Day 7... One week already

I can hardly believe we left good old Phoenix sky Harbor a whole week ago. It feels like yesterday...
Today was beautiful agian! It was nice and warm... but definately not too hot! We opted to chill around the house this morning. The kids wanted to talk to grandparents and friends. Then we ate lunch on the deck in celebration of summer! It was pretty much a short order house around here today. The bees ruined lunch. As soon as they smelt McKay's strawberry water they decided to join us... I tried to convince the kids that Polish bees don't sting, but they aren't stupid and therefore didn't believe me.
After lunch we took off to go to the Majdanek death camp which is located only 20 minutes from the house... if you know where you are going. But if you don't know where you are going then it may or may not be more like 1 hour away. So I just took pictures on the way. I can't decide if I love that people have their home on top of stores or not... but they do. And I think I kinda think its cool. So I took a picture to give an idea. Stores along the sidewalk downstairs, and apartments upstairs. Most buildings are like this. Its kinda weird when you walk downtown to go shopping and when you look up you see a man in his unders standing on the balcony. Just saying... its not like back home. I think it might take some getting used to.



This is a far view of the Majdanek memorial. It is HUGE! The camp is massive! You are driving along down this beautiful tree lined road and then out of no where there is a huge open field and a massive memorial! It is obvious what it is as you look out over the open field.

You pull in through a narrow barbed wire gate to park... or you may drive through it. The camp is definately that big! Majdanek was a death camp, which was different from the concentration camps, and is one of the most intact camps today. The German's didn't have quite enough time to dispose of it like they would've like to. It really is quite depressing.

The guard towers line the road way. The fences are still up. We got there later than we had hoped and so we didn't get to see very much before it closed. Bummer. We will be finishing our tour tomorrow. I will take more pics then. We literally barely got to the surface before we had to leave. I can't even describe how massive this place is.


Picture of the kids in front of the memorial gives and idea of how big the memorial really is.




After spending much of the day getting lost and then later in the afternoon at the Majdanek, I didn't want to make dinner and eat at 8:00 p.m. again. That gets old quick! So we went to dinner at Dulce Vita. It is the yummiest Italian food ever! Elders Plumb and Basha joined us. They were in Warsaw all day and so they hadn't eaten yet either. Plumb said he had eaten all the kabobs he wanted so he chose Italian and I was so happy he did. My spinach lasagna was amazing! Those guys are so fun to hang out with. Elder Basha reminds me of one of my fav people, Scott Holt. I get a huge kick out of him. I think he probably thinks I'm nuts because when he is talking I stare at him... it trips me out how much he talks like Scott. His manerisms are the same. It feels like Home sweet home! Plus I love his mother... she is a hoot!

Things I learned today:
1) Polish bees sting too
2) Death camps are very sombering
3) Today, the Polish people hate the Russians more than the Germans
4) Many of the Polish people were murdered along with the Jews. The Pols did not like what was going on and because of it, when they stood up for themselves they were taken out also.

day 6

Today Mr. Mecham was back at work. As soon as I got my cell phone registered so that I had phone numbers to call when I got lost, the kids and I went to lunch. We decided to get lost in Lublin! We found our way down town... luckily the kids reminded me that they are much smarter than I am and navigated us perfectly! Once down town we found parking... but it isn't free on weekdays. I was quickly reminded that I do not speak Polish. The nice man who was taking money for parking didn't speak English. He thought I was dutch... so he found somebody to translate for me in dutch. I don't speak Dutch... but appearantly I look Dutch. Luckily a man on the sidewalk translated in English to tell me that he would be willing to allow me to pay when I got back. So off we went. I immediately got on the phone with mr. Mecham who was hard at work. I reminded him I had no money and inquired where to go... which he started to tell me... we laughed pretty hard at how confused i must have looked! Not even 30 seconds after I hung up the phone, I turned around to see Elders Basha and Plumb walking toward me. I have NEVER enjoyed a familiar face so much in my life! What are the chances that I would run into somebody I know in downtown Lublin, right when I needed somebody most?! I call that tender mercys. It reminded me that we have a kind Heavenly Father who is mindful of EVERYTHING that is going on. The missionaries said they saw me from the McDonald's window and they thought I might need help. They took me to get money, then back to my car to pay for parking. I would have been in a world of hurt, probably terribly ripped off, and could've even had my car towed if they had not been there to translate and help me. Honestly... they were guardian angels today and I will forever be thankful for their goodness.
I asked the kids if they wanted something Polish to try for lunch... Cole said, "we havn't tried Subway!" Bailey reminded him that we eat Subway all the time at home. His reply, "we haven't had Polish Subway!" Funny kid. So Subway it was. And we actually found out that the spicey Italian meat tastes different here than it does in good old America.
After lunch we headed through down town on foot. We wanted to take it all in... and we had paid for 3 hours of parking! Plenty of time. It was warm outside. 81 degrees today. HEAT WAVE! At the end of down town is the Lublin castle. We had to see it!


The castle bridge looking back at downtown Lublin


Front of the Lublin castle



Side of the Lublin Castle taken from the park. It is huge!

Castle park arch entrance. The park was wide open with big huge trees everywhere! It was beautiful! And everything is soooo green.


The park toys were so old school. It was like taking a step back in time! The kids thought it was great because they haven't really seen those kind of park toys before! But I remember them from River Heights elementry school! An old metal merry go round. A teeter totter and a old swings. They did have a more modern climbing toy. But the kids were drawn to the old stuff! I laughed when mcKay quickly figured out that if he hopped off the teeter totter the other end would go down with a boom! And so he joyfully played with Bailey until he was at the bottom and then he bailed... leaving her to fall... and then he laughed and laughed. Gotta love brothers! The kids met some little boys from England and they were so happy to talk to somebody in English! I loved their little British accents. They were so blasted cute!


over looking downtown from the park. It is so pretty!


we got lost on the way home. Bailey and Mckay figured out how to work the navigation on my phone. I am having a hard time figuring out my gps so I used my phone navigation. We got home and in the house right before a black cloud moved in and it poured rain! Lightening would strike with immediate thunder! I thought it would come in my kitchen window! But it didn't last long. And then a big old rainbow appeared right out the front door. Again, a reminder of Heavenly Father's love for us. We were happy to be home.

Things I learned today:
1) water costs 1,50 unless you don't speak Polish and then its 2, 50.
2) my children are better at finding our way around than I am
3) I am going to love hauling my kids around and getting lost
4) I love the missionaries more than I realized... and to show my gratitude offered them an open invite to dinner. Which reminds me that I need to send them the menue for the week.
5) I got ripped off again... and I learned that I want to know Polish more today than yesterday and so Rosetta and I are getting ooober comfy starting tomorrow morning!

my internet connection was fixed today. My video phone is working beautifully if you would like to make a local call from the united states you may now do so. we have had to use Skype for a few days... and I couldn't be more thankful to have my phone back... It reminds me how bad I think Skype blows!

Day 5

This morning we went to church for the first time in Lublin. Wow! Coming from Mesa central stake... it is fair to say that even though I was expecting different, that would be an understatement. The blessing of strong stakes is far beyond what I ever comprehended. The church is in an old building like an office space. At the front door you ding a bell and the door opens to a concrete entry with office doors on either side. It smells like smoke. (Who was it that said, "the best smell at church is that of cigarette smoke?) You walk up a concrete set of stairs to more office doors and enter the little open one with a white piece of laminated paper saying "the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints" in Polish. Once inside there was a kitchen off to the left about half the size of my house kitchen in Mesa. The Sacrament mtg room was about as big as Bailey's bedroom in Mesa with a podium, table that had one bread and on water tray, about 15 chairs and a keyboard. Elder Plumb, the senior missionary, is the branch President who presides over and conducts every mtg. There was also a bathroom and one other classroom and the elder's office. The kids were all given a Book of Mormon in Polish and we sang our hymns in Polish... funny. Today was a busy day at church. There were 2 missionaries, our family of 5, a visiting couple with 2 kids, Marline and Sabastian, Lukus (the investigator who will be baptized on saturday in a lake. Nate gets to do the honors since he was there when Lukus accepted the invitation to be baptized) lacey and Troy Potter, and a Ukrainian lady that I didn't know and brother and Sister Guadoon and Mikial. 20 people! And that is double what it normally is. Yeah! We had sacrament mtg and sunday school and everyone was joined together. Yep... even the kids.
Things I learned at church:
1) even if you are a visitor you might be asked to speak. That's right... Elona was visiting from Canada (Native Polish) and she was the speaker in Sacrament mtg.
2) I think it will be hard to give a talk that has to be translated in to Polish by Elder Plumb. LOST train of thought.
3) The Polish members in Lublin are pioneering the church in Poland and they are very strong and faithful people.
4) My children could answer all the questions in Sunday school. this gives you and idea of the basic level we teach on out here. No Michelle Ayalla deep doctorine like I love... back to basics. It is very strange.
5) Appearantly I can now wear tank tops and slacks to church so long as I have on high heel pumps, but I can no longer drink coke because its against the word of wisdome! We were waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overdressed in our Sunday duds.

After church we drove to Chelm (pronounced HELM) to see nate's office. He is back to work tomorrow. It is about a 45 min drive to the Ukrain boarder where he works.

He works in a place where the Polish people worked on a cement plant during communism. It was still there but old and run down. we also saw Ancient rail cars that were used at that time! The plant isn't currently in use so it is very run down... but they've built a new one. It is just around the bend from the old one and doesn't look much cleaner... just not as run down!

nate's office is small. Portable... since this job is a temporary site for Dome.


We also did a little drive through Chelm to see some of the many Cathedrals that stand majestically over the tree line. They are beautiful buildings and were hopping today with all the worshiping Catholics. It is nice to see a religiou people. The Pols are very religious and steeped in their traditions. So much so that they are very difficult to share the gospel with.


In Chelm we stopped so I could meet Joanna (the secretary at Dome who helps all the Americans! She speaks beautiful English... Bless her!) I loved Joanna. She was at the park with her 2 year old son. The park was down a one lane pitted dirt road. It had a fish restaraunt with a lake next to it. Quite nice! On the way out we pulled to the side to let somebody go by and landed in a pit and gave the car a little damage. Mr. Mecham remembered the Sabbath and chose nice words to say but there was steam shooting from his ears. Good times.
the drive was fun. we got home late and ate dinner at 10:00. Lame! We had spaghetti... remember the story about the grocery store? Yeah... the sauce we bought wasn't good. It was sweet. And we were starving so we ate it anyway... I need to find spices and tomatoes quick if we want that meal again!
Things I learned on my drive to chelm:
1)The country out here is amazing! Rolling green hills with beautiful homes and churches placed throughout.
2) Many of the famers were harvesting hay with a rake, pitchfork and horse drawn wagon. It felt like a step back in time.
3) Storks aren't as big as I pictured them. And they are just about to make their big winter migration back to Africa until next spring.
4) Communism wasn't long ago. There are traces of it everywhere. Kinda crazy.

I can now say Hello, Goodbye, Thankyou, and ice cream in Polish. I think its time to pull out Rosetta.

Nearly A week in Poland

I promised to blog every day when I got here for two reasons: 1. to keep family and friends posted 2. to never forget this once in a life time adventure. And though I didn't get it up on the blog, I have been taking notes so that I could get it on here asap! I still don't have pics up and going... but I will add them later.
Day 4: Today was the Ultra adventure... Grocery shopping! We had 2 hours before we had to be as Bieta Guadoon's for dinner. Surely that is enough time to get some provisions to fill our very large European 2ft by 4ft fridge and one small cupboard for dry goods! Except if you don't know the language and the food isn't all the same then you quickly realize that 2 hours isn't enough time to find the picture of what you think you want and hope to high heck that you got the right thing! We know we bought the right yogurt and granola because we tried it in the mission home. we know we bought the right produce because Polish bananas look the same as American bananas! haha... and we know bought spaghetti noodles but we arent so sure about the sauce, the nail polish remover (which looks like a small bottle vodka) or the meat. Was it pork or beef? Don't know. I guess we will figure it out! Oh well... in two days we will be back at the store for more food since the fridge will be empty then! The grocery story was different to say the least! we weigh our own food and then the tag is printed out with a bar code. The candy has alcohol in it. We couldn't find most of the stuff we eat. But that is not a complaint! We actually found it quite comical and can't wait to figure all of this out!
We took Elder Plum and Elder Basha to lunch after Nate went with them to find a baptismal spot at the lake for Lukus. He is being baptized next Saturday. Very exciting! We ate at a milk bar called Chata. It was authentic Polish food and it was AWESOME! I ate something like a dumpling and coleslaw... the kids ate chicken, potatoes and coleslaw. We were soooo full! Next time I am getting what Plum had: buckwheat with gravey sauce. Basha ate a potatoe pancake with red sauce... I wasn't in love with that!
We ate bbq dinner at the Guadoon's. Biata is so very nice! I love her! She doesn't speak English, but you could tell she is genuine and could be a very good friend so long as she doesnt want to talk! haha.... She has been a member for 10 years. She has 2 sons. One is 17 and the other is on a mission. Her son in the first Polish member to serve a mission. At the BBQ were other people too: The missionaries, Lukus, Tim and Elona (from Canada) and the Potters. oh... and Biata who is Biata's friend! Sister Nielson told me there were 10 Polish names and I would learn them quickly. Appearantly Biata is one of them! It really was pretty fun.
Today I learned:
1) the grocery store is going to take a while to get used to for now.
2) 57 degrees in August is nice until you consider that it is a heat wave and begin to wonder what December will be like.
3) I can drive to the grocery store and home without getting lost.
4) dziekuje means thank you... don't try to read it cuz it doesn't sound like it looks: gen coo yeh is more like the sound.
5) One can purchase American candy in Poland, but it doesn't taste the same. Chocolate doesn't have wax in it here.
6) I am sooooo confused on the money exchange. I can't wrap my head around the fact that 500 zlote is not 500 dollars.
7) Mckay has the most amazing sense of humor.
8) You must take your own bags shopping or you get charged for every single bag.

Day 3
today our lost bag was found! In fact, The courier from Warsaw delivered it to our house in Lublin. That is service! And everything was in side just like I left it! We got most of our house put together but still didn't make it to the grocery store. I have major jet lag. It is getting ridiculous! Falling asleep all day is so rude! We ate lunch in downtown Lublin. The architecture is unreal! The cobblestone streets are so fairy tale like. The lamp posts are decorative, black iron with flowers hanging from them. It is so fun! People are out everywhere! The economy her must be booming! We ate kabobs at a little shop downtown. They were delicious and soooo messy! There was a little girl playing her acordian with a money basket sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. It was sweet. We purchased the biggest raspberries I have ever seen from a little girl on the sidewalk. They tasted like candy. I will eat them for breakfast in the morning. It rained like I've never seen it rain. For dinner we ate Pizza from pizza hut. I don't even like Pizza hut but this pizza was delicious! It wasn't even greasy! Go figure that one!
things I learned today:
1) jet lag isn't a funny situation. the kids want to know what is wrong with me!
2) People dress up here to walk outside. They go to the store in dresses and slacks. The women all wear high heal sandals. My jeans don't look very nice. I must invest in some dressy clothing soon.
3) Everyone walks. I can only imagine that is part of the reason that there are no fat people other than myself in this town! YIKES!
4) Kabobs are not meat and veggies on a stick. They are more like pitas full of grilled veggies and meat done to perfection dripping with yummy sauce that I don't know what it is called or how on earth to make.
5) If you tell the kids that the little girl playing the accorian is working for her dinner they seem to love her more and start begging to give her money rather than buy themselves anything else.
6) Bailey will never be happy in Poland.

Day 2
Warsaw is a beautiful place! We left President and Sister Nielson's huge mission home after enjoying a quick breakfast of yogurt, granola, cereal and blueberry muffin cake, a quick picture, and some good advice to get us on our way and we went to Stalin's tower. It was a gift to the Polish people from Russia. (FYI: The Polish people aren't loving the Russians after many years of supression and comunisim. They don't find it even cool that I took 3 years of Russian in school and can say things like "slowly but surely" and count to 5 still) We purchased tickets so we could go to the top and found out that we actually bought tickets to go into an exhibit with lizards... the kind we are used to seeing on our curb in AZ. It wasn't too impressive... but our elevator ride did go to the top any way! And we could see all over Warsaw. We ate lunch at McDonalds. We ordered by pointing out pictures off the menue. McDonald's here isnt a playplace and a cheap lunch where all the white trash people spend their afternoons. It is a restaraunt. Go figure! I have no less than 68 misquito bites from my ankles to my knees and they itch something fierce. Our house in Lublin is beautiful in an nice neighborhood. It is very European with iron and arch ways. Everytime I come home I think of Lindsay and Spencer Jones and their European home in Mesa! The yard is green and the topiary trees on the stairs leading to the front door make me happy. Inside we have no carpet. Just wood and marble floors. The stairs are marble. They make me very nervice. The kitchen is the small. EVerything is miniture: the fridge, the dishwasher, the sink. The furniture is ikea like and the walls are very bare! We have a nice deck looking into the fur trees that thickly line our yard with the neighbors about 20 feet from the deck! Upstairs we have 3 bedrooms with no closets, one bathroom with a lovely tub and one big closet in the hall way. It is different. Main floor is the kitchen, living room, bathroom with big shower and dining room where we put the desk. Downstairs is a bathroom, laundry room/ family room, and bedroom and the garage. So the house is pretty spacious and very nice. We can live here for a while! :) The landlords have a black lab named Negra. Cole calls her Nigra. It's pretty cute. She is a friendly dog and the boys have been entertained for hours by her. For dinner Nate took us to his favorite Italian food, Dulce Vita. It was pretty authentic and most delicious. I was told everyone here speaks English. I have not found that to be the case. In most cases, everyone here understands English and speaks enough to say that they don't speak English.
Today I learned:
1) Pres. and Sister Nielson have mesa ties. Pres grew up on 3rd st. in our beloved Lazona ward. He has many friends from that area. Later he lived behind one of my best friends in Friendly Cove. They know all of my high school buddies families and even vacationed with some of them.
2) Sister Nielson is so hospitable that she reminded me of Suzy Everton... and I began to wonder if that is a requirement for Friendly Cove/ Dynasty Estates residents. She has made the mission home in Warsaw an amazing place and I actually thought I would love to be the wife of a mission president after hanging with her for a day.
3) The mission home in Warsaw is owned by the church. It has a sauna in the downstairs bathroom. LUCIOUS!
4) It is obvious that Americans pay more than the Polish people for everything. And when we turn our backs they laugh... and though we suck at speaking Polish, we still understand what is going on... and sometimes it is lame to know that you are being taken advantage of and still can't do anything about it.
5)rich people eat at McDonalds here. And yes, they dress up to go.
6) Polish misquitos are the same as American misquitos... and they itch just as bad
7) swollen ankles from travel don't go away after 24 hours. I am wondering if they ever will go down if the misquitos keep biting me.
8)We have been given much in America. I am beginning to see the abundance of the Promised land.
9) Strictly from appearance sake, I have seen more people that I look like here than I do walking down the street in AZ. In fact, I would dare say I fit in more here than I do there!
10) The weather, the vegitation, the food is wonderful.

Day 1
We arrived in Warsaw. The flight was better than I thought... Once we got through the airport with our bags the rest was gravey! Going through security in the international terminal was a treat. It was the first time I have ever been patted down/felt up in an airport. Only one bag was lost. Unfortunately it was the boys clothing. Fortunatley they don't care. The airport said they would locate it and send it on to Lublin. Nate and Lacey Potter picked us up and it was fun to see them! I debated on hugging Nate or kicking him in the crotch! We settled on hugs. We went to the Mission home where we were warmly welcomed by President Stan and Sister Judi Nielson. Sis Nielson gave us a tour of the mission home mansion and I found myself thinking I could live there forever. I was blitzed from zero sleep in over 24 hours and thought that anything that resembled a home with pictures of family and beds in it with running water and toilets/showers and kitches sounded about perfect! I laid down on the most comfy bed of my life and fell asleep until the welcoming crew showed up! The boys took off running under Nate's watchful care and Bailey joined me for slumber. Sister Nielson invited over a few other American families for a bbq: The Wood family and The Staples. They both live in Warsaw. They had kids the same ages as ours and they became instant friends. So sad they live 3 hours from our house. Dinner was fabulous. The misquitos enjoyed me.
Things I learned today:
1) European Architecture is awesome!
2) Sister Nielson is one of my all time fav people.
3) I like meeting up with Americans in Poland. We have language in common.
4) when you've been on an airplane for as long as we had, it doesn't even matter that your luggage is lost.
5) reporting lost luggage in a foreign language is done best by drawing pictures with colored crayons.
6) I think I'm going to love this adventure.

Saying goodbye is hard for me

Saying goodbye has always been one of my least favorite things! I always cry. ALWAYS! I cry at funerals... they are a goodbye. I cry when I move. I have never figured out why it is so difficult for me, it just seems to be. Oh well.
3 months ago, Mr. Mecham took a job with the ever amazing Dome Technologies. It really is his dream job! Dome's home office is in Idaho Falls. They tried to hire him years ago but I was not interested in a permanent relocation to Idaho and so we didn't go. 3 months ago Mr. Mecham was also offered 3 other jobs, all of which were equal paying. However, Dome offered him an opportunity to work abroad! It was an opportunity that, not only did we want, but also we knew we should take.
Over the years since Mr. Mecham and I were married we have lived in 3 different states and now 2 different countries. We have always associated with the kindest people and enjoyed every minute of our stay no matter where we were. But everyone knows that as soon as you move the relationship changes. And for me, that is sometimes hard when you are completely happy with how the relaionships currently are!
Somehow this does all go together! Last Monday night some Ms. Dillard and Co. threw a very lovely party to say goodbye to me... and i cried the whole time. So I didn't get to tell everyone that I was excited to move. I didn't get to tell everyone that I would miss them! I didn't get to tell everyone the story behind us moving! Because I was crying! And besides, I ruined every picture! haha...
We wanted to move. We love the adventure. The problem is that we wanted everyone to come with us! There will always and forever be a lovely place in our hearts for the friendships and relationships we have with dear friends and family all over the world. And we so look forward to reunions which we know will come!
For now,
do widzenia

We Had to get our Vizas and some trivia...

So when I figure out how to post pictures from my camera without having the cord which connects my camera to the computer I will add photos. For now, Mr. Mecham has the cord in Europe and I have the camera in Sonoran Desert.

We had to go to L.A. to get our Visas... And so we made a little trip out of it! And it was such a relief to a looooooooong vacation less few months! Lucky for us the timing couldn't have been better! We were awaiting the arrival of Mr. Mecham's work permits and one of our passports which came in just before the the 4th of July! And so we bolted for the Ocean! Two luscious days on the beach with 10 bajillion of our (not so) closest friends, 400 million sand flea crabs, the ever fabulous Princes and Aunt Peebs and a whole lot of sunshine! It was spectacular! Especially the Dolphin show right in front of us! They were soooo sooo cute playing in the waves! And the stray whale that mysteriously parked out a ways from us and just kept blowing water was so very cool!
Huntington Beach Trivia:
1) the 4th of July crowd at Huntington beach trashes the public restroom and makes them so stinky that you are forced to wear swim plugs around your nose to urinate. Take a toothbrush because you will want to brush your teeth when done since you were forced to do all breathing in the jon through your mouth. Take 2 extra rolls of t.p... paper towells would be better... and rubber dish gloves: these items will aid in your ability to plaster the toilet seat before you squat down to use it.
Wear flip flops to the restroom. No. bare. feet. Irrigation boots are a better choice. Headlamps and goggles would also be helpful.
2) for the lack of swimsuits! Hello skimp bikinis! Body size and shape Do NOT matter! Feel free to romp and run in your nothings! (good choice:) skimpy bikini. (better choice:) string or thong bikini nude colored (best choice:) one piece tie on suit laced up the front with parts less covered than the string/thong variety. Why don't we just follow suit with the Europeans and go nude? It would undoubtedly be less shocking!
3) Seriously public display of beyond affection which took some explaining for the older kids... and was offensive to the young men of our group! Ok... but we had a truck load of fun and even found the pda hilarious! Really? How could one be so passionately in the mode completely oblivious to that fact that sand flea crabs are ducking under their feet, 734,000 kids have dropped their sand shovels and are staring at them, the dolphins stopped jumping because they were so embarrassed, and I was taking notes? haha.. just kidding... I wasn't taking notes! I was laughing though... and bribing my children with candy to look at me while I laughed at the nuisance!
4) Did you know that 1 out of 5 people at Huntington beach do NOT have a tattoo? 3 of those that do have sleeves? Tattoos and body piercings are like Pb and j. If you are properly tatted then you also have body piercings. It goes like this. women: if you have a tat on your back you have a piercing in your belly button. If you have a tat on your leg then you might only have 16 ear piercings. If you have leg, back and chest tats then you also have belly, nose, lip and multiple ear piercings and you might even have your ear lobes tatted. Did I mention that the lobe piercing is big enough to put a spoon through? Enough about that!
5) Did you know that when you look out on the water and see a large flock of birds swarming and landing they are most likely landing on a whale? No kidding! And that is how whale watchers find their show!
6) if you find a clam and you don't get the meaty part out before you go home just know that the clam rots and makes your bag smell like a very old yucky diaper... and you might have to through everything away.
7) you may or may not come home with more sand in the family sized chip bag than chips. individual sized chip bags might be a better choice!
We stuck out like a sore thumb... Imagine this: 3 men literally WORKING THEIR BUNS OFF (everyone else on the beach working was of the female gender while the men played). 4 women. No big tattoos on the adults. No bizarre body piercings. 11 children under the age of 12... over 3/4 of them under the age of 7. No smoking or alcoholic beverages and NO pda even though we obviously enjoy affection since we hauled in with 11 kids and a bun in the oven. It was a sight!
We live in a bubble! I like my bubble. So after 10 minutes of me digging my jaw out of the sand, I got over it and we had a BLAST!
Favorite moment on the beach: Bailey and Talor wanted to be buried in the sand for a picture. Taylor went first even though we suggested that not to be a super good idea... since sand in the suit is only sometimes super comfy... the rest of the time it is totally lame. What. ev. er! And so the hole was dug. And Taylor was buried up to her neck. The last bucket of sand was to be dumped on before the grand picture was to be taken. And so Taylor suggested the purple bucket because it was already full of sand thanks to the digging done earlier that day. Little did the girls know that the purple bucket was the boys bucket which was being used to house the 87 sand flea crabs they had been diligently catching for hours! But who knew? Sand crabs dig down in the sand instantly and so they couldn't be seen! But BOY HOWDY! When Bailey dumped that last purple bucket on top... right by the neck line of Ms. Taylor, She bolted out of that sand grave like I have never seen anybody move! And I was laughing pretty hard!

On July 5th the consulate opened. The paperwork and passports were submitted and we were off to Disney while awaiting them to process! OH WOW! Who knew Disney could be so fun? Cole's first experience in Disneyland... and i have never enjoyed a "first" so much! It was incredible!
Disney Trivia:
1) Did you know that there is a mini hospital just off main street Disney? Yep! sure is... Bailey found it! Po Bailey... She gets motion sick. All day she did awesome but 1 trip on Tower of Terror + 2 back to back rides on California Screaming did her in! We were all enjoying an ice cream from that (to die for) parlor when Bailey sat over in the corner a barfed her brains out, thought for sure she was going to hyperventilate and pass out and even turned some awesome shades of grey and pasty white. The Disney nurse came a running with the Disney paramedics while the ice cream parlor men in their striped uniforms made a half circle around the corner where she was to ensure that nobody else was grossed out by her puke and to ensure Bailey's complete barfing pleasure in privacy. If you had to be sick anywhere outside home, I am voting for main street Disney in the corner of the ice cream parlor. I bonded with those men... They didn't even look suspicious until the paramedics showed up. By that time Aunt Lisa was holding the grocery bag of vomit while finishing her ice cream waffle cone. I was securing the pony tails in Bay's hair and giving evil eyes to anyone who might be trying to stare. Cole was gathering his treats and bolting for Nate and McKay who had fled as soon as humanly possible to the outside to watch fireworks explode over Cinderella's castle! And then Lisa and I joined Bailey in the infirmary while the boys headed over to cash in on the fast passes at splash mountain followed by a little shopping before they came to drop off on their way to space mountain and autotopia.
2) Did you know that if Disney inconveniences you with one of their rides needing serviced while you were on it that they make it up to you by giving you a pass which allows 6 people to skip on to the front of any line for the ride of your choice? They sure do! So while we were on the go carts one of them died somewhere ahead of us. It wasn't a big deal since we were almost done with the ride anyway! In very routine fashion the rides were all shut off, the roads secured, everyone escorted off the ride and then orderly given passes to any ride they wanted which accommodated up to 6 people. So we took an extra ride with only 10 minutes to park closing on space mountain! I LOVE DISNEYLAND!
3) FYI: new puppets in small world. Loved them! Loved the A.C. on that ride!
4) FYI: the park shops stay open for an hour after the rides close.
5) If you eat a huge turkey leg at 3:00 p.m. you only have to eat one meal for the rest of the entire trip. But take lots of water! And don't forget a churro and an ice cream.

coming home!

This little hotty will be home today! I can't wait to kiss his face off! Welcome back Mr. Mecham!!! You have been missed terribly!