Nicky was initially disappointed in the house. When we told him it was on a lake, he thought we meant that literally. He was expecting a floating house, or at the very least an island.
Showing posts with label Pickles vacations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pickles vacations. Show all posts
Sunday, November 06, 2022
Thursday, November 03, 2022
Great Western Trek '22, Part 1: Westbound
So recently I have had several people (and by "several" I mean "more than one") ask me if we still have a blog. And yes, technically, we DO.... but it is covered with cyber dust and spiderwebs. The fact that anyone asked and even expressed nostalgia over our blog prodded me to get out my cyber Raid and duster, and let our adoring public peek into our lives once again.
I've realized that since we have a private GroupMe with immediate family, that's how I primarily share updates from our lives. But obvs not everyone who reads this blog has access to that, and for some reason my brain didn't take that into account. Anyway that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Well, going back to the start of summer, this year we FINALLY made a long-overdue driving trip out to Minnesota and back. Our niece Bethany was getting married in June, and of course we HAD to be there, so that provided the perfect opportunity to make our usual long trip visitng friends-and-relations along the way!
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| It's beginning to look a lot like vacaaaaayshuuuun... |
I wish I'd got a picture of the back of the van all packed up. Truly a masterwork of Mad Tetris Skilz.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Beach Getaway
A few days after I returned from California, Mr. Pickles took us all on a real vacation to Bethany Beach, DE. I say Mr. Pickles took us b/c my only requirement for this trip was that I wouldn't have to do any planning whatsoever, after already having to plan and execute two big trips. Mr. Pickles is amazing, y'all. He put this all together, with the only input from me being my opinion on a couple beach houses. I helped the kids pack their clothes and got together the beach stuff, but that's the fun part. He even made tons of food to bring (because allergies) and planned out meals (he grilled every day) and packed the coolers and everything.
A-maz-ing, I tell you.
There's not too much else to say about the days we were there. September at the beach is the best. The water is warm and the air is not too hot, and there are not many other people on the beach so it was quiet. We had to miss a couple classes and drama rehearsals of Miriam's that week, and had to come back a little earlier than we wanted b/c we didn't want her to miss her ice skating class. (High schooler's schedule pretty much dominates the family schedule.) I had considered bringing some schoolwork to fill in extra time so we wouldn't get behind, but when it came to actually packing I just couldn't do it. I decided we all just needed a total break from all responsibility (aside from keeping people fed, of course).
It was glorious.
A-maz-ing, I tell you.
There's not too much else to say about the days we were there. September at the beach is the best. The water is warm and the air is not too hot, and there are not many other people on the beach so it was quiet. We had to miss a couple classes and drama rehearsals of Miriam's that week, and had to come back a little earlier than we wanted b/c we didn't want her to miss her ice skating class. (High schooler's schedule pretty much dominates the family schedule.) I had considered bringing some schoolwork to fill in extra time so we wouldn't get behind, but when it came to actually packing I just couldn't do it. I decided we all just needed a total break from all responsibility (aside from keeping people fed, of course).
It was glorious.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
...and Back Again
The Great Midwestern Trek of 2016! Part Dos.
So returning East from Chicago, we first stopped at South Bend to visit cousins. The great thing about big families is that when you get just two of them together, you have an instant party!
The South Bend cousins had recently moved into a gorgeous big new house with an awesome swingset in their backyard. We couldn't stay for long, just a few hours, but it was a good visit. We always have great conversations when we hang with them, as you would expect from a lawyer, a mathematician, and two homeschooling mothers! It's also encouraging spending time with other people who are in the same stage of life and trying to do this big, Catholic family thing well. When you feel freakishly different from the rest of society, with all eyes watching and critiquing your every move, it's comforting to be with others who are struggling with similar challenges -- and appreciating the same joys.
So returning East from Chicago, we first stopped at South Bend to visit cousins. The great thing about big families is that when you get just two of them together, you have an instant party!
Sunday, October 23, 2016
There...
The Great Midwestern Trek of 2016! Part Uno.
Soooo... every summer there's a big geekfest for Statisticians in a different city. When we heard this year's conference was going to be in Chicago, we thought, "Perfect! We can use that as the springboard for another Great Western Trek!" But a bit of the wind was taken out of our sails when we realized that Mr. Pickles would have to come back home right after the conference, due to the need to prepare for another important meeting soon after. So no Great Western Trek. :( However, we could still enjoy a Great MIDwestern Trek, getting to relish our time with our Chicago peeps without having to hurry through on our way to points west or east.
And then we learned that due to a tight work schedule beforehand, Mr. Pickles was going to have to fly into Chicago.
...by himself.
And stay in a hotel near the conference.
...by himself.
Which meant that in order to make a Great Midwestern Trek at all, Mrs. Pickles was going to have to pack, close up the house, drive 700 miles, and otherwise take care of 6 minors for 5 days all on her own.
Soooo... every summer there's a big geekfest for Statisticians in a different city. When we heard this year's conference was going to be in Chicago, we thought, "Perfect! We can use that as the springboard for another Great Western Trek!" But a bit of the wind was taken out of our sails when we realized that Mr. Pickles would have to come back home right after the conference, due to the need to prepare for another important meeting soon after. So no Great Western Trek. :( However, we could still enjoy a Great MIDwestern Trek, getting to relish our time with our Chicago peeps without having to hurry through on our way to points west or east.
And then we learned that due to a tight work schedule beforehand, Mr. Pickles was going to have to fly into Chicago.
...by himself.
And stay in a hotel near the conference.
...by himself.
Which meant that in order to make a Great Midwestern Trek at all, Mrs. Pickles was going to have to pack, close up the house, drive 700 miles, and otherwise take care of 6 minors for 5 days all on her own.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Great Western Trek, part II
Part 2 of 3: In the Land o'Lakes
Well, we finally made it to Minnesota intact! We rented a vacation house in St. Cloud which was very cozy and WAY more comfortable than a hotel for the week. The house was obviously well taken care of, and lovely inside and out. (Naturally I took no pictures. What is wrong with me??!?)
Well, we finally made it to Minnesota intact! We rented a vacation house in St. Cloud which was very cozy and WAY more comfortable than a hotel for the week. The house was obviously well taken care of, and lovely inside and out. (Naturally I took no pictures. What is wrong with me??!?)
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Great Western Trek 2015!
Part 1 of 3: Heading West
So let's pretend we have invited you over to our tastefully decorated home (*snort*) for cocktails -- mojitos, probably -- and you have just noticed the dreaded slide projector in the living room. Ya-hay-hayyyy, vacation pictures! However, we did visit about 90% of our readership on our Great Western Trek, so perhaps some of you might actually entertain an interest in a selection of these. I promise not to see/be offended by any glazed eyes for the rest.
So let's pretend we have invited you over to our tastefully decorated home (*snort*) for cocktails -- mojitos, probably -- and you have just noticed the dreaded slide projector in the living room. Ya-hay-hayyyy, vacation pictures! However, we did visit about 90% of our readership on our Great Western Trek, so perhaps some of you might actually entertain an interest in a selection of these. I promise not to see/be offended by any glazed eyes for the rest.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Traveling
Another Historical post.
So after Christmas, we packed our bags, found a rabbit-and-gerbil sitter, and headed out to the wild and wooly west.
We had a brand new nephew, son of the beloved Aunt Katie, who was being baptized in the Byzantine Rite. These things are not to be missed.
It was bee-yoo-tiful. Four-part harmony up the wazoo.
It was kind of a crazy trip (do we take any other kind?) -- we stayed at a hotel the night before the baptism, then the next evening we visited with the girls' former piano teacher who had moved back to PA (and of course took no pictures), and we had planned to go straight home from there but the Steubenville relatives (godparents, above) invited us to stay with them. They wanted us to stay through New Year's but we had to get back lest our animals starve, so we only stayed one night.
It was a fun, busy time, with lots of good cousin time. Of course, I took no pictures then either.
I wish we could take more quick trips like this -- it was so good to be able to visit with family even for a short time. Our friends out here are wonderful, but there's really no one you can impose upon like family.
So after Christmas, we packed our bags, found a rabbit-and-gerbil sitter, and headed out to the wild and wooly west.
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| most of the wildness was provided by our own passengers |
We had a brand new nephew, son of the beloved Aunt Katie, who was being baptized in the Byzantine Rite. These things are not to be missed.
It was bee-yoo-tiful. Four-part harmony up the wazoo.
It was kind of a crazy trip (do we take any other kind?) -- we stayed at a hotel the night before the baptism, then the next evening we visited with the girls' former piano teacher who had moved back to PA (and of course took no pictures), and we had planned to go straight home from there but the Steubenville relatives (godparents, above) invited us to stay with them. They wanted us to stay through New Year's but we had to get back lest our animals starve, so we only stayed one night.
It was a fun, busy time, with lots of good cousin time. Of course, I took no pictures then either.
I wish we could take more quick trips like this -- it was so good to be able to visit with family even for a short time. Our friends out here are wonderful, but there's really no one you can impose upon like family.
Monday, May 05, 2014
In which we breathe deeply
I solemnly swear I will publish this today or perish in the attempt.
So back in March our newest niece was baptized. My darling baby brother gave us less than a month's notice, probably thinking there was No Way we would be coming. But I had promised Miriam ages ago that if they ever had another baby and I went to the baptism that I would bring her along -- and she remembered, so I had to make good on my promise. Thankfully it was just enough time to find and purchase tickets and otherwise prepare for several days' absence. Mr. Pickles is an admirable Lord-and-Master of the Household, but still there are lots of detail-type-thingies that the Queen-and-Domestic-Goddess is just better about remembering.
Basically, I had to make sure they weren't running around naked and eating nothing but berries and nuts while I was gone.
So back in March our newest niece was baptized. My darling baby brother gave us less than a month's notice, probably thinking there was No Way we would be coming. But I had promised Miriam ages ago that if they ever had another baby and I went to the baptism that I would bring her along -- and she remembered, so I had to make good on my promise. Thankfully it was just enough time to find and purchase tickets and otherwise prepare for several days' absence. Mr. Pickles is an admirable Lord-and-Master of the Household, but still there are lots of detail-type-thingies that the Queen-and-Domestic-Goddess is just better about remembering.
Basically, I had to make sure they weren't running around naked and eating nothing but berries and nuts while I was gone.
Friday, January 03, 2014
Holiday 2013!
All right, time for a 2013 holiday wrap-up post, beginning with....
Thanksgiving!!!
Ha -- and you thought I was going to write about Christmas?? You really ought to know me better by now.
So yes, Thanksgiving. This year we were graciously invited by our Ohio cousins to invade their house for Thanksgiving. It was a serious blast. The H's really know how to throw a party!
We left the DC area early early on Thanksgiving morning, thankfully well after the great exodus of the rest of the unwashed masses. It was so cold that the sliding doors on the van had frozen shut. The kids had to climb in over the front seats!
The weather had been iffy the previous couple days, but thankfully was all cleared up by the time we hit the road. Plus, the DOTs in other states know how to clean up a snowstorm, unlike the DC metro area (motto: "Combining the Best of Southern Efficiency with Northern Hospitality!").
We really packed the car.
We're probably going to need to look into getting one of those car-top
carriers before long. Or just invest in a retired school bus.
As I said, the H's were so gracious in their hospitality -- SO gracious that they even arranged to have a snowstorm for us right before our arrival! SO thoughtful.
This provided excellent opportunity tokick all the noisy kids outside allow the children to have some quality fun time together.
We were having so much fun that I took no pictures of the actual feasting. Suffice to say there was lots and lots and lots of food. I think we did justice to it all.
Our creative cousin Rachel set up a photoshoot with creative props, and everyone took hilarious pictures. She then posted them on Facebook, and whoever got the most votes won a giant tin of popcorn.
Mr. Pickles was the winner.
The cousins had tons of fun together. The boys relished their shared love of Star Wars and glowy screens. The little girls played dress up (we left several items of clothing there after all the costume changes). The big girls talked and talked. And the littles were just cute little forces of chaos.
Beloved Aunt Katie was there for the day, too, with her family. (hooray!)
The next couple days involved more playing in snow, more feasting, and a Hearts tournament, with a bottle of pumpkin liqueur as a prize.
The biggest irony of the weekend was that the person with the corn allergy won the giant tin of popcorn, and the teetotaler won the bottle of liquor! (All the kids loved the popcorn.)
We had massive amounts of fun. You can always count on the H's for a good time.
The fun didn't end after the weekend either -- we decided to take a much-needed family vacation and go skiing (which Mr. Pickles has wanted to do since, oh, our honeymoon when he couldn't ski b/c he was still healing from an emergency appendectomy).
We went to Snowshoe Mountain, a ski resort on top of a mountain in West Virginia. (You can go to the web cam and watch people fall down in the snow, live!) :) It took us AGES to get there -- Mr. Pickles got to navigate twisty turny mountain roads in the dark. Fun times. But we finally arrived and crawled our weary way to our suite -- really a 3-bedroom apartment.
And then the next morning we woke up and looked out our windows.
There was almost no one else there -- we practically had the place to ourselves. We signed the girls up for a ski lesson. They did GREAT. There were two other boys in their class who were having a really hard time. The instructor mentioned, aside to Mr. Pickles, that it seemed as though they had never played outside before in their lives. (NOT a problem our kids have!)
While Mr. Pickles and the girls skied, I was on Little Boy Entertainment Duty. Fortunately there was a decent mountain of snow in the middle of the shopping village.
I also went shopping at a teeny-tiny convenience mart and payed through the nose for a couple groceries. Otherwise we hung out and enjoyed not having anything particular to do.
Oh, I also took the boys to this recreation area/arcade. This scooter-coaster was a huge hit. Andy insisted on pushing the scooter back up after everyone else took a ride.
There were several bouncy things, too. I couldn't get the boys near the obstacle course , but they liked the slide.
It was a nice break from routine. I didn't get to ski, but maybe next time.
The ride home took AGES again -- the first part was terrifying as we careened down the twisty mountain roads at what I felt was breakneck speed. But once we reached the foot of the mountains and I could open my eyes again, the drive became very scenic. There's something about seeing the bare bones of a landscape in the winter, when all the leave are gone.
The drive confirmed for me once again that the Shenandoah mountains really are just lovely.
It was also interesting gradually returning to civilization, first passing farms and cute small towns, then larger towns (with a stoplight!), until we joined an honest-to-goodness highway with onramps. It's good to be reminded that there are whole universes of loves and interests outside one's sphere of life. On trips like that I often find a gypsy life appealing. ...Temporarily.
And then it's back to home, and housework, and school, and friends, and all the things that make our days so full.
Thanksgiving!!!
Ha -- and you thought I was going to write about Christmas?? You really ought to know me better by now.
So yes, Thanksgiving. This year we were graciously invited by our Ohio cousins to invade their house for Thanksgiving. It was a serious blast. The H's really know how to throw a party!
We left the DC area early early on Thanksgiving morning, thankfully well after the great exodus of the rest of the unwashed masses. It was so cold that the sliding doors on the van had frozen shut. The kids had to climb in over the front seats!
 |
| well-armed with caffeine |
The weather had been iffy the previous couple days, but thankfully was all cleared up by the time we hit the road. Plus, the DOTs in other states know how to clean up a snowstorm, unlike the DC metro area (motto: "Combining the Best of Southern Efficiency with Northern Hospitality!").
We really packed the car.
 |
| I mean, REALLY packed it. |
 |
| there's Jojo! |
As I said, the H's were so gracious in their hospitality -- SO gracious that they even arranged to have a snowstorm for us right before our arrival! SO thoughtful.
This provided excellent opportunity to
We were having so much fun that I took no pictures of the actual feasting. Suffice to say there was lots and lots and lots of food. I think we did justice to it all.
Our creative cousin Rachel set up a photoshoot with creative props, and everyone took hilarious pictures. She then posted them on Facebook, and whoever got the most votes won a giant tin of popcorn.
Mr. Pickles was the winner.
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| Award for Most Outstanding Photobomb goes to... |
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| What toddler doesn't love curtains you can hide behind?? |
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| Why yes, it was close to bedtime. How did you know? |
The biggest irony of the weekend was that the person with the corn allergy won the giant tin of popcorn, and the teetotaler won the bottle of liquor! (All the kids loved the popcorn.)
We had massive amounts of fun. You can always count on the H's for a good time.
The fun didn't end after the weekend either -- we decided to take a much-needed family vacation and go skiing (which Mr. Pickles has wanted to do since, oh, our honeymoon when he couldn't ski b/c he was still healing from an emergency appendectomy).
We went to Snowshoe Mountain, a ski resort on top of a mountain in West Virginia. (You can go to the web cam and watch people fall down in the snow, live!) :) It took us AGES to get there -- Mr. Pickles got to navigate twisty turny mountain roads in the dark. Fun times. But we finally arrived and crawled our weary way to our suite -- really a 3-bedroom apartment.
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| The skiers made good use of the tub at the end of the day! |
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| I was SO grateful this was here!! |
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| top o' the mornin' from the top o' the world! |
While Mr. Pickles and the girls skied, I was on Little Boy Entertainment Duty. Fortunately there was a decent mountain of snow in the middle of the shopping village.
I also went shopping at a teeny-tiny convenience mart and payed through the nose for a couple groceries. Otherwise we hung out and enjoyed not having anything particular to do.
 |
| except be silly, of course |
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| fast-moving object in low light -- awesome! |
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| Even Andy got to bounce! He pitched a fit when I took him off. |
The ride home took AGES again -- the first part was terrifying as we careened down the twisty mountain roads at what I felt was breakneck speed. But once we reached the foot of the mountains and I could open my eyes again, the drive became very scenic. There's something about seeing the bare bones of a landscape in the winter, when all the leave are gone.
 |
| totally cool random rock formation |
It was also interesting gradually returning to civilization, first passing farms and cute small towns, then larger towns (with a stoplight!), until we joined an honest-to-goodness highway with onramps. It's good to be reminded that there are whole universes of loves and interests outside one's sphere of life. On trips like that I often find a gypsy life appealing. ...Temporarily.
And then it's back to home, and housework, and school, and friends, and all the things that make our days so full.
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Things I learned on vacation
Well! We're back from sunny southern California. For those not in the know, Mr. Pickles had a "conference" for "work" in San Diego, so we ditched the kids and I flew out to be with him for a few glorious days. I got to spend a couple days first with my mom & dad, which was a real treat (I got to be an only child!) and then they chauffeured me the rest of the way to meet Mr. P. What a luxury it was to be able to order my days as I liked, while Mr. Pickles was otherwise engaged. I could sleep in! I could sit and watch the Olympics all day! I could take a walk, and move at my own pace! I could go shopping in stores with breakable stuff! I still missed the kids horribly, especially Daniel (he's still my baby). But I made the most of my time, to be refreshed and relish the silence and solitude. It's made me acutely aware of how much quiet time I really need as an introvert, in order to feel like a functioning human being.
So anyway, I'm caught up on laundry (thanks in a large part to Theresa, who did the little kids' laundry for me and who deserves a gold medal for sure!), I'm caught up on email, I'm getting caught up on phone calls, after today I will be caught up with groceries, so now I can devote a spare brain cell or two to this blog!
Of course, I didn't bring a camera and the little bitty one on our new cell phone is crap and I can't figure out how to upload them anyway, so I don't have any pictures to show you. But just imagine you're in a downtown area that's a couple blocks from the beach, so you can smell the salt water and feel the moist breeze, and there are seagulls and palm trees everywhere, and after about 11am it's always sunny and 74 degrees (in the morning you have to wear a hoodie b/c it's in the sixties and cloudy) and there you are.
Yeah, it was hard to leave.
So here's what else I learned during my trip:
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A few degrees of latitude makes a big difference in sun position. One hour in the sun in San Diego is roughly equivalent to two hours in the sun in Virginia. Or so the cherry red stripe up half of one leg tells me.
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Adding 8 packets of sugar and 6 little tubs of non-dairy creamer to airport coffee still won't make it taste any less like scorched Wheaties.
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The nice lady in security doesn't enjoy feeling you up any more than you enjoy having your dignity and rights as a citizen violated. You're both slaves to a phenomenally stupid and ineffective process (unless the point of going through airport security is to prove that we're all mindless sheep capable of following rules blindly, in which case it's working).
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Apparently I dread going through airport security more than I do the possibility of the airplane crashing and burning.
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Pregnant women are not very effective at steering two-man kayaks. Not enough functioning abdominal muscles.
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I never truly appreciated how much more oxygen there is near the beach. Since I've returned to smelly ol' Virginia I feel like I'm breathing with one lung at altitude.
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Vacationing with food allergies is a daily adventure. It's nothing short of a miracle that Mr. Pickles didn't suffer serious gastrointestinal distress once during our stay. I tip my hat to all the lovely waitstaff at all the restaurants we patronized.
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On that last note, I leave you with this video:
So anyway, I'm caught up on laundry (thanks in a large part to Theresa, who did the little kids' laundry for me and who deserves a gold medal for sure!), I'm caught up on email, I'm getting caught up on phone calls, after today I will be caught up with groceries, so now I can devote a spare brain cell or two to this blog!
Of course, I didn't bring a camera and the little bitty one on our new cell phone is crap and I can't figure out how to upload them anyway, so I don't have any pictures to show you. But just imagine you're in a downtown area that's a couple blocks from the beach, so you can smell the salt water and feel the moist breeze, and there are seagulls and palm trees everywhere, and after about 11am it's always sunny and 74 degrees (in the morning you have to wear a hoodie b/c it's in the sixties and cloudy) and there you are.
Yeah, it was hard to leave.
So here's what else I learned during my trip:
----------
A few degrees of latitude makes a big difference in sun position. One hour in the sun in San Diego is roughly equivalent to two hours in the sun in Virginia. Or so the cherry red stripe up half of one leg tells me.
----------
Adding 8 packets of sugar and 6 little tubs of non-dairy creamer to airport coffee still won't make it taste any less like scorched Wheaties.
----------
The nice lady in security doesn't enjoy feeling you up any more than you enjoy having your dignity and rights as a citizen violated. You're both slaves to a phenomenally stupid and ineffective process (unless the point of going through airport security is to prove that we're all mindless sheep capable of following rules blindly, in which case it's working).
----------
Apparently I dread going through airport security more than I do the possibility of the airplane crashing and burning.
----------
Pregnant women are not very effective at steering two-man kayaks. Not enough functioning abdominal muscles.
----------
I never truly appreciated how much more oxygen there is near the beach. Since I've returned to smelly ol' Virginia I feel like I'm breathing with one lung at altitude.
----------
Vacationing with food allergies is a daily adventure. It's nothing short of a miracle that Mr. Pickles didn't suffer serious gastrointestinal distress once during our stay. I tip my hat to all the lovely waitstaff at all the restaurants we patronized.
----------
On that last note, I leave you with this video:
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The Great Western Trek, part the last (finally!)
So, I know you've all forgotten about our Big Trip back in May, BUT, being the meticulous person I am, I can't in good conscience write about current things (like, oh, I don't know, WEDDINGS) until I've finished up with past things.
So we left off still in Minnesooota. Our next stop was a longer visit with Uncle Dave & Aunt Katie in Chicago.
Sadly, the weather didn't cooperate too well. We were able to make it to the Lincoln Park Zoo, however.
I guess we wore Joseph out.
Because of the rain we spent a lot of time inside doing puzzles.
I realized afterwards that we had brought backpacks full of activities for the kids... which were left out in the car and which no one (meaning me) thought to fetch in the rain. So Uncle Dave & Aunt Katie got to experience what it's like keeping children entertained, or at least out of trouble, inside all day. :) However, it WAS Memorial Day weekend, which, as any racefan knows, means THE INDIANAPOLIS 500!! So watching a bunch of funny-looking cars go zooming around and around a track over and over kept the kids occupied for a couple hours. Joseph was FASCINATED. The race ending was pretty spectacular, too. Poor J.R. Hildebrand.
Finally, the last day we were there, the sun broke out, so we took our traditional walk down to the awesome park.
Dave got a chance, once again, to practice keeping small children alive.
It was a lovely visit, and we're so grateful for their willingness to put up with us for so long! :) I highly recommend staying with them whenever you're in Chicago. Katie is an excellent cook.
After Chicago we made our way to Sandusky, Ohio, to stay in what we told the children was "a hotel." What we didn't tell them until we pulled into the parking lot was that it wasn't just ANY old hotel, it was a GREAT WOLF LODGE!! We are now officially the COOLEST parents EVER!!
For the uninitiated (or just those who still have money in their wallets), it's a giant hotel with a water park in the middle.
Since we arrived right after the holiday weekend, there was hardly anyone else there. There were almost no waits for the slides, so we were able to stage races.
Daniel was a WILD MAN. It was like the biggest bathtub he'd ever seen in his life!
Of course, half the fun of the hotel was the cub's cabin in the room with BUNKBEDS!
We spent just one night there, and then headed back to our beloved Steubenville family, who graciously hosted us even though THEY had just returned from vacation themselves! But as Rachel said, "Hey, you guys are family, you don't count as houseguests!" I know the frenzied feeling I sometimes get preparing for houseguests, so I'm always glad when someone HASN'T bent over backwards to host us. :)
We had such a lovely time, as always! With all our kids, whenever we get together now it's an automatic party!
After 2 fun days in Steubenville it was time to wend our weary way home (with a quick stop at Eat N Park to bring back smiley face cookies for a family whose oldest daughter is an incoming freshman). It wasn't too hard saying goodbye because we knew we'd see everyone again in a couple more months for THE WEDDING!
We always try to stop in places with play towers so the kids can climb and stretch their legs. We found a new favorite place right near Cheat Lake -- much better than the stinky BK at Frostburg -- with a little slide just right for little tykes!
We were happy to be home at last, and ESPECIALLY happy that home was still standing!
The next day we rounded up our pets, learning in the process that one member of the family who watched our rabbit discovered that she is deathly allergic to rabbits... halfway through our trip! God love them. I don't think the squeaky cheese from Wisconsin quite made up for it. :)
Many thanks and blessings to all generous friends and family members, who made this trip even possible!
So we left off still in Minnesooota. Our next stop was a longer visit with Uncle Dave & Aunt Katie in Chicago.
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| Katies and bunny! |
Sadly, the weather didn't cooperate too well. We were able to make it to the Lincoln Park Zoo, however.
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| mmm, sneakers and denim skirt -- SOOO "homeschooling mom" |
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| too tired even to finish his Teddy Grahams! |
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| Moxie the cat helped |
Finally, the last day we were there, the sun broke out, so we took our traditional walk down to the awesome park.
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| hooray for sunshine! |
Dave got a chance, once again, to practice keeping small children alive.
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| yes, those ARE bunny ears. |
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| Katie knows a willing slave when she sees one... |
After Chicago we made our way to Sandusky, Ohio, to stay in what we told the children was "a hotel." What we didn't tell them until we pulled into the parking lot was that it wasn't just ANY old hotel, it was a GREAT WOLF LODGE!! We are now officially the COOLEST parents EVER!!
For the uninitiated (or just those who still have money in their wallets), it's a giant hotel with a water park in the middle.
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| ...a water park with a giant bucket that dumps something like 500 gallons of water every 10 minutes |
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| the inner tube with more, ahem, ballast, wins! |
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| he's trying to figure out how to climb up to the baby water slide |
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| Jo-jo had a great time -- so many slides just his size! |
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| wild animals not included |
We had such a lovely time, as always! With all our kids, whenever we get together now it's an automatic party!
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| pool party! |
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| look at this bathing beauty! |
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| the "baby" pool |
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| splashing action shot! |
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| I'm all wet! and loving it! |
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| Libby and Daniel play so nicely together |
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| ...when they're not stealing toys from each other, that is |
We always try to stop in places with play towers so the kids can climb and stretch their legs. We found a new favorite place right near Cheat Lake -- much better than the stinky BK at Frostburg -- with a little slide just right for little tykes!
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| with help from Sis |
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| and Sissie! |
The next day we rounded up our pets, learning in the process that one member of the family who watched our rabbit discovered that she is deathly allergic to rabbits... halfway through our trip! God love them. I don't think the squeaky cheese from Wisconsin quite made up for it. :)
Many thanks and blessings to all generous friends and family members, who made this trip even possible!
THE END!
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