The Griswold Family Vacation...

This picture of our little Sylvia Weinstock (smashing, isn't she??) starts us out on our vacation photos - we were gone almost one month!!! The first two weeks were spent in New Mexico at my parents'. These photos begin, though, with the tail-end of our trip - a one week camping excursion in Durango. I can't believe I don't have one picture of the 5th-wheel we stayed in. Mom and Dad did an excellent job of preparing and stocking it for all of us to enjoy. Nine people spent precious time together that week! These are the types of trips memories are made of, especially when you're a kid. I always loved this sort of thing. We hope to spend much more time in it in the future. We had a wonderful time; thanks, Mom and Dad!! The remaining vacation photos take place in NM where we had just as much fun at the house.

Gone fishin'

Popsie bought the boys new fishing rods. They spent lots of time practicing their cast. Titus had it down!!!

Uncle Bruce

The boys weren't the only ones who loved having Uncle Bruce join us on our camping trip. Cool early mornings outside with coffee were great in Durango, and Sullivan would agree.

Little foodie

I guess we're all foodies around here, but no one more than Levi. He's always asking about the next meal or a snack.

Sunscreen, Honey?

Telling secrets

Nonnie claims she and Sullivan exchanged secrets nobody else can know about. They really enjoyed spending time together.

Fearless

Levi is at the age when he's not scared of anything yet (except flies). He has no clue he could drown, so he jumps into the pool so fast, you have to be ready! He loves "fwimming" as much as riding Tater (pictures to follow..).

Zane loves to swim

After two summers of swim lessons, Zane has really progressed! He loves the water and had a great time being in a pool every day for a week. He especially loves swimming with Dad.

Bathing beauty

Sullivan loves being outside. She is fascinated with trees, especially when their leaves are blowing. She also loved being out by the pool on our vacation.

Our brave boy

Titus is scared of the water. But a few times he would get into the pool and walk on the steps. Popsie really helped him with this. On other days, he would just sit by the pool and watch his brothers.

Purgatory

We spent one day in Durango at Purgatory. We had a great lunch there and enjoyed spectacular views.

Bungee madness

At Purgatory, besides the Alpine slide which we all enjoyed, only Will and Zane were brave enough to do the bungee ride. I think Will was the loudest participant they had that day, as he loved every second. Zane finally asked to come down, but only after a good long ride.

Nightly entertainment

My Dad has a silly side not everybody knows about ... but the boys sure do. They LOVE it when he does funny things, especially at the dinner table. They have come to expect some "dinner theater" when Popsie is at the table. With a big grin, Zane will say, "What are you going to do funny tonight, Popsie?" On this particular evening, after dinner, he became "Ed the TV repair man" and the boys loved it.

Little boys in big hats

I just love these pictures.

Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys!!!

We always have fun riding our trusty Tater when we're here, and it was three times the fun with Titus and Levi joining Zane in the fun. When I look at these guys, it's no wonder I always thought I'd marry a cowboy. There really isn't anything cuter. I did marry a boy from a ranch, a bit citified now, but that's okay. There's still some cowboy left in him, just as I will always be a cowgirl at heart. You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country (especially the horse) out of the girl. My girl Tate still loves to be ridden - maybe more these days since there's no serious horse show stuff going on... it's all kick-back fun. Her ears perk up when we head for the barn to get her, and she still looks great for almost 30 years old!

Watermelon smile

Nobody loves fruit like our Titus! No wonder he's so healthy.

Yardwork

Interesting how working in the yard is so fun when it's at the grandparents' house!

Time with Fauv

The boys always look forward to seeing their great grandfather when we're in NM.

Fauv meets Sullivan

My dear 92-year old grandfather, Fauv, finally got to meet our little girl! How I wish my grandmother, Nonnie, was still here to meet her, Levi and Titus.

Derek

It was so nice to see Derek, a dear friend of mine since mid-school. He was in NM while we were, which was nice! He got to meet Sullivan and Levi and see Zane and Titus again. Hopefully years won't go by again before our next visit. You're always welcome in California, Butch!

New hats

When we first got to NM, Dad ("Popsie") took the boys to the Western mercantile for cowboy hats. As you have noticed, they got a lot of use out of them!

A job well done!

Zane put this quad together all by himself, a feat Will and I marvel at. It has about a million tiny pieces and pages of intricate instructions that are not easy to follow! It took him a few days, but he stuck with it, enjoying every second. I wish I had patience like that.

Titus' Bible

Will bought Titus and Zane special Bibles, each engraved with their name. This is extra-special because Titus asked Jesus to be his Savior on June 19 this year. Zane was saved on April 17, 2004, when he was four years old also!

Flashback

Here is a picture of each of the boys when they were littler; how quickly time flies!!!