Vida. Risa. Amor.

Josie and I just came back from her soccer team's President cup tournament in Medford, Oregon....and there just seems to be 1000 things to have to get back to before blogging.  I think I'm caught up now, so here I am.  The question I'm having a hard time answering is Did I have fun?  I don't know yet honestly...I had many fun moments, but the past week is still kind of sinking in.  Fun seems to have a price-tag attached to it lately, so I'm not 100% sure if it was money well spent for everyone on this trip.  It sounded like it would be fun back in April when we all made our reservations, and the team was emotionally high off of winning every game in all of their tournaments.  We all had to book flights one day earlier than when the games might start, (the league didn't post the game schedules until 2 weeks before the tournament), and most of us also had to stay one day later in case they made it to the finals...sooooo....our stay in Oregon was actually 2 days longer than it needed to be...which is also 2 extra days of figuring out entertainment, food, and lodging...(plus time away from my man and other 3 kiddos!!)  I managed to save a little $$$ by sharing our room with another Mom & daughter and skipped renting a car....and ate at Sonic & Taco Bell.  ugh.  (I haven't wanted to eat anything but fruit and vegetables since I've been home).

There were a "few" common disappointments overall about the soccer tournament from most of the families on this trip.  The first was the fact that they were only scheduled one game a day, 3 games total, and one more if they actually made it to the finals.  The second was the size of the fields.  We were in shock!!  They were literally half the size of the fields the girls are used to play on...like a U10 size field....and so, needless to say, they just weren't trained or prepared to play on that size field.  Every team made a complaint on that issue.  The biggest problem was that the girls last game was played back in March so they were out of practice with each other and they honestly weren't ready for the tough competition they faced now in June.  I'm just not convinced that this was worth the expense to have this experience if the team wasn't ready.  We sadly lost all of our games and the score of the 1st game was 6 to 1, the 2nd was 3 to 1, and the 3rd was the toughest:  8 to 0.  Wow.  Disappointment was the understatement of the week.  Even though the loss of the final game was the biggest, the girls played their hearts out and played together like they did back in March.  I think they just need to remember how to score again!  They'll take some time off and start training again in July. 

Of course the girls had a great time bonding at the go-cart/arcade place, movies, a roller derby, (yes, really), bowling, card games, hangin around the lobby and pool, sleepovers, a pizza party, Olive Garden, Red Robin, and Outback!  And I did have a good time getting to know some of the Mom's I didn't know that well....so while our girls were off texting and primping we were clever enough to make our own "fun" in the lobby with a few card games and adult beverages.  The Mom's all seemed to like the Team Barca T-shirts I designed in gray and blue and we got quite a few compliments from other teams too.  I also recently found out Ross sells Barca shirts...so my family is stocked up for the next season.  (Barca is short for Barcelona, pronounced Barza).

It was good to see Oregon too.  By far, that is what I loved most about this trip.  There is just so much green!  The very first day we arrived I found a beautiful bike trail behind the hotel to jog on.  The last day of our trip we drove up to see Crater Lake with Josie's coach's family and saw that it was snowing there.  Snow in June.  Amazing.  We stopped to take pictures by Rogue River's waterfalls and rapids....and the tall pine trees there are so amazingly beautiful!   The air felt so fresh and cool....which was a perfect change from a 110 degrees desert!

So I'm looking forward to just having a summer now.  Home.   Close to my husband with my kids.  All of us together.  Pool time, movies, libraries, malls...whatever.  But home. Sweet. home.

click-clock, click-clock, click-clock, click-clock...
...That is the sound I remember hearing while walking next to a very classy lady that I had the pleasure of visiting with about a half a year ago.  She rarely notices heads turning for a second look as she is a gorgeous blonde and very striking in her high-heeled boots, and trendy dangly earrings that look like they were made for her.  She holds her head high ready to take on the world as she carries herself with confidence without even a hint of arrogance.  She loves chocolate, ice-cream, & action movies as much as I do, and there is never a dull moment in any conversation we have.  We've shared a few tears together, and she can also make me laugh my head off.  I love her Christmas ornaments and keep them up all year round.

When I grow up I hope to be like her someday.  She's my favorite photographer living in Colorado.  She's my baby sister, and I still call her Betsy.

A year ago we might have spent the day working out together and splashing with our kids at the health club pool.  Our families had the opportunity to live close by each other in Arizona last year as they needed to temporarily live with our parents due to her husband getting laid off of work.  Like so many families had to face in these hard times, there just wasn't any work to be found.  Their temporary stay here last summer gave them the chance to work here so we helped and played with their kids while they rented out their home back in Colorado.  Her daughter Kenzie is 4 and Hudson is 2 1/2 and we love them to death.  It was a long hard road, but up until last month, their wait for employment finally came to an end.  Praise God.  I admire that she has the ability to stay positive and find humor in difficult circumstances. 

When we were younger, she would love to jog along side me or stay up late and watch a movie together.   She still does actually, and we have our birthday's 4 days apart in June so that was why I was thinking of her this week.  Of course I wish we still lived closer and could go catch a good summer movie together, but it is my hope that a visit will happen in the near future.  I miss her too much.

I've been having a hard time figuring out fashion, so when I shop, I ask myself....what would Betsy wear?  And though I can't pull off a pair of heels like she can, I still like to pretend.  She reminds me to enjoy the little things in life, blast the radio, and make the most out of the time we get to spend together when we can.

Alrighty then.

My family has been back from our vacation for about a day now so I've had a little time to reflect on our past week's adventure in Mexico. After our final 5 hour drive through the desert and sitting in our hot van with all 5 of the people I spent most of every beachy-Mexico-minute with, I actually didn't mind starting the 6 loads of sand-soaked laundry as soon as we got home. I enjoyed my week off of housework, but I was ready to get back to it.  The 99 degree temperature inside our home wasn't so great to come home to, but it only took the air conditioner about 4 hours to get back down to 78 again.

We've stayed at the same Mayan Palace resort in Rocky Point for about 4 times now, so the familiarity of this vacation has gotten a little easier to plan for. Since the kids have just ended school, we were all ready to just get away from everything that kept us so busy from each other and enjoy a much needed break. The weather was perfectly sunny and though there are many things we love about this location, there are also a few things you learn about family on vacation when you spend 7 days together.

I guess I'll just get right to the rocking point...(he. he.): Here's the reality on vacation: One day at a beach is awesome, a week can be tiring. I love the sun. I LOVE the ocean. I love my family. I love summer....but even this trip left me craving for two things:  a little less sun...and a little more alone time.  The nights were my favorite part of this tirp.  I think when you live in a state where the sun shines forever...a vacation where you are in the sunshine 6 hours out of the day, can literally burn you out.  So can busy-constantly-hungry kids.

Sure it was great to be able to spend time with the family, soak up the sun, relax, play on the beach, relax, fly a kite, relax, and play in the pool...but there comes a point for me, say maybe day 4, when expected relaxing isn't so relaxing anymore.  Maybe I just needed to clean something...or have an earlier happy hour...or just gaze at the ocean longer.  Whatever it was, as a Mom, I'm happy if my family is happy, and I think for the most part we all were on this trip.

With vacation can come a few expectations I guess, and maybe when those expectations aren't met, there can be a little disappointment. If I was looking at the "glass half-empty" point of view I guess I would say I had imagined more long walks on the beach, more family bonding, mother-daughter talks, a DVD player for movie nights, better behaved kids, happier and cooperative family picture time...

But on the other hand, my "glass was full" with gazing at the shooting stars with my husband, finding sand dollars and crab arms, naps with the windows open and curtains flowing in the breeze, our room with the ocean view, family soccer games, limbo laughs, and plenty of time to just put our feet up.

Vacations don't last forever...but if a vacation leaves you relaxed, rested, and refreshed from the busyness of life...and helps you get ready to go back to reality...then it's pretty much a good vacation.

We'll go back again someday...and it's always good to be home.