Saturday Scramble

This is Saturday.

Time to shovel and shovel and shovel.

Payton usually maintains a plush carpet of legos atop our not-so plush berber. After a morning of threats, tooth and hair pulling...I brought out the big dog...the vacuum.

I must admit, I love the sound of the clickety-clackety as it sucks tiny toys into their eternally dusty doom.

This is Payton, scrambling in front of the vacuum trying to rescue any last singleton lego from this doom.

Southern Suitors in Hot Pursuit

So, we're there...

that point

that precipice

that frightening ledge that was always to remain distant.

Boys are beginning their encroachment on the Griffen house; and these Southern boys ARE NOT SHY.

There is a certain young man, P*, that has bluntly declared his like for my daughter, T*. This morning he walked right next to her, not a hairs width away, during walking club. He could've held her hand...if she wanted to. He boldly declared to her, "It will happen Taylor. First, you'll stumble. Then, you'll dream about me...and then, you'll get looooost in my eyes." (He stole the line from Sonny with a Chance on Disney Channel.) Taylor just stifles her grin and turns away, in denial. I love to watch it. I tell her it's flattering. But, she can just leave it at that.

M* has already had young men calling the house. One, asked for her dad; and then proceded to ask if he could have a lemonade stand with her next summer. Now that's a 1st rate 1st grade Southern gentleman! The other, was calling multiple times, every day. The moms kinda trumped that one. But, he still writes her love notes and waves eagerly every time he sees her. She waves to his bus every morning, trying to catch a glimpse of him in the dark windows.

Seriously? Not ready for this.

Why a girl needs a mom...

A girl needs a mom so she doesn't end up here...

on the stairs...

hiding the fact that

she tried to glue a headband

to her pants

to hold them up.

Let's here it for ingenuity!!

***Clarification: If this girl had a mom that was behind the sewing machine altering her pants instead of in the garage painting furniture or on the computer, she wouldn't have to be so ingenious at such a young age. It's good for her...right?***

Photo Adventure Continued...and concluded

A few more snapshots of our summer adventures.

When asked what she did this summer, Taylor replied, "Nothin".

Seriously?

Bear World

Rexburg, ID

Slurpees
ONE of our favorite Utah treats.

Grand Canyon, AZ

Petrified Forest & Painted Desert

Cloud watching along Route 66 in New Mexico.

The sky was SO blue and the clouds really were amazing!

Signing the wall at Graceland.

Eating grilled PB & banana sandwich at the Heartbreak Hotel at Graceland.




Sleepy Space cadet
Space Camp
Huntsville, AL

This ride is for the legitimately young.

Being young at heart will not pull you through!! You may cry...or vomit.

Almost home!!!

A little bit of crazy somewhere near Atlanta.

Reily's cry for personal space.

We made it home.

We figured we logged 100 hours in the car and 20 states.

In the end, we had remnants of sanity still in tact, all 4 children alive and well, and a lot of good memories.

Fun, fun summer!

Griffen - Summer Tour - 2009

20 states...30 days...we are total rock stars!! Take a deep breath. Here we go.

Day 1:

Irmo, Sc - St. Louis, Mo

11:40- 742 mi.

Gateway Arch

Day 2:

St. Louis - Nauvoo, Il

3:21 - 195mi.

Nauvoo Temple

Nauvoo, Il - Des Moines, IA

3:10 - 191 mi.

Day 3

Des Moines, IA - Mitchell, SD

5:13 - 352 mi

Corn Palace

No, seriously, "The Corn Palace"!

Mitchell, SD - Rapid City, SD

3:55, 277 mi

The Badlands

Mt. Rushmore

Day 4

Rapid City, SD - Alliance, NE

2:27 -156 mi

Carhenge

Alliance, NE - GRANDMA'S!!!

Take the hours, take the mileage, multiply it with 4 kids. It all adds up to a long trip!! And, that's just the way TO Grandma's!! We still have the return trip to share!!