at Mom, who is obviously relishing the moment with two big thumbs-up signs.



Jon and I enjoying the ambiance.
JoAnna, Jamie, and Norah waiting for the caterer, no doubt...
JoAnna and John with their youngest, Seth
My dad's tow'd filled with lovely ladies. Sarah is my niece in the back wearing peach
The boys had so much fun together! It's cool that my sisters and I enjoyed the pinball machine growing up and now the grankids are enjoying it as well.
Ava taking a break to watch a movie. The party went really long into the evening and all the kidlets were tired...
Lovely April with lovely Grace
Adam with baby Norah, who did not want to go to sleep and miss any of the fun.

It's really hard...

to get 18 people to smile at the same time...

Papa and Gammie with all the grandkids...in the pic just above here Grace being so cute! It was her birthday, and she knew it! (click on picture to enlarge)

Gammie's Party

Sarah and Ava waiting for the caterer, who was very VERY yummy, so we forgave him being almost 2 hrs late...

All the Folkertsma ladies

Gammie turns 60!

Sarah's all prepped for the big day with curlers in her hair

Best Bud Cousins (4 yrs apart)

Norah Renee Busch, 4 months

Ava waiting to get the party started

Day Two

Jonah caught the stomach flu on day one, but was feeling much better the second day.

Jayden and the kids wrestling with Uncle Jon

Adam rolled out some turf in preparation for the birthday party...and the kids played baseball!

Jonah waits his turn patiently while Sarah is up to bat (complete with curlers in her hair!)

Day One

Jon with Norah and Brynne

Ava and Grace had fun playing Cinderellas together

How cute is Grace with that cheesy grin???

5 weeks and over 5lbs difference...

Heading down to Cali...

We stopped at the Shadow Inn (thanks for the recommendation, Angela!) on the way to So Cal. The Kids LOVED the pool and it made our two day long road trip much more fun for them...

This One's for Kim Bell!

I've been requested to post a newer and better family photo! :)
This was taken at San Clemente beach two days ago at my niece Grace's 2nd birthday party.