Vacation Day One: Maryland

Sunday was busy! It was Easter, I was playing piano for the ward choir's Easter program, I was presenting sharing time in Primary, and we were getting ready for our big trip.

Step One: Get rid of the dog. Check. Jack came to pick up Powder Sunday afternoon. I had told Powder that she would be staying at Jack's Dog Boarding and Redneck Massage Parlor, and she took the news quite well. When Jack arrived, she began panting, wagging her tail, and whining- happy whining, accompanied by "dog dancing." We generally send Powder to Jack's house with pocket money, since a week of boarding at JDBRMP includes one night of Arby's Roast Beef sandwiches and one night of pepperoni pizza. Needless to say, she jumped in the back seat of Jack's truck with nary a backwards glance.

Step Two: Kid Exchange. Check. We met Liza et al. in picturesque Riverside. The girls were excited about spending the week with their cousins. Kate had mentioned Sunday morning, "My stomach feels funny when I think about my trip." I think she was a little bit nervous and a little bit excited. Bruce and I worried that the drop off would be tear filled and dramatic, but I bought Kiki a sleeve of Pringles, kissed them good-bye, and they were off without incident.

Between Powder's AND the girls' eager departures I'm beginning to think that no one needs us and no one will miss us.

Bruce and I were up at the incredibly heinous hour of 3:30 a.m. so we could make our flight to Baltimore at 6:30 a.m. We were sure to turn off the water main this time to avoid a repeat of the basement flood of 2009. The flight was uneventful. We are in Maryland tonight visiting Bruce's Uncle Richard. We rented a car, and Bruce assured me, "It's not a little tiny car, I rented us an SUV."

And here it is: A Ford Flex, which is easily the UGLIEST car to ever roll off any assembly line anywhere. Look: here's Bruce at lunch, and I can't even get the whole thing in a regular picture.

There we go- I just had to step back a couple hundred feet so I could get the entire car in a single frame. Guess I could have done a "panorama shot."

Here is Bruce with his Uncle Richard. His heart skipped a beat when we pulled up to his place in a giant red hearse, but once we assured him our purposes weren't sinister, we settled in for a nice visit. We have been having a fantastic time talking with him. We've gone to dinner, and he has told us many stories about his parents (Bruce's grandparents) as well as about his childhood and about his kids. Perhaps Bruce will comment with his favorite memories and stories (hint, hint).