More IB Pics. I Think This is the Last of Them

 Grandma and Nikki had to leave too soon.  We were sad to see them go, especially Jenny and Jer's girls, since they live so far away.

 I lucked out in the in-law department.  Bruce and Marlene are the best.  They handle their big family amazingly well.  Scott and I are taking notes for when we have married kids!

 We couldn't help but take pictures of all the pizzas.  Even Rose, the owner, took a picture of the chicken-bacon-garlic-ranch we ordered on the first day!

 Emma, Naomi and Eli, the White kids.  They are so fun to have around!  We had quite the party group this trip!  Once you've been to IB, it's hard not to return.

And so are their parents, Audrey and Tyler!

 And these guys!  :)

Have I mentioned how perfect Scott is?  He works hard to make these trips possible, then he makes them fun, too.  We had a really good time, talking about our goals and future plans.

 We kept talking about how this is Golda's last trip as a kid.  Kinda sad, kinda exciting.

 This is the pose Golda and Ruby struck years ago, when they were probably five and three.  Now it's a tradition.  I'm telling you, childhood goes way, way, way too quickly.

 We discovered a super, super good Hawaiian place up the street.  Best sticky rice, best macaroni salad, best smoked pork.  The shrimp didn't compare to all the ones we ate in Hawaii, but the other food was so good, I'm constantly craving it.  Add that to the list of can't-miss places in IB.  No wonder we have to diet when we get back!  It's not easy eating that much, but you have to.  You're on vacation!

 So right after the Hawaiian place, we got fish tacos.  We were thrilled to find a new fish taco place, since the old one closed.  Dollar fish tacos are back with a vengeance!  (In a good way. Lol)

 Neeley and Araceli have a special bond.  They love each other!

Just like me and the beach love each other.

 I'm a wobot!

 Lilah, Xanthe and Kayla

 There wasn't much action in the volleyball game, but I managed to catch it on film.  Who am I to say that volleyball is stupid, and that sitting in a chair gazing at the ocean, reading and eating cookies, is so much better?

Between all the Dopps, we averaged a giant pizza a day.  So we decided to break it up a bit with lasagne.  Rose said she would make us a big pan, with two salads and garlic bread for $45.  She really makes us feel special, saying, "I'll do it for you, honey.  You're like family."  As it turned out, we ordered the lasagne for the same day Rose's son was getting married!  I felt guilty.  But it was just a quick civil ceremony, party to follow in a couple of weeks.  And Rose's son said he would make the lasagne.  As the youngest son, he said, he had to stay behind and make the pizzas while his brother's wedding took place.  Dang!

It was a great feast.

Right after the lasagne dinner, I took Golda to the airport.  She got to fly home because she wanted to go to general conference with the Laurels on Saturday.  I absolutely hated to see her go!

The Lake, Restorative Powers Of

My cloud of doom has been blown away and replaced with clear summer skies.  Phew!  Our Dopp Family Trip this year was planned for the cabin, but plans changed when the property surrounding the cabin fell victim to spring flooding.  Everything is fine, but nobody was looking forward to mud wrestling as a vacation activity. We decided to spend a day at Willard Bay instead, boating and picnicking, playing on the beach and bobbing in the water.  It was a huge success.  Nikki and Clint brought their boat and were kind enough to take everyone for multiple rides, tubing and water skiing.  And even though I brought drinks, snacks and watermelon, Bruce and Marlene brought tables, tablecloths, cook stoves and enough food for five days.  They effortlessly put my whining to shame by demonstrating what real adults do for their families.  I am such a wimp!  I have to admit, my hardest job at the lake was reapplying sunscreen to all my kids.  In my defense, there are a lot of them, so it was practically a full-time job.  I hardly had any time to eat three dozen cookies.

Our beautiful day ended with one last boat ride.  Scott and I were the last to leave, so we ended up going out with Nikki and Clint and their boys for a glorious tour of the lake at twilight with the mountains and clouds presenting a glowing backdrop for the shimmering water.  It was a spiritual experience.  I kept thinking, "Look at this!  Look at this world!  This is genius!"  And of course it is.  Even more moving than the view was admiring the nine kids we had with us...Austin asleep at the helm, Kiptyn brand-new to all this adventure, Cade's blonde curls blowing in the wind, and all of our kids, safely here, right where they belong.

I hope I can remember the peaceful expanse of the lake when life bears down and obscures the big picture.  All I'll have to think if I lose sight of the joy is, "The lake is still there.  All is well."

Paris?

I'm mad.  Mother Nature didn't get my letter because blogger erased it, and now it's raining again.  It makes me want to crawl in bed, so instead I'm focusing on our trip to France in the fall.  If any of you read Golda and Ruby's blogs, you know Coco and Bill are taking them (and me!!) to Paris.  They've been saving up so they don't have to scrimp on pastries and souvenirs.  this morning, Coco and I made a list of all the things we might want to see while we're there.  Coco is a hard-core Francophile, so she knows everything.  I lived there, in a little maid's quarters in Neuilly, when I was 14, for a couple of months.  I explored every inch of the city by hopping off the Metro at random stops and walking around.  Scott can't imagine our girls doing that on their own, but I thought it was wonderfully liberating and educational.  Coco made me promise I wouldn't turn my girls loose and see if they come back in one piece, however.  They will have adult supervision!

What I'm wondering is if any of you have favorite spots, activities, must-see destinations in the City of Light.  There are a thousand little cafes to discover and so many good museums and restaurants.  What would you do if you were taking young girls there for the first time? 

Beach Bag X 10

Between Scott and Coco, all ten kids are set for the beach.  Scott hit a big sale at Target and got stacks of workbooks and activities for 20 cents each.  He also got beach hats for 19 cents.  I happened to find entire outfits for one dollar.  I lucked out and went to the store just as the guy was marking them down.  He never got a chance to put up the $1.00 sign.  I think I bought them all!  Hey, we have a kid in every size.

My mom is a shopping enthusiast.  If she sees something on sale, she gets all of them.  And that's how all the girls ended up with the happiest beach bags ever to put all the loot in.  Then, in order to tell the bags apart, Coco bought each of us a keychain with our initial on it.  Isn't she a problem solver?  How lucky are we that Coco's favorite hobby just happens to result in lots of presents for us?  Or maybe it's just because she loves us that shopping for us is her favorite hobby.  I can't tell you how often Coco shows up with a bag, saying, "When I saw this, I just thought of Ari..."  Or whichever kid she thought of.  Some of these kids aren't even technically hers, but she claims them anyway.  They claim her, too.  Who wouldn't?!  She's got a semi-dangerous clubhouse, a porch full of hammocks, an unlimited supply of popsicles, a penchant for finding stray kittens and a seriously fun shopping addiction.  When my nephew Jake used to come to our house every day, he kept telling his mom about "Taco."  "I played at Taco's house.  Taco gave me this toy.  Taco took me to Wendy's.  Taco got a kitten."  Eventually, Michelle realized that Taco was Coco, not some strange man lurking in the bushes!

Taco is a funny nickname, but I think we'll stick with Coco.  Scott gave her the name Coco when Golda was born, as in Coco Channel, because he said she could be the "shopping grandma."  She certainly lives up to the moniker!  I can't imagine what she'd have to do to live up to "Taco."  Somehow, Taco doesn't sound like she would be quite as fun as Coco.  Thanks, Mom!