The 'M' Hepplers: California Family Reunion

Okay, this is way more of a photo post, but there was just so many good ones! Way back in the end of July, we decided to load up our van and attempt a 14 hour drive to California. Yeah, crazy, but it was so worth it! We had our family reunion in California this year, and we were so excited to go! I had to work the night we wanted to leave, so I loaded up the van before I went to work, and drove the car in. Then, at about one o clock am Mark loaded the boys into the van and came and picked me up from work around two (am.) Kale wasn't feeling well at this time, so we laid on the cool grass outside my work hoping it would go away. Finally we got in the car and headed for the freeway, only to find out the onramp we were headed towards was closed. So, after zig-zagging back and forth, back and forth, we finally found on onramp that was open and we were finally south bound. About ten miles after that, Kale notified us he was going to be sick, and I pulled over just in time for Mark to haul Kale out of the back door of the van and throw up all over the parking lot. Whew, just missed one there! Finally about three o clock we were ACTUALLY on our way, and all three kids are wide awake. Not what I had planned. We arrived in Parowan about six in the morning, just in time to have breakfast with Casey's family before they loaded up and we started our caravan for the rest of the drive. We drove right through Vegas and ate lunch at a cute little diner out in the middle of nowhere. At one point Casey and I split up, and he took one route, I took the other. Ours was really fun, we passed fields of flowers, orchards and orchards of all kinds of trees, and even a field of oil pumps. We arrived just in time. The whole family, and by whole family I mean over 70 of us, were all decked out in captains hats and enjoying pizza by the ocean, watching the seals and birds fish. The rest of the stay in California was just heaven. Our rooms at the inn were AMAZING, the beach was beautiful, the town couldn't have been better. We didn't do a whole lot while we were there, just enjoyed the environment and the family. We played in the sand and water, walked the farmers market, had good food with the family, and of course our usual talent show. When it came time to leave it was probably one of the hardest things to do. We can not wait to go back!

Luke riding on the luggage card. We could BARELY fit all our stuff on one, its amazing what one family can manage to cram into one small minivan.

My little beach boy.

This is me and my embarrasing organization. I put each of the boys clothes for each day into a bag and labeled it. That way in the morning I could just whip out a bag and wala, all the clothes right there, no digging! I know, I know, you're all jealous, right?