My Grownup Birthday Wish

Welcome to our family blog which has been created recently to share our trip to Sonoma. I am Blanche, the matriarch, and my sweet husband, Bill, has graciously agreed to give me and our children this spectacular trip to Sonoma, California to celebrate my recent 50th birthday. I love being a wife, mother, and grandmother, and the best experience I could imagine was having all my family together for a beautiful, relaxing, insightful time together...hence, the trip. The "relaxing" part caused a bit of a quandary when the kids with kids had to decide about bringing or leaving. Suzanne has the youngest baby, Perry, who is still nursing and so he's coming along (he's the 13th cast member, and therefore makes the "baker's dozen"). Lisa and Adam have three kids who are old enough and energetic enough to warrant quality time with the other grandparents for this occasion. Katie and Michael have Bree, and Michael's sister Amy (newly married) will be keeping her to help her decide how soon she wants babies of her own. My vision for this trip, is that we all come to know and love each other more. It's great when your kids are grown and you can let them pack for themselves, get themselves to the airport, and then watch them drink themselves silly once in the wine country...my long-awaited wishes have come true. Now, once there, I have planned on various activities (team building exercises) to enhance the "knowing/loving" experience. We will see how siblings really feel about each other, whether the couples really love being couples, who is most competitive, who is the best segwayer, who can hold their liquor...you get the idea. This may be the worst idea I've ever had, but we shall see (and you shall see on this blog). Our plan is to post pictures, maybe videos, and testimony of what occurs. Visit often to share our fun!!!