another day trip

In case you haven't figured it out, our family likes day trips. That's not unusual, but the funny thing is that we never went on day trips before we got the new car, or any trips, really. Wait, back up a second, SA! A new car?! Oh, I didn't tell you? What a bad blogger I am, but a post is coming soon on that little beauty that is the Ford Taurus X. Look for it next week!

What was I saying? Oh, right...day trips. Our latest was a trek up to the central part of our state to see Dad's sister, Ann Marie. They moved a little while ago, and we'd tried and tried to figure out a date to come up and visit, so this weekend we just hopped in the car and went, for pete's sake! Sorry, got a little frustrated at myself...

Their house is just so big! Compared to their old one, this one seems like a mansion. A really pretty one at that, but aren't all mansions pretty? Why, yes, they are, and the family's wasn't any exception. Quinn's room is so big it wouldn't even fit into my camera view, so I had to settle for this shot of the stinker. :)

Her HUGE dollhouse. It made me want to play with it and arrange all the wood furniture.

Brock and Garrison have loft beds, so they're just so neat. Brock's is pictured below (note all the Redskins stuff. our family is die hard, ya'll.):

Sorry it's dark, but Garrison's loft bed has a desk under it, too. Can you say awesome? I spent over thirty minutes sitting there playing Bop-It.

I especially likes his clones hanging on for dear life! Nice touch, don't you think?

The back porch:

L to R: Clark, Brock, Garrison, Quinn and Zeke, the "poggy", or "duppy". Get it? It's a hybrid of dog and puppy! Yeah, it sounded better in person.

Blurry, I know, but he's smiling!

Quinn and Aunt Michelle, who lives in the mountains. Can you say awesome?

Quinn was quite the ham for the camera. I don't kind, though, because people at my house are shoving the camera away. Evidence of Quinn being the little diva that she is below:

Dark, but Mama's smiling. Why, oh why, do my pictures of the parent's have to be horrible?

After many rounds of solo Bop-it (I am the champ at it!) and a billion pictures later, Dad and Aunt Michelle went to the store to get ice cream for dessert. I tagged along, and when we got back, the food was ready. The menu went a little something like this: Texas Caviar, watermelon, corn, and steak. Sooo good! Great job, Aunt AM and Mama.
I love corn, and now I love Aunt Ann Marie even more because a) she had a ton of it and b) she has a really cool way to butter the corn.

The dining room:

Afterwards, we went out to the front yard to play. The kids, actually. The grown-ups must have an aversion to sunlight or something. ;)

Garrison wasn't thrilled that I brought my camera and kept screaming "paparazzi". Pictures of his awesome running form are below. 

Clark brought his football, and it was a free for all out there. Brock took the time for me to snap a picture, as if he wasn't awesome enough already.

Um, Garrison? What's up with the hand? I'm not one to say anything, though, because I'm pretty sure you held onto the ball the longest.

Clark and Brock's face are priceless. If only they weren't so far down in the picture!

All in all, it was a awesome time with family, but family get together's are awesome in and of themselves, right? Can't wait for New Year's when we get to have all that side of the family at on time.
One last thing...We've apparently made Brock and Aunt AM veggie straws converts. Seriously, can they get any more cooler?!