The Cousin 'Hunt'

One of the things we Bromley's like to do when we get together is go out and do some hunting. This time we had so many different ages in cousins, I kind of stacked the deck before hand with some cash and string. Had to make sure everyone got one! This is Asa enjoying the post hunt dinner...

Anna, Keith, Ada and Gabe Andrews and Dona at the mountain cook out. Pheasant, bobwhites and trout all taken by the little kids. There was a lot of congratulations to the boy cousins and they were all so proud to share their birds with their parents.
Zach, Nay and I did the pre work stringing up at the Andrew's farm. I was there when this monster was born and helped him take his first few steps. Now look at him. Both he and Nay turned out to be awesome kids. Nice, kind to little kids and good friends.
Heavah and Owen (Jane's oldest) cooking hot dogs while we wait for the birds to cook.
Asa, me and Xay after he shot his pheasant. I had a male in there somewhere, but he got loose. I guess we gave back more than we too to the wild that day...
Asa after his bobwhite. He was pretty excited.
Me and Xay looking for bobwhites. I had a knife to get them off after the shot.
The mighty hunter.
One is sighted and we are getting ready to pull the .22 trigger. For the 4th time... Lucky those things don't seem to fly away! Below is Asa telling us about the hunt and how he shot his birds and caught his trout.

All the cousins and their kills. William (Anna), Calvin (Jake), Bennie (Anna), Asa, Owen (Jane) and Xay. Nay and Zach (both Anna's too) are off the screen. Grampa Bromley was there to take pictures and provide the guns. It was the absolute best time!

Au Revoir, France!

Our last day in Paris had to have been my absolute favorite. We spent the entire day in a quaint, small, idyllic town outside of Paris. To most, this would have seemed like a boring, uneventful day, but for my little family (who were used to the hot, brown desert) it was a little slice of heaven.

1. We climbed on sculptures and appreciated its artistic statement.

2. We smelled the fresh lavender and unsuccessfully swatted bees.

3. We tasted grass and taught Asa how to find the sweetest part.

4. We climbed trees and discovered sticky sap.

Can you spot the blonde climber at the tippy top?

5. We wandered the streets and appreciated the colorful architecture.

5. We looked at cloud formations and found out that all clouds look like dinosaurs.

6. We played at the playground and confirmed that Xavier truly is part monkey.

We savored every second of every minute. Honestly, when I am looking for my happy place during my insane Doha moments, I come back to here. It really was one of the sweetest memories I have of lovely France.

Merci beaucoup pour la memorie, la France!

Disney in Paris

One of my fondest memories as a child was going to Disneyland and Disneyworld. I am not drawn to the commercial aspect of Disney, but I can't deny that that experience has been burned into my memory. I can't remember my first date, but boy, oh, boy do I recall It's a Small World right down to the colors, emotions, and smells. The vividness of the experience for me has never faded.

Disney Paris was classier than the other Disneys I remember. It had that European flare that was quite indulging for parents and children alike. It was definitely a Disney for European families with the typical 1.2 children. I never saw a family larger than mine the entire two days we were there. Jacques and Amelie should be having more babies.

By far, Heavah's favorite ride was the Haunted Mansion. She has the same interest I have in all-things-that-are-creepy. I am the only person I know who went to an enrichment in grade school called 'Graveyard Studies', and I am the only one I know who would choose to have my birthday party at a graveyard for several years in a row. In retrospect, it is a little weird. But at the time, it was awesome. Yeah, her fascination with ghosts and scary stories? I totally get it.

Dona on the other hand, was in luh-ove with the carousel. Had I known, I would have taken her to the mall and paid the 5 Riyal and watch her spin to her heart's content.

As no surprise, Xavier was in love with the Star Wars ride. By a stoke of luck, Chewbacca was waiting outside for us to take a picture. Sadly, this was the only character we got to take a photo with. There was a mile long line up for the princesses and the only one who seemed to care was Dona. Thankfully, she is my easy going kid and a simple lift up from her daddy 20 feet away sufficed. After watching some of the other little obnoxious 'princesses' in the waiting line, I owe her some make-up and itunes credit when she is 16.

Asa enjoyed it all and no ride was too scary (not displayed above. The tea cup ride is only scary for me.) If he was tall enough (he's in 99th percentile for height so by all rights his fear level should be less than his stature), he rode it with gusto and vim, begging for more when it was complete. I rarely appreciate having fearless children, I may pay for it later, but for now I beam with pride.

Our diet consisted of sugar upon sugar with a dash of powered sugar on top during our two day Disney stay. I do believe the colors are so ever more bright when you are on a sugar high. If so, I think my children were seeing fluorescents.

The two days were tiring and exciting. (Even the man who puked on my leg made for some interesting conversation.) Both parks were exceptionally fun and it seemed that our adrenaline was working overtime. I am not going to lie, taking four kids from ride to ride was exhausting. There were moments of "Mommy, I know we have been in this line for 45 minutes and we are just about to get on, but I have to go to the bathroom." Or, "If I have to stay in this line for one minute longer, I might just explode or pull someone's hair. Whichever comes first." But we survived.

After taking my kids to Disney, I found a new appreciation for my parents. How did they drive all the way across the country with kids in the car who loved to annoy and taunt each other? How did they pay all that money for us to get into the park when we couldn't afford the $1.50 water whilst driving through Las Vegas during the dead of summer? (remember, Dem?) How did they not just give up when my dad and I left our place in line and the people behind us won a brand new car? (true story).

The only thing I can say is thanks, thanks for giving me a memory that will never go away. So much so, that I would repeat the whole experience all over again so that memory can be imprinted in my kids forever and ever. Crazy, I tell you. Must be some kind of Disney magic.

French Countryside and Hotel

For me, the best part of Disney was our hotel. It seemed it was the only time we rested up until that point. It was so nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of Paris and enjoy the quaint, idyllic part of France that I personally love.

When we weren't standing in line for rides or greeting characters, we were doing the following:

Picking blackberries and savoring every single one.
Strolling along stone paths and talking about Star Wars.

Sitting by the lake and perfecting our peace signs.
Picking wild flowers and blowing dandelions.
When the kids got tired of appreciating God's creations, they enjoyed the over-the-top plastic creations at our hotel resort.

They almost loved the hotel pool more than Disneyland itself. There were just too many things to be excited about.

For me, the hotel was a winner. I got to soak in the countryside while my kids got to slide down a plastic dragon. Who could ask for anything more?

France for 6

It is really true that Paris is a place for lovers, but not necessarily for their offspring. Bringing four kids to France was kind of like going to a business meeting in drag. All eyes were on us, and we were definitely out of place. There was a lot of pointing and a lot of comments. I wasn't ready to be such a spectacle. In fact, I was looking forward to finally mixing in with those who were similar to me. Boy, was I wrong. I felt like I was the old woman in the shoe.

Look at the angelic single child in the right corner. She didn't move the entire time, and was surely thinking, 'Ah, this is what I have heard children do. Never have I seen such shenanigans." Of course, this was done with her hands on her lap and in a cute French accent.

Eating out at with my kiddlets in a French cafe was entertaining. When we arrived, the maitre d' was thrilled to see so many towheads, but he didn't realize that they would show him one thousand different ways to dissect and disperse a baguette. Oh, and how loud it can get when you tap a wine glass with a butter knife.

The streets were fun for us for the simple fact that there were sidewalks and actual people walking on those sidewalks. It is a rare find in Doha, especially in the summer. I kept thinking, what a shame to have these huge sidewalks and not enough double strollers to stroll on them.

Since you asked, yes, I did only pack one large suitcase and two small carry ons for our entire month trip. When it comes to packing for a family of 6, I am the master. I have never been more thankful that I pack lightly than when we were trudging through Paris and making 4 hotel changes.

We especially turned heads when we went on the train headed to Disney. You would think the train would be flooded with little tykes donning mouse ears, but no. In fact, not one. Even the seats were only suited for a mom, dad, and one child with a wee piece of luggage. Make way! The Bromleys are coming through!

Paris was a delight for all of us, even though people would rather look at our huge family than the Monet right in front of their faces. Most comments were kind (except for that really nasty one from the Hunchback of Notre Dame herself!), and it made me really appreciate the fact that I have 4, yes, 4, of the most adorable children in the world!

Love them, especially in Paris!