Home again, home again - jiggity jig.

Ahhh, home. Houston? Sure, if by "ahhh" you mean, "Aaaaaagh, the heat!" Utah? Yes, if by home you mean the place you're from and that you long to return to... if only for a short while. Don't worry, come winter when it's beautiful in Houston and freezing in Utah, it's the other way around (except for the family part). Don't judge me.

Every time I go home, I learn a little something about myself, my kids, and life:

It is not a good idea to watch several episodes of Air Disasters leading up to a trip that requires you to get on an airplane. While you may find the show's content interesting, it's not worth watching to then freak out over every bump - and there were lots. As relaxed as I tried to be, those squeaked out "whees" weren't fooling anyone.

Other than being full of germs galore, and nasty smells and unsavory sanitation - oh, and poop and pee - a porta-potty is a playhouse of fun for a 6-year-old.

Red cream soda can make a serene boy a wild maniac. Who knew?

Going into a room and forgetting why you're there happens to everyone, right? Yes, except for the part where your teen nephew tells you you're having a senior moment, and you pause, and then whimper a little, because even though this scenario does happen to everyone, that "senior" part is a lot closer to the truth than you'd like it to be.

All pacts of "I won't get you if you don't get me" are off once you step inside the water bumper boats.

My son is Mr. Hollywood. He made over 50 videos while on vacation. Some of them swoon from the ground to the sky (can you say motion sickness?), in some he talks about how hilarious he is (I guess there's nothin' wrong with tootin' your own horn), there are even other people in a few (I was in front of the camera for once instead of behind it), and he's even got a P-13 one where he shows you his bum (hey, it's clothed!). These videos deserve a post all their own in the future.

Every day was filled with a little something:

Trafalga... rides, more rides, putt-putt, a rock wall, water bumper boats, water slides, and even laser tag:

BYU... a little visit to my alma mater and the dinosaur museum there. Rah, rah, rah!

Colonial Days... because you can't truly enjoy your freedoms until you understand the sacrifices made to get them.

Idaho... where we finally got to be with ALL our Haacke family. Good, good times that don't happen often enough.

The 4th of July... my favorite... with a flag-raising ceremony, parade, and fireworks! (Why yes, those are jackets we're wearing. The weather was that awesome!)

And speaking of family, we got our family photo taken - all 25 of us. I got some great shots, too, and because I love so many of them so much (and I'm totally not biased), they're gonna need their own posting. But here's a little sneak peak with all the cousins:

Minor league baseball...where some of us slept, some of us watched TV (yeah, I know), some of us cheered, and some of us finally woke up and then ran the bases.

A day in Jackson Hole amidst the Tetons... where we did a little shopping, rode the alpine slide, and some of us did a little map-reading.

Soccer, because you never realized how talented your nephew was until you saw him play in a tournament. Of course while you watched, your daughter turned her white leggings into anything but and your son discovered red cream soda and the hyperactivity that ensued... and then there was that whole porta-potty incident.

A little backyard fun... because summer in Utah is spent outdoors.

We had a great time with my family. It was great to see my kids enjoy so much of what I enjoyed growing up - especially the family part. Never a dull moment. And now it's all a distant memory. But not too distant. I ain't that senior... not yet!