Family Picture

Sometime last year we bought a new camera because our old one bit the dust. We dutifully snapped pictures and loaded up the card and uploaded the pictures to the computer. Also, I blogged some with said pictures. At some point the settings on the camera got changed (likely because small fingers played with the shiny buttons) and we could not figure out how to delete all the pictures from the card unless we went one by one through the 600 or so files. (Seriously, there is a lot of education in this house. Its a camera. We win the smartness game.) So every time we needed to take a picture without the use of an iphone we had to scroll through and delete three or four that we didn't need anymore. This went on for about six months. Finally I remembered there is this amazing thing called "the internet" and I "googled" "how do I get the freaking pictures deleted off my card? " And three minutes later we had a functional camera again.


















It even has a timer! Who knew? Helpful for taking a required family picture of all four of us for Jilli's family picture day.

Feed the Pigs

Over the weekend of the 4th we loaded our little family into a plane (two actually) and flew west. We had been looking forward to seeing Josh, Erin, Hazel and Mabel for months, pretty much since the last time we (tearfully) said good bye to them before they left for their new home. Austin was fun and delicious. Who knew there were so many options for ordering food from an airstream? Also, people who talk about Texas brisket...I now know what you are talking about. Best in the universe. I feel that I have achieved some sort of life accomplishment that I did not even know was on the list. Anyway, we hiked to the top of Mount Bunnell and ate barbecue for dinner and ate breakfast tacos and walked around UT














(Here they are admiring a roly poly on campus. It had long horns.)

We swam in frigidly cold and slippery springs and ate crepes for lunch and Erin and I saw Eclipse and ate queso green chili fries and the next day we went to a perfect lake where we picnicked and the boys went in the icy water and we ate some more. (I feel that our family vacations with the Levy's have a strong food theme, lets all remember beach week 09.) Jeff had to leave Monday evening but the girls and I stayed for two more days and had an amazing time.















We went to the zoo. Rory was not amused by the big girls attempts to eat the goats' food.

Interesting things I learned on the trip:

1. When you put three girls in a room to "sleep" and then spy on them using the video monitor you will hear hilarious conversation topics such as , "Where were you born? I was born in North Carolina too!" "How old are you? I am 4 and 39 quarters." We laughed and laughed, until Jilli jumped on the bed and slammed her head into the window sill and created a knot roughly the size of my fist.
2. Texas is delicious. Did I mention that already?
3. When traveling alone on a plane with two young girls and needing to use the bathroom because, "Its an emergency, Mommy," one should not fear what one will do in the approximately 2 square feet of space that is available in the plane's bathroom. Put the 4 year old on the toilet. Assure her that it is not as dirty as it appears after thoroughly wiping down the seat. Place the two year old on the shelf that appears to be for holding purses. She will think it is hilarious and say, "I sit on shelf? Hahaha." Wedge yourself between the four year old and the door and hope that there are no major bumps.

We hope to see them again very very soon.