Our Trip!

Wow, so many times I have sat down to write this. The summer seems to be flying by. I can't believe our holiday was a month ago!!! (and let's not mention how long it has been since I last wrote on here....eeek!).

Anyway, without further ado - here is the itinerary and details from our amazing holiday. We packed the van and headed East into the southern Adirondacks. From there we went NorthEast to Vermont, then back west to Lake Placid. This was the first long vacation we had taken with the boys and there were AWESOME! It was so much fun, and filled with so many amazing memories.....

Our first 3 nights were at a cabin in the southern part of the Adirondacks. It was a little slice of heaven. The black flies were horrible (poor Darwin was their favourite), but it forced us to stay inside a little more and just hang out as a family. We read, played games, etc. It was great! At night we lit the little wood stove in the cabin and roasted marshmallows. During the day we were able to squeeze in a few hours of outdoor time. We spent those on the beach (completely private). Day 1 we picnicked on the dock, day 2 we ate lunch on the boat in the middle of the lake! What fun! The boys had so much fun digging in the sand, splashing in the water, catching salamanders, kayaking, etc.  It was perfect!

 

Next 2 nights were in Burlington, VT. The kids especially got a kick out of crossing Lake Champlain on the ferry. We spent a lot of time downtown, enjoying the shops and restaurants. We made the trip to see Ben & Jerry's (FUN!). On our last day in Burlington, we went to the little ECHO museum there. I absolutely LOVE that town and hope to go back at the next chance we get!

 

From there we drove to Lake Placid. Again, another fun ferry ride and amazingly scenic drive! Our hotel in Lake Placid overlooked the lake and mountains. It was wonderful. Lake Placid is a very cutesy tourist town. We walked the shops, ate at a local bakery and a local brewery/pub. There was a beach there that the boys had fun playing and swimming at. On our last day, we decided to do the Olympic stuff. We toured the 1932 and 1980 arenas (and the museum containing memorabelia from both Olympics). We checked out the ski jumps, then went to the bobsled tracks. We went on the tour, so were driven to the top of the track. The views of the mountains and the little surrounding towns were awesome. Then the best part - we got to walk DOWN the track to get to the bottom. It was pretty cool. The track is a mile long. It was the original location of the 1980 Olympic track, but was rebuilt in 1998. Finally, Mike took a ride down the 1932 track. What a ride that was! By the last turn, they said there would have been 2 Gs of force on his sled! He was shaking for a few hours afterwards ;)

 

We stopped for lunch after that at a really fun BBQ joint. Being that we were there during Americade, there were bikers all over the Adirondacks, and this little BBQ joint (called Tail O The Pup) was PACKED with them. It also had a live band, outdoor picnic tables you eat at, a little playground for the kids, etc. It was busy, but loud and our kind of food, so perfect for us. The boys were impressed with all the bikes. It was fun! We hit the road after that and without looking back, made the 7 hour drive home. The kids slept during a lot of the drive, or watched a movie. It's always sad to end your holiday, but also nice to be home.

 

I truly hope that my boys hold onto some of the memories from that trip. I also truly hope that it is the first of many we can enjoy with our sweet little guys. I am a lucky Momma. What a great life!

 

 

Life goes too quickly...

Not a day goes by where I don't think of something I should blog about. But then I remind myself that I don't need to write down every single step of my/our life (that or someone else reminds me!)....and now I find myself blogging every few weeks (at least on this blog).

It's very easy to say I'll write tomorrow and then tomorrow becomes next week, and so on. When you are chasing 2 little boys around all day, sometimes the energy to blog at the end of the day just isn't there (plus that is when I usually write in my other blog). Anyway, I apologize for not keeping up to date on here. I'm trying, but time slips by too often!

Life is the same craziness as usual. This past week-end we had a garage sale. The boys were pretty good about letting go of some of their toys, old clothes, shoes, etc. Some things I thought should be put up for sale remain in the house (still barely touched), but overall they were great about giving things up. They even had a little sale of their own - selling juice boxes and cereal bars. They raked in $7.50!!! Good work boys!

This past week-end we also went to the baptism of my sweet little neice Avery. She looked like a pretty little princess in her dress. Following the baptism, we went back to Avery's for her very first tea party. A few of us wore fancy hats, we drank out of fine china, and we ate miniature sandwiches and cupcakes. Such fun! I may not have a girl of my own, but I am lucky to have 3 little neices to enjoy and get my girly fix through!

Yesterday Mike brewed 2 batches of beer at the house. I can't wait to try the kiwi wit beer! Yum! See - I'm not the only one in the house that likes to make things from scratch!

This week we are trying to get the house back in order before we skip town to Aunt Mindy's. What fun we'll have on Thursday - 3 cousins and 6 kids. Can't wait! Then Friday marks the official countdown until holidays. This will be our first LONG trip with the boys (9-10 days away from home). Everyone is excited and awaiting the fun!

Well, that's enough of an update for now. I shall try to post before we leave for holidays and then of course blog about our trip. Bye for now!

The ants go marching....

Two cute stories to post about Dylan today. I keep chuckling to myself about both of these.....

1 - Yesterday Mike saw Dylan sitting on the ground looking down at something and giggling. He asked him what was so funny, to which Dylan replied "I just saw an ant carrying a piece of food, so I stole the food and ate it! ha ha ha." :) :) :)

2 - Tonight we went out for ice cream and were sitting on a bench near the door to the ice cream shop. A woman came along carrying a cigarrette that she was finished with. Dylan doesn't really know what cigarrettes are, so he watched her go up to the side of the garbage can near the door and push the butt into it to put the cigarrette out. As soon as he saw this, he looked at me with such worry and said (loud enough for the woman to hear) - "Mommy, she is lighting that on fire!!!"  :) :) :)

Puppy Love

Last night, out of nowhere, Dylan asks me - "Mommy, what will happen to Brook and Cedar when all of us die? Will they go back to the pet store so someone else can have a turn with them?"

I was stunned by the question and didn't have the heart to tell him the truth.....the subject was quickly changed! So sweet, yet so sad :(

Something I don't want to think about.....and it's too soon to start preparing the boys (I hope!!!), so let's hope he doesn't bring it up again!

Dum Dum Da-Dum

I'll confess. I plan to set the alarm for 5:30 tomorrow morning to get up and watch the Royal Wedding. I can't wait to see it! I know I'll need a LOT of coffee to get through the morning, and likely the whole day, but I think it will be worth it!

Big and Strong

You know how you always tell your kid to eat their veggies/dinner/etc so they'll grow up to be big and strong??

Well, the other day Dylan says to me - "Mommy, are you all done growing?" I said "Yes, I am". (we had recently had a discussion about how people stop growing taller when they are a teenager).

So he says to me - "Well then why do you eat vegetables?!?!"

:) :) :)

shhh, don't tell!

On more than one occasion, I've sat down to write this post. Just as I collect my thoughts and words, I am usually interrupted. Tonight is an early sleep night for everyone. That means I have all the time I need to sit here quietly and type away!

So what is it that I want to say?! Well, let's start by saying that (as most of you know) my 2 best friends - my husband and my sister - went behind my back and plotted and schemed and LIED! They even got other people in on the secret and lies! And somehow, through it all, everyone managed to keep this secret from me for almost a month. I was completely in the dark. Right up until the moment I heard - SURPRISE! :)

Yes - that's right. The two of them threw me an amazing surprise 30th Birthday party. The way I worded it made it sound like it was going to be something really bad, eh? But no - all the "dirty" business that was done behind my back was done with love and the greatest of intentions. And every little white lie, scheme, plot, secret birdy that was involved, was worth it. I truly was surprised and without a doubt, had a fantasticly awesome birthday.

So, although I already sent out thank you notes, here's my blog thank you's (cause I can!):

To all of my guests - first of all, thank you so very much for driving long distances to be at my party. I hope you found it worth it ;) I love each and every one of you and was so happy to see your faces there. Second, thank you all for the wonderful gifts. You made me feel so special and so loved. I've tucked all of the cards away in a safe place, so I can always remember that day and who was there.

To my family who are sending me away on a surprise getaway - tomorrow we leave for Great Wolf Lodge and all of us are super excited! I can't wait to see what the boys think of it and watch their little faces light up with excitement when they see all the surprises and fun things that are there. Heck - I can't wait to go down all the waterslides and play just as much as them! What an awesome getaway it will be. And a real treat when I get to enjoy my spa treatment, too! Thank you!

To my sister - Wen, please know that I what I take away from that day is the wonderful feeling of knowing just how lucky I am to have a sister like you. I love that you schemed and that you were able to completely surprise me that day! Yes, I ask too many questions and at times need to just roll with it. You were quick and on the ball with your answers, so not to give anything away, and to only confuse me more! I love it! I want to thank you so very much for helping make my 30th birthday unforgettable. I love you as your sister, and as your best friend! You are an amazing woman in all that you do. I hope you know just how special you are to me. I love you lots!!!

To my husband - well, what can I say?! I didn't think you had it in ya! Mr "I don't like surprises" - you sure got right into this one and did a darn good job at keeping me in the dark. It was a surprise that I will never forget. Thank you for an amazing party that I am confident in saying everyone enjoyed. And thank you for the massage I got to enjoy before the party! I love ya lots, too. You are a keeper!

To anyone who actually read this entire blog - thanks for bearing with me! Healthy Momma out!