The big belated update

Summer has been busy. Really busy! I keep writing great little blog posts in my head and never get them on to the computer. Here's are quick summary update. I'll try and post weekly from now on:

- Took Claire to Alaska for a 2 week driving tour from Anchorage to Fairbanks and back. It was awesome and she was a great traveler. Even handled the one day drive from Fairbanks to the Artic Circle and back. I just had to read the book "Elmo loves you" about 200 hundred times in a row. If you have kids and value your sanity never never never buy the book "Elmo loves you".

- DH (Dearest Husband) had his tonsils out. It really is as bad as they say for adults. He reacted to the pain killers, ended up spending a night in the hospital, had more bad reactions, etc. Thankful he is now fully recovered but it took over 2 weeks. Poor Claire kept saying "Daddy hurt. Daddy better" As a nice bonus for all of us his snoring has gone done to almost nothing so we can all share a hotel room and Claire will sleep!

- Took Claire to Crater Lake to meet friends for a long weekend. It was an awesome awesome trip. Claire loved playing outside and seeing all the babies and kids. She was notorious as an escapee. I was taking her for a walk and a couple stops and says, "Is that the little girl who kept running out of the lodge at top speed?" Doug and I also got to see a meteor shower at night. Well worth the drive.

- Just got back from a trip to California. DH got called to work at the last minute and we decided to make it a family trip. We drove down Tues night, wed morning and back on Sunday. It was a lot of fun. Since it was last minute and there weren't many hotels we stayed in the nicest room.. or actually rooms I've ever stayed in. The hotel room was 2 stories!!!! It had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen! Wow! Didn't feel guilty about it though cause we spent the last 2 nights staying with friends. Claire especially loved going to the park with one set of friends and attending the post wedding party we went to on Saturday. She spent part of the part tossing a big beach ball over a porch railing to "KIDS!"