Sunday, October 26, 2008

Home, Sweet (and cold), Home

Let me tell ya, having a washer and dryer in our room was so great!!! I came home and only had to do 2 loads of laundry! Everyone was able to just unpack their suitcase and put their clean, folded clothes into their drawers. Ta Da!


The kids were awesome on the flight home last night. I never heard a peep out of them. Of course, they were all pretty exhausted.


I'm proud that I managed to get myself up and to church this morning too. I even came up with a decent Sunday school lesson to boot!


The kids are all sad we had to leave, but happy to be home at the same time. There's just something about sinking into your own bed. Ahhhhh. I'm excited to make all my pictures and video clips into a vacation movie for the kids to watch! But that'll have to wait. I leave bright and stinkin' early in the morning for California again. My agent is having a retreat/workshop for her clients in Sonoma. (I guess I do get a little vacation from my vacation after all.) I'm looking forward to meeting all these wonderful authors and learning from them. I feel like an out-of-place dork among these professionals, but as long as they don't suddenly stop in front of me while I'm walking, I'm sure I'll love spending time with them and getting to know them all! :)


I'm off to pack and spend a little time with the kids before I have to leave again. It'll be a little strange, after spending every minute with my family 24/7 for the past week, to be by myself for the next few days. And I think I need to come up with something for dinner that Brooklyn will eat. I swear she lived on ketchup, fries, Diet Coke and ice cream last week. I, on the other hand, gained 7 pounds in the last 2 weeks! Sheesh! It probably would've been more like 30 pounds if I hadn't walked 50,000 miles. I think I'll have some lettuce for dinner.


Oh yeah, and I've completely lost my voice. I can't scream at the kids now. I can't talk at all now. :(

34 comments:

  1. Ahhh, there's no place like home! I'd have been crazy way before day 7!!!

    Glad you're home, if just for a little bit!

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  2. I hear you about the cold - it's snowing here in the Twin Cities!

    Glad you had a great family vacation and have a Wonderful time in CA! Don't forget to take pictures so all of us wannabe writers/ spa customers can live vicariously through you, LOL!! :o)

    Blessings, Whitney

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  3. Glad to hear you got home safe and sound. It was so nice to see you and kiddos. Oh, and Joe. ;)

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  4. I'm glad to hear that you guys made it home. Enjoy your bed!

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  5. Glad you made it home safe! Have a safe trip to CA!

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  6. That a girl. Get home from vacation and then up and teach Sunday School! Churches need more dedicated workers like you.

    One of these days you're going to fly out to California and turn right towards Oregon. I'll be waiting.

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  7. Everyone started with their first book. You'll fit right in.

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  8. Oh my gosh--you get to go away AGAIN!!!! LUCKY YOU!!!

    Man. Man oh man oh man.

    I be a bit jealous if I didn't like you so much! Good thing I know you in real life! : )

    Safe travels! Will you get to visit Luke again? He seems like a pretty happenin' guy! Maybe you should bring him Portillo's! : )

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  9. Glad you made it home... but I heard it's actually supposed to snow early this week. Glad you're in Sonoma missing it (that or I hate you for going to Sonoma ALONE on a retreat and missing it... not sure which).

    I'm guessing that they're ok with doing Disney and not Discovery Cove? Thanks again... and you'll have to find out what happened with the cupcakes -- it turned out PERFECT.

    Oh and a happy belated birthday to Joe -- I think I forgot to mention that :)

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  10. Oooh, California sounds like fun! You have a nice agent, that's for sure. And a nice husband, to be minding the homefront while you're away...

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  11. Welcome home, Dawn and family! So glad to hear that you made it home safe and sound!

    Just want to say thank you for sharing your vacation. We'll probably never be able to afford to go to Disney, so you brought it to us!

    I thought of you this weekend while me and my family camped at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in PA. Loads of fun - with some rain mixed in to mess up "trick or treat".

    Have ANOTHER safe trip to CA. Gosh, do you ever stay in one place??? lol

    Have fun!!!!

    Donna in PA :)

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  12. The best part of our last 3 vacations has been that doggone washer and dryer. Something I thought I would want to escape on vacation, but ahhhh to come home with clean clothes...that was awesome!

    Enjoy your vacation from your vacation...

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  13. Sonoma ......that's where I live !! It is beautiful here, all the vines are changing colors. Weather has been in the low 80s, yes 10 degrees above normal. This is God's country afterall.

    Where-oh-where are you all staying - McArthur Place, The Lodge, Farimont?

    The Charles Schwab Golf Tournement starts the 28th.

    Anyway, have a great time here in my stomping grounds.

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  14. Have a great trip! THIS one is my idea of a vacation. There's nothing more fun than spending day and night with a great bunch of writers (and you'll be with some of the best). Have fun!

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  15. How lucky that you get that much-desired-event all parents dream of after vacationing with the kids: vacationing without them!

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  16. Just curious--how did your foot with the plantar fasciitis hold up to the 500,000 mile walk?

    Pat

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  17. Maybe a question for SSO?

    There has been a lot in the news lately about the exploitation of kids in "reality" TV, especially "John and Kate + 8" on TLC. If you were approached by a network to do a reality show that put cameras in your home 40+ hours a week, do you think you would do it? Just wondering what YOUR thoughts on this is.

    PS Glad you had a good time in DW! Welcome Home!

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  18. Hey cool, I live in Santa Rosa (right next to Sonoma). I hope you have a great time here.

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  19. Have a great time in Sonoma. It's so beautiful there.

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  20. Oh no! You're like my MIL who does laundry on vacation! I stand by the fact I don't cook, clean or do laundry on vacation.

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  21. Very funny! And I am TOTALLY impressed you made it to sunday school. That would have been one of those "omg I accidentally slept in" moments! Way to Go Momma!

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  22. SSO: What happens with the kids when you go on these trips alone? I know the older ones are in school, but what about Clay and Brooklyn? Who watches them during the day?

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  23. see ive been wanting to go back to Disney W. for a LONG time! (we went a little over a year ago.)
    I know that sounds bad that its only been a bit over a year,but we had so much fun last time! anyway when I read the,

    quote: what are you going to do now dawn?:im going to Disney world!
    unquote

    I thought you were joking! then when I read you really were, I was so jealous!!! however....today I called to find out how much it would cost to go,
    and cause im like some Hilton member person thingy,
    I got a pretty cheap trip to Disney world! we are going in march!

    theres one catch tho,I have to sit through some dumb time share thingy also,
    and mine is two hours!!!

    I guess I should be thankful,
    I dont have as many kids as you!
    however,I do have kids and one is clays age,
    so im a bit worried! oh and also my hotel is on disney property and has
    a shuttle to the parks, which is awesome, we dont have to pay parking now!
    by the way we have to drive. :( the plane ride is just to much for all of us
    and one of us gets airsick, and another has a bit of

    :::crossing my fingers im right:::


    Airplaneaphobia.

    and anothers (me)ears hurt horribly on planes, no matter how much gum they chew!

    so please
    wish me luck! And thanks for your daily laughs, I need em! XD

    P.S. sorry my comment is so long!

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  24. So good to hear you're enjoying Sonoma !!!

    When I first moved here I thought, "What is wrong with all these people, they are so nice".

    You can tell when a tourist is driving a car downtown, I mean in the plaza. They stop their car in the middle of the street and point, right in the middle of the street. I once had a lady in front of me jump out of her car, take a picture, then jump back in her car and drive away.

    Even in the grocery store, they come up and ask me if I'm finding everything I need. So either I look totally "Lost in the grocery store", or they get paid 50 cents for everytime they ask. Probably the 1st one.

    I'm already in my pjs, or I'd invite myself over to share the wine, I mean bread and cheese.

    Cool, cool weather today. Enjoy the rest of your stay.

    Blessings, Gail

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  25. I love coming home with clean laundry. Makes the readjustment so much easier!

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  26. Dawn, I feel your pain. After a vacation, I always feel like I need one myself. I know you will be working, but I can guarantee, these authors have nothing up on you! They would KILL for 4 million hits on their web sites! And you write every bit as much as they do. As your avid readers (fans) will tell you, we think you rock! And even if they have studied writing more, experienced the book tours and publishing world more, or even sold more books, Just you wait!

    I tell everyone I meet who has more than 3 kids all about your web site. I know it has blessed my life. Did you know that? Is that your intent? So, we laugh at ourselves and our lives as we hear you laughing at yourself and your family. I hope that helps you.

    After you get back from California, though, I am sure you will be happy to just be home and be able to get back into the normal routine of things, again. Right? No really, right?

    Hang in there and keep your chin up! A positive attitude is a source of incredible strength.

    A Boise, Idaho Reader

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  27. Glad you had a fun vacation!I love your new look by the way.

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  28. Off topic, but wanted to let you know that I made your pumpkin muffins (I made a double recipe and didn't have enough muffin tins, so I made 2/3 of them in my mini-bundt cake molds - I know you say math isn't your strong suit, but yes, this means I wouldn't have had enough muffin tins even if I hadn't doubled the recipe). The kids were lukewarm on them, but everyone else I gave them to raved about them! Thanks for posting the recipe! :)

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  29. Hi Dawn,
    Glad you are home! I have an award waiting for you on my blog!
    Thanks, Tiff
    stillseekingsanity.blogspot.com

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  30. I love your blog and am glad you and your family had such a good time on your trip to Disney. And I agree, there is nothing like coming home from a trip and falling into your own bed! And YAY to only 2 loads of laundry LOL
    I do have to say though...diet coke for the little one...so NOT good for her or her teeth!

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  31. dawn, i am glad that after spending all that time at the parks with 6 kids you didn't on purposely, by mistake (hint hint) leave one or two behind. no matter where we go even if it's only on local trip to Pennslyvania or delaward (from Maryland that not far) my daughter at the age of I know everything 7, can make me scan my surrounding to see how long it will take me to get to the car before she realize i'm trying to leave her. i love her but sometimes she can be just too much.

    all i can say after a long tiring trip to a place like disney is GOD bless ya honey.
    P.S. did i tell you she want me to take her their again next year.

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  32. were any of the kids who rode it scared of the pirates of the Caribbean ride? (A.K.A. the best ride on earth!)

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  33. how was test track? please tell me that the rumors are not true, and that you cant really die from riding it?

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