CONGRATULATIONS, UNCLE TREVOR!!!

Well, we're back! We just made the quickest turnaround trip known to man (okay, slight exaggeration), but when you've got two 3-year olds in tow, everything tends to feel like you're building a pyramid from sand.

For the most part, though, they did pretty well on the plane. We didn't even have to buy drinks for any of the passengers sitting within earshot this time either. Although, we should note that United cleverly assigned us THE VERY LAST ROW on each and every leg of the trip, so, really, when you're competing with the much overused and rarely maintained bathrooms for most annyoing aspect of your flight, hey...we were EASILY second this time around.

Made it to our "hotel" (yeah, okay) just fine and settled in for a less than comfortable night. [I won't go into the details here of the review I'll be writing on TripAdvisor.com, but the best thing I can say about our stay was that the raucous flock of traveling grannies from Macedonia that we met over breakfast the next morning were at least learning to two-step to some pretty decent country music from what we could hear blasting through our windows from across the courtyard (read: weed-laden patch of grass between two beige-colored institutional buildings)].

ANYway...the kids played with their aunt and uncles all day on Sunday. We made it to graduation right on time (yes, we did, Mommy!!!). No one melted down even once during the entire program, although I thought Amy was gonna lose it when I busted out a bag of blueberries for the kids to munch on. I was't thinking, okay? I mean, certainly not about their brand new graduation outfits or them potentially touching any number of random Pennsylvanians also in their brand new graduation outfits with blueberry stained hands. I was just trying to keep the tantrums at bay. Thank you, once again, oh sweet blessed goldfish, saviors of all that is good and holy. Bellies appeased, blood pressure normalized, cotton untarnished. Mama not in dog house.

Back at the ranch...Johnny and Megan kept giving the kids more and more things to take home. We somehow managed to escape without Grandpa Juan giving the kids a single piece of candy or Grandma Becky's chocolate cookies. We got Grandma Becky all set up with her first blog. (You can check it out by clicking HERE.) And, guess what, the kids even took a nap!!! In separate rooms. By themselves. And Megan's the one who put them down!!!

Overall, I'd say we had a really great visit. It was wonderful to see everyone again, and especially to see them all with the twins. You can check out the rest of the pictures by clicking HERE. I have one litte video of Grandpa Juan pulling the kids in the sled, but didn't finish uploading it last night, so check back tomorrow and it should be right HERE.

And many many congratulations to Trevor. We wish you the very best of luck and know that you'll succeed at whatever it is you decide to do. You're smarter than you give yourself credit for, and stronger than you know. You've grown into a pretty amazing man, despite the odds, and we have every confidence that you'll continue to be every ounce of the wonderful human being you've always been -- regardless of the path or partner or position you choose.

We're behind you 150%, buddy. No matter what.

But by God if you don't get your ass into college ASAP, Mister, we're gonna have to strip you naked, tar and feather you, and hang you in the public square by your toenails until the vultures chew all your very special parts and pieces away, do you hear me?!?!?!