Chocolate Chips and Snickerdoodles....: Wild Weekend We-view

What a weekend! Most of the story is in pictures. Well, the fun part of the story is in pictures. The other part...I will try and paint you a picture. Have you heard before that the reason camping is such a great family experience is because there is so much misery involved? At some point, everyone has just had enough of being dirty, wet, smelly, tired, and together? And invariably there is some getting lost involved? And in all the crankiness that is miserable at the time, a true bonding emerges? Things that are just not funny at the time have a way of eventually being a memorable experience that everyone laughs at. Well, we didn't go camping, but we bonded through misery. Let's get this part out of the way so I can share the fun...

So the story is we were headed to Eastern Washington for my sister's wedding (fun) and my Grandma's 90th birthday (fun). Here it is the end of March, and a big winter storm warning is issued for the Cascades. Two feet of snow forecast for Saturday into Sunday. So we left early enough to be on the front of that, missed it all together. High five. We grabbed some lunch (me talking with my mouth full to tell everyone else to be quiet and eat so we could get done quickly) and checked into the hotel to change. Here's where things took a "bonding" turn. We then spent an hour and a half driving around lost. Lost. In a place we go to frequently enough to not be lost. We were lost. It was as if the "island" (my aunts house) had been flashed into a different location. (I don't know how to describe that accurately. That's Brad's show that I "watch" with him, although I can't follow it at all.) Here's what it was...it was like a bad episode of The Amazing Race. I hate to be lost. I get all anxious and crabby and mean. And we were lost. I was tired. Angry. Mean. We fought the entire hour and a half. The upside is the kids were very quiet, but I was too angry to even notice. If a camera had been in our van, it would have actually been an amazing episode of The Amazing Race. It would have been good t.v., but alas it was just us. If only Phil had been at our destination when we finally arrived. I can just see it. "Brad and Leanne, you are the last family members to arrive. I'm sorry to tell you that you have been eliminated from the Dharma initiative." Whatever.

Fast forward to back at the hotel later that evening. The kids wanted to go swimming, so we headed to the pool. The chlorine level was so crazy high that our eyes were burning. Burning badly. We had to go out for fresh air several times. A short time later, a kid started throwing up - a lot - in the pool shower. Exit stage left. Pool closed.

Time for a good night sleep. Yes? No!! Little Miss Beth began a coughing marathon at 3:30 in the morning, lasting all the way to 6:00 when we got up and started the day. Further exhaustion.

At 6:30, we learned that the passes were requiring chains. Chains!! We had to be home for Alex's dress rehearsal at 1:00, so we hit the road at 7:00 and took the longer way home, up the Oregon side of the Columbia River. Beautiful drive. We appreciated it the best we could, but we were a cranky bunch. It was very cool to see all the huge windmills that are somehow using the wind to generate power. Even that turned into snippiness. Brenna: "Look there's just one not moving." Alex: "Now you are going to have to ask why it's not moving, aren't you?" Mom: "Alex, close your mouth and sit back in your seat!" Etc., etc., etc. Like I said, bonding.

But it was very much worth it. We had a great time catching up with family and being witness to a great wedding. Here are the highlights: