So, the party was AMAZING... but there was NO TIME TO RECOVER!!! I cleaned the first half of the day the next day, with Lauren, Marcella and Carlos... lots to do.... lots! Then spent the second half of the day getting the 40ft motorhome we rented stocked and packed with everything we'd need to live in it for 2 whole days at the river!
Yes, Alex wanted to take his daughter, niece and parents to the river, but that was the only available days before Mimi had to leave, so of course I went along with going! That's how I roll!!!
The camper doesn't fit up our driveway, so everything had to be loaded in the gator up at the house and then driven down to the motorhome. I did it with the boys in 4 trips. Where was the rest of the family you ask? I wondered the same thing! ;)
I then needed to run a couple errands and shop for the trip. Came back, finished loading the motorhome and was absolutely wiped OUT! Went to bed for the evening... had a big trip ahead of me!
We woke up and got going in the morning... our morning... around 10 I believe. We drove the 215 freeway, stopped at the base of Cahone pass. Yes, we ate there... McDonalds!!! Pretty funny seeing the Italians order and eat at McDonald's! Back on the road and headed to the gnarly part of the drive! We come upon the desert and the winds had to be about 30 miles per hour!!!! I was so tense driving the house on wheels that I was a total WRECK! Thankfully my Daddy was in the passenger seat to keep me calm and company!
4 hours later and wound up like a twist tie, we arrived! Nice and hot in Needles, CA!
We had a great time in Needles... sun was in and out, but it was pretty warm and the river was vacant! We immediately went out on the boat, after all, that's why we were there! Alex is so great about taking the boat out as often as everyone wants. Beatrice, Luca and Logan went on the "tube" as we call it. Beatrice had never done anything like that and she had a blast!! Her smile was bigger then I'd ever seen it in the 11 years I've known her! :)
Day 2 Alex and Logan skied! I pulled Alex, I'm getting good at that! :) There was one point that Alex and the Italians were sleeping (as they do after eating lunch) and Dad, the boys and I were down at the beach. All of a sudden we realized the tube was floating down river! Alex specifically told us not to disturb him, so the 4 of us jumped in the boat, I started her up and we were off to rescue the tube! While we were out, we decided to go for a cruise! Came back after a half hour or so and no one ever knew we were gone!
OH! I forgot to tell you about my first night sleep! Well, all of ours... we got 2 cabins and then we had the motorhome. Alex's parents stayed in one cabin, Dad slept in another, Luca fell asleep in the passengers seat sitting up after watching his movie. Logan asleep on the love seat, Beatrice and Mimi in the miserable pull out couch and Alex and I in the bed... of which we didn't realize had sleep number, so he was miserable sleeping. I was fine until at 3am Alex woke me up to get after me for how I let Luca fall asleep... actually one of the most comfortable in the group! Dad said he felt like he was sleeping on a board and mimi and beatrice felt like they were sleeping on springs. I woke up to move Luca to appease Alex and moved Logan in bed with him, Luca to the love seat and I took his place in the passengers seat! That lasted a couple hours until I was kinked and cramped.... so I got the cushions from the pull out couch and put them on the dash board then curled up and attempted to go to sleep. Ya, that didn't work. I tossed and turned with pain in my hips, until I had to actually wake up and get up.
The next night HAD to be different! Well, it wasn't for my inlaws, they had to complaints! It wasn't for Mimi and Beatrice... there was no other option! Alex figured out the sleep number deal and got it to a comfortable place.... so did I... Luca I put in the love seat and Logan at the foot of our bed... I kinda closed the pop out and connected the bed to the dresser top and put his bed there. Worked for a little until Alex kept kicking him, so he moved him up with us. At least it was better then the night before! OH! and Dad took the cushions that I had slept on and used them on his bed. He said it was MUCH better, which made it probably about a 5 out of 10! hahahha!
We had a blast! Then, it was time to go... Tuesday we left at about 4pm. The same stressful drive home... wind, uneven pavement and 40ft monster!!!!!
My masseuse Mariah happened to call me that day to see if I wanted her... oh how I did.... but I couldn't be sure of our arrival time home, so I reluctantly declined :( Lucky for me, she called again the next day and I got that OH SO NEEDED stress RELIEF!!!!
Wednesday we cleaned the camper and returned it. Visited my sister Cami who had had a rough weekend. It was nice to have her around to be able to pop in! (She moved almost a year ago from WA).
Thursday was my Grammie's birthday! She was at my mom's with my Aunt too! SO! With Mother's Day a couple days away... I surprised them all with the delivery of flowers! And balloons for Grammie! ;)
Mimi, Mirella, Beatrice and I went to Hollywood! Had to take Bea on her first trip to the US!!! We didn't have much time and the traffic was bad, so we opted to go the Mann's Chinese Theater and Madam Tussous Wax Museaum! It was so much fun! We took TONS of photos... my favorites were me hugging my boyfriend "Ironman" and kissing hottie Bruce Willis on the cheek!!!! Silly, I know! But the photos look real!  We finished the fun at Hard Rock Cafe and then raced back home to grab the kiddos from school!
Fun week... but that's before I realized what awaited me Friday......