Florida 2010

It's hard to believe, just one week ago we were in sunny Florida (sunny maybe, warm...not so much).  It definitely was great to get away and spend time with the girls.  It was good to reconnect with our children while not having to think about work, laundry, dishes, errands, and the daily routines of life. 

We decided to drive the trip this year.  We've always flown in the past, but between trying to save a few pennies and not wanting to carry 3 car seats into the airport, we figured it best to drive.  Plus this way we could visit my Grandma and Aunts in Georgia.  It has been nearly 2 years since I saw them last, and I thought it was high time for a visit.  I was still a bit nervous about this long trek with an 8 month old though.  I knew the girls would do fairly well, but we had just gotten Andrew to sleep through the night not more than a month ago, and I wasn't sure if this would mess up our beloved schedule.  Fortunately, to our surprise he did great.  Not only was he a great traveler, he pretty much kept to his same routine during our whole weeks stay in Florida.  He was a bit fussy on the way back home, although so were the girls.  I think they just knew we would be getting back to the reality of winter for 8 more weeks.

Once we arrived in Georgia, we were able to peel off our jackets and feel the warmth of the air.  I just love not having to take the time to layer up before you go outside.  Of course little did we know that the next few days were going to be the warmest days of our stay, but at least we experienced warmer temperatures for a short time.  Although it still amazes me that we saw ice instead of water running down the mountains in Tennessee.  It just shows you what a cold winter it's been all over, because in all my travels as a child I never saw ice on those mountains.

It was so nice to see my Aunts and Grandma too.  The girls quickly warmed up to relatives they hardly knew.  Of course it helped that my aunt had a little Shiatzu dog that they loved chasing around.  By the end of our stay they were ready to trade in our large dog for hers.  We stayed up and talked for awhile after the kids girls had gone to sleep.  It was definitely nice to catch up and chat for awhile.  And they were kind enough to stock us up with sandwiches for the next day's drive to Florida.

Finally we reached Kissimmee.  We unpacked, while the girls jumped from couch to couch in our new home for the week.  They were so giddy with excitement that they seemed to bounce off the walls.  The hubs parents were nice enough to rent two condo units for our whole extended family, and because we had the largest family, we had a whole unit to ourselves (which meant we even had our own bedroom)!

We spent the next few days simply swimming.  Although both girls were a little leary to swim at first (remember their ongoing fear of water), they quickly grew fond of the water.  Kyra had digressed from her swim lessons from last year a bit, but generally did very well.  Katie however had been petrified from swim lessons last year and would bearly get in the water to begin.  Then once we grabbed coaxed her gently into the water, she clung to us with enough vigor to leave nail imprints into our skin.  She was deathly afraid of us letting go.  I wasn't sure we would ever get her to relax until good friends of ours showed how much their son loved to go in the pool with the confidence of his life jacket.  Fortunately, the following day Katie let us put the life jacket on her, and I simply let her go.  Once she realized she was floating on her own, she didn't want us to touch her.  All week long she said, "No momma, let go.  I want to do it my own self."  By the third day she was even jumping in the pool with no one catching her.  It was fun to watch her grin from ear to ear.  She loved the pool.  I know the life jacket may give her a false sense of security, but at least we are making some progress.  She even said she was open to the idea of swim lessons once again.

Our final big adventure of the week was going to Magic Kingdom.  We had debated whether or not we should go, since we only had one day to pack it all in, but threw caution to the wind and decided to go for it.  We are very glad we did.  My sister in-law kindly offered to take Andrew for the day, so we could focus on spending time with the girls.  And after the packed day we had, we were glad we were sans Andrew that day.  We truly packed in everything we could that day.  I think the first time we stopped for a break was close to 5:30 pm.  I worried about tiring our girls out by doing too much, but at the same time wanted to make sure we did and saw everything we wanted to for that day.  I wasn't disappointed, except for the weather (which started out with 46 degrees!).  But even the colder temps didn't slow us down that much.  We started the day off by meeting Arial.  She was the only princess we met, but fortunately the girls aren't really in to having their picture taken with characters so that worked out okay (more time to do rides).  We went on almost all the rides too.  I wasn't sure how they would do on many of them (since their are a few with elements of pitch black...a little scary for Katie), but they did fine.  A few of the rides Katie told us at the end that she never ever wanted to go on that ride again, but at least she didn't cry.  The parades were fantastic too.  The girls were glued to music and dancing.  But perhaps the best was the light show at the end.  Tinker Bell flew from Cinderella's Castle, and the girls were facinated by that. 

When I asked the girls what the favorite part of their day was, they both mentioned the Jungle Cruise, exploration on the Swiss Family Robinson tree house, and watching the Bear Jamboree.  Although, I'm sure Katie would say her favorite part of the trip was just swimming.  I'm hoping they aren't too young to remember this fun filled day.  Fortunately we have many pictures to mark the occasion.  Yes, it was another memorable vacation, and I'm thankful that we were blessed enough to have been able to go.  

      

    

Splash Getaway

A week ago we were able to get away for our first vacation of the summer. The hub's job has finally calmed down a bit (he was terribly busy all summer...of course great timing with a little one, but certainly job security and that's nothing to complain about, so I'll quit). So, we decided to head north for an extended weekend to one of our favorite places...Petoskey, Michigan. That whole area is simply breath taking. Of course I love it even more in the fall, when all the leaves are changing, but we couldn't have had a more beautiful weekend to go (mid 70's and sunny).

We stayed at the Boyne Mountain Ski Resort with the hub's parents. We've been there before and always enjoy it, because they have lots for the kids to do, and great shopping for me too! We all enjoyed swimming, going up the ski lift and enjoying the view, bike riding, and pie tasting. The girls even caught a rather large trout in the local pond (which may have been a little more exciting for their fish deprived dad, I'm not sure:). We went to the beautiful marina in Petoskey, and enjoyed shopping downtown too. Of course, I was able to go to one of my favorite stores, The American Spoon, and test their dips. Mmm, go figure one of my favorite stores involves food! They certainly do have great bbqs, jellies, and salsas though.

But I'd have to say the highlight of the weekend was going to the indoor water park. We were a bit hesitant in going, just because our girls are not the biggest water fans. So, we checked the place out first and the girls both said they wanted to go. The entrance fee isn't the cheapest though, so I told Kyra she had to promise to go on some of slides or else it wasn't going to be worth the money (this cheap mamma's gotta get her money's worth you know!) She happily agreed (of course probably not knowing what she was getting into).

Fortunately, the hub's parents were willing to watch Andrew for awhile too, so we could focus our time with the girls. So, when we arrived, we perused the park, and I found a slide that looked suitable for Kyra. It was a rather tall ride, but the slide didn't look too steep, and it required a inner tube that you could share with an adult, which I figured would be less scary then sliding directly on the slide itself. It wasn't until after Katie and I waited at the bottom to take their picture that I found out I had put them on the scariest slide in the park. Yes, way to go momma. I had put my eldest daughter, who was afraid of water to begin with, to plummet to what she probably thought was the end of her short life. Yes, the ride began with a drop into pure blackness, then shoots you out into a huge bowl that twirls you round and round (kind of like you are twirling in a toilet bowl), until you drop into the bottom of the bowl and are flushed out into a lazy river. Yes, she came out screaming at the bottom. I felt so bad. There were so many more easy going slides I could have started her out on, but I had to chose the worst. Even the lazy river frightened her because around the bend were some rapids and a waterfall that pours on you. I doubted she would ever trust me again.

Fortunately, she did. The first hour or so of our time, she hesitated, going only on the kiddy slides or in the pool. But eventually, our forgiving girl went on some larger slides, and even after a few times down with the hub's or myself, went by herself. It was a great time, and it felt great to have some alone time with our girls. I even tried my hand at boogie boarding down the pressured wave. Yes, the weekend away was just what we needed after this busy summer adjusting to our little one, and a great entrance into the new season of fall.

Florida Trip, part 2

Our time in Florida was simply wonderful. I kept on thinking, "I can't believe I have 8 warm sunny days with my family!" I think the only bummer part of the trip was that we were going to spend the first day and 1/2 with our friends who live in Florida. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we found out their son had the stomach flu. Although we still had breakfast with them the following day, and stayed at their "house next door," we didn't get to stay up and chat or play "greedy" with them. But we weren't about to get all chummy chummy with the thought of getting the stomach flu ourselves and virtually ruining our week of relaxation. Thank you for your hospitality, Jon and Stacey, despite feeling so sick.

The rest of our vacation was spent at a resort in Kissimmee, thanks to my in-laws. We each (all of my hubs family members) had a one bedroom condo with a little kitchenette so we could make the majority of our meals. There wasn't a stove to cook on, but my in-laws are always well equipped with alternatives. They brought two electric skillets to make pancakes, stir fry, eggs, etc. You name it, they were willing to make it. We really only ate out for dinner two times. And the meals were hilarious. Try fitting 8 grown adults, and 3 little children in a 9'x12' room. We sat on coolers, the floor, arm rests, basically any little corner we could find. I'm sure housekeeping ended up having a fun time cleaning up that room too, because 3 kids under 4 years old can only keep their food on their plates so well. But we were together and having fun.

We spent most of our days just relaxing by the pool side (my idea of a perfect vacation). My hubs was very wonderful in taking the girls to the pool the majority of the time so I could take in maximum sun time on the lounge chairs and chat with the sister in-laws. The pool had a big waterfall in the center where kids could race underneath. Of course our girls were going no where near that. Their petrified fear of water subsided some over the week, but not as much as I would have hoped. The hubs actually got Katie to swim from him to the steps (with swimmies on) one day, but the next she wanted nothing to do with it. Both girls were satisfied sticking to depths they could reach or clinging to our arms. Oh well, baby steps right?

Perhaps my favorite part of the trip was going to Sea World. We debated whether or not to do the whole Disney thing, but thought maybe one adventure park for the week would be enough. As it ended, we were glad with our decision, because that day really tuckered them out. The park was just great though. I almost had more fun watching my kids in awe reactions to the shows than the shows themselves. What surprised me most was my emotional response. The magnificence of "Shampoo" (as Katie called him) jumping out of the water simply brought me to tears. Yes, this pregnant momma had a few emotional moments that day. The shows were elegant, humorous, and entertaining. Kyra's favorite show was a dog and cat show. These dogs and cats were walking on tight ropes, driving cars, jumping through hoops, and more. Although it was at the end of the day, the girls stood in laughter through almost the whole show. Her least favorite was the sea lion show, because the "pirates were fighting and being mean." It was actually a pretty funny show, but she thought the pretend fight was real. I told her they were just pretending. She said, "you mean the pirates aren't real humans?"

The park also had quite a few kiddy rides. We even took them on a relatively high, and fast roller coaster. Although it was a kiddy ride, it took quite a drop, that even I was surprised. Half way through the ride, Kyra nervously asked when it would be over. I was afraid if she had that reaction, how Katie was doing, but when we got off, the hubs said Katie had a great time. I should have known the younger one wouldn't be afraid of a little coaster ride!

Yes, the trip was a great success. And after being home a few days now, I am definitely missing the mid 70 degree weather. Although we feel rejuvenated as a family and are thankful that spring is near.

"Shampoo" giving the diver a ride

This dog pushed a cart, a door opened and out popped 5 wiener dogs!

The Sea Lion Pirate Show

The girls give a manatee statue a hug, after seeing the real deal

Camping 101

This past weekend we decided to give camping a trial run. The hubs and I both grew up camping (him, in a trailer/me, in a tent), but neither of us have ventured out since we have had children. And seeing as how both our girls are at a tolerable age (aka: sleeping through the night, not grabbing everything in sight, able to follow basic rules), I thought it would go fairly well. Nevertheless, we did a trial run in our back yard. The girls did great too. Katie was a little excited, so it took about a half an hour before she actually settled down enough to stay in her sleeping bag, but she did sleep. So with that success it was off to a campground we would go!

Finding the campground was the tricky part. I remember my mom spending many hours looking through books from the library of different campgrounds. When she finally found what seemed to be the perfect one, she would call to make a reservation (and hope that all her siblings would be happy with her pick). Now of course, the internet makes it easy to take virtual tours and place a reservation online. However, I found with that convenience comes a price. Because everyone shops online, there are many people who make reservations 6 months in advance and race the hundreds of others who are in their pj's doing the same exact thing. With in minutes, popular weekends are booked. Needless to say, my lack of experience was evident. I had to call several campgrounds only to find they had been booked months ago.

Fortunately, we were flexible in our times and just picked a close private campground on a weekend after school started. We went to Hungry Horse campground. It was a 90 acre campground, that had themes for kids, trails, 3 playgrounds, and 2 pools. The lots were all wooded and the bath houses were very clean. We were very impressed. I would have liked to have been closer to a beach, but it was nice to have such a kid friendly campground when the girls are this young. And the girls couldn't have done better. They simply had a great time and didn't want to leave. They enjoyed being able to ride their bikes in the "street," and living next door to their cousin (oh wait we do live next door to their cousins! Okay, we lived even closer). Katie got her baby fix with her cousin being in the adjacent trailer. The girls loved playing with the flashlight in the tent. We enjoyed a hayride and fed horses. And of course had smores and hobo pies (not to mention the warm cup of coffee in the brisk morning breeze). The experience brought back many fond memories along with creating a few new. I loved watching the girls have fun with so many of the things I loved as a child while we camped.

This will definitely have to be more than a one time occasion. I forgot a few items, but now I know what we need for next year. Now, if I can just remember to make my reservations a little more advance next time.

Vacation at the Cottage

My sister, who lives in South Korea, recently made the decision to go back to school and begin her masters degree. For the most part she can do all of it online, but for two weeks out of the year she has to come back to the states for her studies. How fortunate for us that her studies took place right here in Michigan! She asked us long ago if she could stay at our house while she went to school. We were certainly glad to oblige. However, my parents wanted to optimize their time with their daughter too, so what better way than to rent a nearby cottage and create a retreat for the whole family! She could go to class and then come back and chat with the rest of the family, while sitting on the deck overlooking the lake sparkling in the rays of the setting sun. And we could bring our boat and catch fish, or go tubing, and put the kids to bed early while we drank mamosa's, laughed, and took joy in reconnecting with each other. Well....it didn't go quite that way. It was close though. My sister had a little more homework than we imagined (probably even way more than she imagined). So she didn't have a lot of time to sit around and chat. In fact it was probably harder to try and study around kids racing around her chair playing tag or swords with the water noodles (just a tad distracting). While, it would have been nice to visit with her more, we were just glad that she was in our company and we were able to see her for a short bit before going back to a far off land for 6 more months.

We did have a wonderful time together. We went fishing, paddle boating, jumped off the inflatable island in the water, tubed, skiied, sat on the deck of the cottage eating wonderful food, and certainly had plentiful laughter too. My sister in-law and I decided to leave a little early both because we had a little work to do on a party we were planning (more on that to come), and to give Mom and Dad a break from having 5 crazy kids race and sometimes scream around the close quarters. My brother had already left to go home to make the bacon, and my hubs was doing the same (whom we can't thank enough for supporting our vacation habit!) It was a great time with cousins and family. I just love seeing our little ones bond together and play like there is no tomorrow. Thank you Mom and Dad for providing a wonderful environment for us to play and stay!

Friday's Foto - Catch of the Day

Vacation Viewpoint

Well....it was a success folks! For the first time in 5 years (basically since I was pregnant with Kyra), I had a nice, relaxing, and enjoyable trip on the annual in-law vacation. The weather was a little cool, but not as bad as anticipated. I still had to duck under the shower head to get a low pressure rinse, not to mention race the clock before my luke warm water turned to cold, but I learned to do without shaving my legs for a week. And of course the hubs still fished almost every day (although to his credit there were select times he opted to spend time with his family instead of head out on the boat with the other guys), while I watched the kids, but to be honest the kids were so occupied by the fun in the sand...it really wasn't a chore. Actually it was fun seeing them enjoy making towers, sand cities, and lagoons (I prepared myself in the beginning of the week to let go of my anal retentiveness in keeping their shorts clean, because it simply wasn't going to happen.)

Yes it really made a difference in a year. Last year, Katie was 15 months old and almost more than I could bear. She was putting rocks, sand, and bugs in her mouth. She was constantly racing for the hot water heater in the small cabin, and running full force into the water. She was cranky at times and not always sleeping through the night in her new environment. But this year I simply sat back in my chair, watched her play in the sand, and took in some rays. The girls played well together, and with my husband's cousin's kids. Actually if it weren't for their extended cousins, it might have been more hairy, but they all played so well together. Kyra would say, "bye mom, I'm going to Carlye's cabin!" And off they'd go. The two girls were like peas in a pod. Even though there is a 3 year difference between them, they took well to each other. They even traded flip flops all week long because they wore the same shoe size. And of course when Carlye changed clothes, Kyra had to change clothes. There was really hardly a time they were apart.

Aside from playing in the sand, we took one day to go to Tahquamenon Falls as a family, and apart from the massive mosquitoes had fun there too. I went to a couple of the local stores (which really don't have a whole lot, but it's still fun to see what hasn't left the shelf since last year). We went to their annual 4th of July parade, which anyone is free to take part in, so there are some doozies (the grocery store even takes part and just rolls a few of their grocery carts down the street). But the big attraction is that they throw a ton of candy, so the girls had their bags ready (we basically have a bag full of tootsie rolls just as big as you would get from Halloween. Good bribery for a good behavior award!) The hubs said it was the first time he had ever attended the parade in the 30 years he's been coming! We took in the local fireworks, which for a small town, really does a great job. The hubs took the kids for a couple evening trolls in the boat (which Katie absolutely loved), and even attempted teaching them how to fish off the dock (which was short lived). Of course the guys caught quite a bit of fish too, including perch, herring, lake trout, and salmon. We ate tons of food, and had ice cream almost every night (along with a short walk to try and work off a smidge of what we ate). And what time with friends and family would be complete with out a few card games, and lots of laughter.

So, we have our little cabin booked for next year. And maybe next year I'll actually look forward to the trip in anticipation that it will be as good or even better than this year's trip.

Fishin Time

It's that time of year again! Vacation time...okay fishin time. We're leaving for our annual trip to Hessel, Michigan. Every year over the 4th of July week we head north to a little cabin (and by little, I mean the size of my kitchen little) for some much needed fishing time (that's for the hubs of course). For some of you who know me well, you've heard many a time how much I adore our little cabin (insert sarcasm). For the 9 years I've been going, it has never been one of my favorite vacationing stops, afterall who wants to pack winter clothes for their summer vacation! And every year I vow to have an open mind, but I always come home in a grumpy mood.

But it's not about me. My husband has been going to this place since he was in his mother's womb. It is perhaps one of his favorite places to visit. He feels connected there. You can almost measure his smile getting bigger and bigger as we count down the hours till we go. It's a place where he can feel most connected to God, spend time with his family, visit old friends he grew up knowing, experiencing the high of luring in a big one. He loves it. And the fact is, my kids are becoming more and more fond of it too.

So this year, not only am I going to try keep an open mind, but I am going to dwell on the fact that my family loves this place and that part of my joy comes from watching them enjoy their vacation. And there are some positives too that I could focus on. Afterall, there is the little town's fireworks (which are really quite good), the beautiful view of the sunrise, great meals every night by the beach side, fresh lake breeze in our cabin, card playing time with good friends, the sound of the waves quietly slapping the dock, long walks near the marina, and of course GREAT ice cream cones! See you in a week!

A Visit to My Hometown

As I mentioned, last week we traveled to Chicago to visit my parents for a 4 day stay. Although my family lives only a few hours away, I do miss them dearly, and cherish the trips I am able to take to their house. I began going solo when Kyra was just 3 weeks old. I would nurse her first thing in the morning, with the car already packed, and head to the big city, hoping that she would make it 3 hours before she would need to be fed again. After a few times there and back, I became quite confident traveling with a child. Soon after, there were two, which was a little more challenging, but still manageable (as long as I had a stash of binki's and snacks in the front seat). Although I enjoy visiting my family with my husband, he is only able to do weekends. Traveling alone allows me to stay for longer periods of time and also an opportunity for my hubs to get projects done at home (in other words time without kids and a wife to distract him from his love of farming!)

As we approach the school age, I am realizing that these cherished trips are going to become few and far between. Life is only going to get busier, so in reality this will probably be my last year to take longer trips to Chicago. So I try and pack it all in with my favorite restaurant, stores, and time chatting with my parents and siblings.

This trip included many of my favorites. We looked through many of my childhood pictures, sat up late watching movies (mom is the late night movie queen, and a shared passion), ate at Sweet Tomatoes (thanks Dad), went garage saling with my sis in-law and mom, shopped at Trader Joe's (LOVE that place), and went to Brookfield Zoo with my parents.

Although the day at the zoo was very cold, the girls still had a great time. There were several new baby animals, and playful ones too. The baby giraffe stayed close to it's mama, the camels were cuddly, the gorilla's were wrestling, and the polar bear tried unsuccessfully several times to get out of the water. Katie was pointing at everything, and is becoming more and more enamored with all of the animals. It is such a joy to watch them get so excited by simple activities. Yes, it was a great trip. Thank you, Mom and Dad for your hospitality.

A Zoo

The polar bears

so white and strong...

The spot neck giraffe

with a stance so long...

Monkey that swing

by their tails in trees...

The big grey elephant

with the wrinkled knees...

Let's take pictures

of one or two,

Oh, please,

let's go to the Zoo

-author unknown

Homeward Bound, part 3

After 2 1/2 days packed with somber activities, we had one day left to have a little fun with the kids. We went back and forth with ideas of hiking up Stone Mountain, but we thought it might be a bit too much for the little ones. Fortunately, we didn't have to make that decision, because my Aunt and Cousin were generous enough to pay for tickets to the Georgia Aquarium! We were told that it is currently the largest aquarium in the world and that we couldn't miss it. We were not misinformed. We saw buluga whales, whale sharks (I didn't even know such a thing existed), penguins, seals, otters, alligators, and Japanese crabs. The list could go on and on. At one point everyone just parked their buns in front of the viewing window and watched the 55,000 varieties of fish that inhabited the tank that was the size of a football field! It was truly amazing. Kyra's favorite part of course was the play area that went up almost 3 stories tall (of course it wouldn't be any of the fish). She did say that she liked the alligators though. My favorite was the buluga whale, which really seemed to be full of personality. I think Katie's favorite part was the penguins, since she was plastered to the window, and tried to tickle them with her fingers as the dove in the water. Although, she didn't seem to have much fear when it came to touching the sting rays either. It truly was a great day.

We ended the trip with one more meal at my Aunt's house. My stomach is seriously still suffering from the mass of food we ate. It really was great southern food. I am very happy that even though it was a short and packed trip, that we were able to spend some quality time with family. Not being able to see my Dad's side of the family very often, it was nice to catch up and make some new memories from our time together. I hope to keep up with my relatives and hopefully see them again next year. It was a good trip, yes a good trip.

Homeward Bound, part 2

After the immediate family viewed grandpa's body, visitors began slowly creeping into the room. I am not the most social person in large groups of people, so a small crowd pleased me just fine. Yet, at the same time there were many people that I wanted meet, so I made a point to shove those butterflies down in their place. I knew that there would be many Great Aunties that I haven't seen in years, so I was excited to see them. My Grandma grew up in a family of 12 siblings, and I have many fond memories of gathering with her family and listen to those Older Southern Women tell stories. That day was no different. Those butterflies quickly left as I approached women like: Mary, Ruth, Naomi, Lois, Libby, and Martha. I didn't even have to talk, they took care of that on their own. It was a joy and a hoot to hear them go on and on. Yes it was a full day, but one filled with a loving family with many memories of my grandpa.

The day of the funeral, I was told by my brother that we would be saying a few verses from the Bible. I quickly got a knot in my stomach, but God seemed to calm me down, because the tension soon went away. I love reading, and was content to read in front of a crowd rather then say a few words (which I knew would bring me to tears). The funeral was beautiful and scerene. My Aunt sang beautifully "It is Well with My Soul," a talent of hers I had not known before that day. And my sister (who traveled from South Korea) read a letter she had written of the many memories she had held. Her way with words and poetic heart brought a vivid picture of the many memories we shared. And of course my Dad prepared a eulogy that was both touching and reconciling. I saw many tears shed by so many loved ones that day, that it was hard to see their pain. At the same time it was also healing to see that we have each other and that everyone was there for eachother. And comfort was brought by the fact that my Grandpa is homeward bound, left a legacy of caring family members, and friends that will carry on his love.

Homeward Bound, part 1

Well, we made it home from Grandpa's funeral in Georgia. And although there were many sad, emotional periods, there were many joyful moments too. In the flurry of activity of packing, canceling the mail for the week, transferring funds, etc, I wondered how this long trip go for all of us. There would be the 15 hour trip in the car going to and from Georgia, the 5 hour visitation, and funeral. I wondered how stressful this would be on our girls. I felt bad that Katie's birthday was kind of put on the sidelines, and even worse yet, that we wouldn't have time to rejoice in the commemoration of Easter, and Jesus' resurrection. And yet, everything went as smoothly as possible.

We arrived on Saturday evening, after getting up at 3 AM to prepare for blazing through the 10 inches of snow we had (yes...10 inches over the Easter weekend). Thankfully, we arrived safely and were greeted by the warm air (which of course didn't last long, because we happened to hit a pocket of cold air while we were there). We were then quickly summoned to go to my Aunt's house where tons of food had been donated. We had a great lasagna dinner with family, and prepared ourselves for the events to come. Our kids however, had fun running after my aunt's two pug nosed Shiitzus. All week long the grand kids wanted to make sure they could go back to Janie's house so they could play with the dogs.

The next day we made it to the Easter service. It was moving and emotional, and just the start of tears for the day, but we were glad to have gone. Fortunately we had enough time for Easter pictures and lunch, although we had to forgo the Easter egg hunt (which actually no one missed, I think I just hyped it up in my mind, but really we were fine without it). We went on to the visitation, where we viewed my grandfather's body. I was a little scared to see him, and even more scared to explain death to my 3 year old, but again it went well. Kyra had questions, and I answered them to the best of my ability, and in the end she shrugged her shoulders and continued to play with her cousins. It's funny how matter of fact they can be. The girls twirled their dresses and took off their shoes, while Katie could be found munching on the cookies from the adjacent visitation, and waving to her great grandpa while saying "shh..he's sleeping". They eased the tension and brought joy to many visitors. They were pure life in time of death.

Home Sweet Home

Well, our trip to Florida was a complete success. In fact, I would just assume get back on the airplane and fly back (after sitting in the sun for a few days, somehow this weather just doesn't agree with me). Oh well, at least we had a taste of what's hopefully to come in the next month or two.

Our trip began by leaving Michigan just as a cold front was coming in (I believe the beginning of the week was down around 0 degrees and the end of the week had blustery snow). So, we couldn't have left during a better week. The girls did well on the plane as well. I wasn't really concerned about Kyra, but having Katie as a lap child was a bit concerning (when was the last time you saw a 22 month old sit still for 2 minutes, let alone 2 hours). However, she did fairly well - and of course fell asleep as we were landing. Our friends who took us in for 2 days, were as always very hospitable (thanks again Jon and Stacey). We had a good time catching up with them, feeding the ducks at a local lake, and tasting some of the food at the local eateries (Jon ALWAYS knows where to find the best food). Our favorite of course is Parksdale Farms, where they serve the BIGGEST strawberry shortcakes ever, and boy are they tasty.

We then traveled to Kissimmee, Florida. We stayed in a very nice condo, and enjoyed the two large pools and hot tubs nearby our room. Unfortunately, the lazy river that I wrote previously about was not there, but we still had a great time lounging by the pool.

My husband was gracious enough to let me catch some rays while he played with the kids in the pool, on quite a few occasions. Katie was hesitant to swim the first day, but by the end of the week, you just mentioned the word pool, and she would come running to you with a swimsuit. She was even going under the water by the end of the week. Even Kyra was voluntarily dipping her head under the water, which is a REAL accomplishment for her, since she has always been terrified of water in her face!

We spent one other day going to the Florida Aquarium. We had been to this aquarium before, but it has a very nice layout that is not too big (so we could do it in a half days time), but big enough that it holds kid's interest. Then there is a huge play area outdoors for the kids to play at while you eat lunch. Grandma and Grandpa had fun seeing the excitement in their eyes and spending the day with the kids. The kids were pretty tired by then, so they snoozed off and on as we took a drive out to see the manatees at the Tampa Electric's Generating Plant. They stay in the plant's canal because the water is so warm.

Our Kissimmee stay ended with a night on the town with just my hubby. His parents watched the kids, while we went out for dessert for Valentine's Day. We started out at Old Town, an amusement park of sorts, where we both challenged the thought of a bungie jump. Of course, I chickened out at the last moment, so we settled for race cars instead. We then headed to an Italian Restaurant for tiramisu and some coffee. It was a good night, full of much needed adult conversation without the kiddos.

So, now we are home, and back to reality. Yesterday it was freezing rain, today it's just freezing with snow. Yet, indoors it is warm and cozy, the kids are glad to be back in their own beds, and our every day schedule is coming back into play. It was fun to be on vacation, but there is always something about home sweet home that makes it so inviting to come back.

Goodbye Gray Days, Hello Sunshine!

After going on so many vacations this past summer, my husband and I decided to lay low for the winter. We have been trying to save our pennies for a swingset for the girls, school, and extra curriculars for the girls. However, when the hub's parents invited us to stay with them at their time share in Florida for the week, our wheels were a turnin. We began writing out a pro and con list for going. We finally decided that unless we found a really cheap airfare, we wouldn't go. Well, wouldn't you know it, we came across a really cheap airfare! So, other then the cost of our transportation, our trip is virtually free! It was too irresistable to pass up.

We have some wonderful friends who are picking us up at the airport, staying with them a few days, and then going on to the resort where the hub's parents will reside. They have a lazy river, activities for the kids, and cheap eats (because my in-laws will most likely cook meals in the condo most of the time). I'm loving it!

So, I am currently making a checklist of the final things we have to do before leaving for sunny Florida this Saturday. So long for now, hopefully I will have lots of fun stories to share when I get back in a week or so.

Weekend Getaway

My husband turned 30 on Friday, so I had been trying to figure the PERFECT birthday gift. I didn't want to do a surprise party, since we have gone to so many of those lately (I figured it would hardly be a surprise). I contemplated going on a date to a play or something (but that ain't really his thang). Then I thought of the perfect idea....a surprise getaway! It would be perfect. My sister in-law was willing to watch the kids, the hubs had been working hard on the barns and needed a getaway, and he has always wanted me to play golf with him. So there you have it. I was going to have the car all packed before he came home from work, borrow some clubs from a friend, and when he came home, I would say we are going on a date- only to take him away for the weekend! Foolproof!

Okay, it didn't exactly work out that way. First he found out from someone that we were going away for the weekend, then he saw my attempt to hide the clubs in the car. The only thing he didn't know is where we were going, which after an hour in the car, he pretty much figured out anyway. I was bummed. My whole plan had failed. I moped in the car as I thought of my weeks of planning being botched. But then I realized, the end result would be the same. It wasn't the surprise that he would remember in the long run, but the trip itself.

And boy did we have fun. We went to Traverse City, Michigan to take in a golf course (I have never been, another first for me). But we did so much more than that. We enjoyed the oh, so beautiful colors of the trees. The colors were so vibrant! We went to several wineries along the Leelanau Penisula (and might I suggest that even though the samples are small, probably 15 samples are about 10 too many!). We ate at some wonderful restaurants. And finally, we played golf, which unfortunately I did not do too well at (and I can't blame the alcohol either, because this was the following day). Yes, my hopes of being a first time pro, did not come true. I scored a 96 in a 9 hole game (and of course that isn't including all the times I completely missed the ball!) But we had for some good laughs, and my husband (thankfully patient) had fun too. Yes, we will definitely have to do the getaway more often. Some one on one time with your hubby is definitely priceless.

Trip Continued

On our trip, we stayed at a resort called Boyne Mountain (also a ski resort). The place was perfect for the kids, because they had planned activities throughout the day, many pools to choose from, and a brand new playground right next to our room! I would take a shower and actually have some alone time, while hubby took the kids to the park. Then we could take a quick dip in the pool and still have enough time to make a quick lunch and put the kiddos to bed for a nap. It was perfect. And they did well the whole time. Much to my surprise, Katie hardly ever yelled (except for the beginning of the trip where we went to a nice sit down dinner and I had to drag a kicking tired child out of the restaurant), and Kyra didn't nag on her sister. We went bike riding through Petosky State Park (so beautiful, it made me want to camp - for a brief moment). And searched for rocks at the Park's beach. But perhaps their favorite part was riding up the ski lift and taking in the beautiful view. It was a free ride that the resort provided and the girls liked it so much we had to go a second time the following night (they said hi and waved to every passerby going the opposite way on the lift!) Kyra loved every minute of it, and kept asking through the weekend if we were still on bacation? We will definitely have to remember this bacation stop for next year!

Relaxation

Well, our trip was a great success. That's saying a lot for me, seeing as how the last two vacations we were on, were more exhausting than fun. After the last trip, I pretty much vowed not to take another vacation with the kids until they were all school aged! Okay, so they weren't that bad, but it was a bit of a challenge following a toddler around that gets into everything. The thing I discovered vacationing with just your own family, (fun as it may be to visit with extended family) is that you feel more relaxed when things don't go as planned. You don't have to worry trying to please everyone. If your toddler screams for an hour straight, you don't have to wonder what other people think of your parenting skills (granted you probably shouldn't be worrying about what other people think anyway, but it happens). And best of all, you get to have quality time with your husband who works so hard during the week, you begin to think you are strangers living in the same house. In general, you become more relaxed. And that was what our trip was. It was very relaxing. We took many wrong turns trying to find certain places, but who cared, we were on our own agenda and no one elses. It was a short trip, but because it was so great, I feel like we got a week of relaxation. Life is good.

Weekend Getaway

It is 5:30 AM and I am taking one last glance through all the blogs before we leave for a weekend getaway (of course I told my husband I would get up early to start packing, but I had to take a peak at any updates before I left for 3 days).

We are headed for the Petosky area of Michigan, which we've visited many a time this part of the year, but never with children. The lakes, bike trails, cutsy shops, clean air, vineyards, and of course ice cream shops are plentiful and inviting. I am looking forward to going there with my family and enjoying the change of scenery, mostly because this will be our only trip this summer spent alone with just our little family. Hopefully, it will be a great bonding time and refresher before we switch to the next season (that is of course provided that there aren't too many breakdowns and Katie doesn't scream in the car the whole trip, which she frequently does).

So here's to what I mark as a vacation to end one season and start fresh with a new. I look forward to the fall and have many new goals to begin next week. For now, I will enjoy my Mackinaw Fudge ice cream!