Summers are for Road Trips

Just a slight precursor, this wasn't meant to be a Friday post but alas here we are. Happy Friday!!!

We have been traveling to Peterborough for a number of years now to visit family. The last couple of years we have gone with friends and spent the weekend all together chasing our kids, eating some of the best food, drinking, playing, driving, antiquing, beach dwelling, water fighting, swinging, dancing, and laughing. Lots and LOTS of laughing. Did I say drinking? 

I have to say the thing I enjoy most is watching the kids play together. Noting how much they've grown from the year prior. Knowing that they are making memories that they will remember when they are big. Hoping they are creating a space in their hearts for spending time with people they love. Feeling a warm fuzzy feeling when they think back to their childhoods and remember times when they felt that they were a part of something big - creating bonds and fostering relationships.

I can't wait to overhear a conversation between them when they are older like, "Remember when your parents brought you over and we would have water fights? And they started it?" OR "Remember when we had dance parties and they let us listen to completely inappropriate songs?"

Something like that anyway. Just know the smile will be so big on my face that people on the moon would be able to see it.

And finally, here are your Friday smiles...

Have a great weekend everyone!!!!

Thank You Buckhorn

Hello there.... It's been a while. Sad to say that summer has come and gone. I've been working on the blog a bit here and there. I'm thinking "blog reno." When I say, "I'm thinking" I mean the mastermind behind my webdesign is thinking it. But either way, I am on board. Just a little refresher after 2.5 years. Stay tuned...

Next post up will most likely be Nola's birth story, which I am super excited to share (insert jumpy claps here - I am so not a jumpy clap kinda gal but you get my point right?)

Ok - I gotta run. Both kids are trying to simultaneously trying to grab my coffee, the computer, my leg...wait for it....Nola is crying....

Here is one of the family trips we were very fortunate to have taken this summer.

Enjoy!

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Family vacation 2014 was spent on a quiet lake in Buckhorn.  The home we stayed in was in a perfect location, with the lake right in the backyard. We were treated to some beautiful sunsets while sitting on the back deck. The geese seemed to rather enjoy our backyard as well. I think we all left there a little scarred from the amount of poop that was on the lawn. YIKES!

By the 3rd morning, Hazel had figured out which door led to her cousins who were waiting to chase her, dance with her, do her hair, and/or play with her (always up to Hazel to decide). As soon as her feet hit the ground she would walk to the door and try to escape to where all the fun was. And by fun, I mean Nana with a pack of Goldfish crackers and grapes (or again whatever else Hazel wanted).

Hazel's first time fishing. She lasted about 3 whole minutes.

First boat ride for the girls. Hazel loved it. Big smiles for the 10 minutes it lasted. About 5 minutes in she looked like she was going to fall asleep. Either that or motion sickness was starting to set in. On account of the fact that we are NOT gamblers, we turned the boat around and came right back.

Nola was NOT a fan of the life jacket. The second it went on she stiffened up her whole body and it remained that way until we took it off. She cried a bit at first in protest and then realized it was staying on and just had a mizzy face on the whole time.

Emi's special 9th birthday celebration. This pic makes me so happy. Honestly you guys, there are NOT 3 better men on this planet. They have so much to offer these 5 girls. It doesn't seem fair that we get to have all. But oh well...no tradezies. They're ours!

I barely saw my kids on the trip. They were too busy being whisked away by their cousins and grandparents to keep up. I had to literally sneak away with Nola in order to spend any time with her. I know when to fight and when to cave. There was no way I was going to win my kids attention when the entertainment and food offerings were endless.

(love the uncle Bart photo bomb)

Well I guess we did find a few moments with the girls...