A Visit To Great Wolf Lodge

We decided to take the kiddies on a little spring break get away to Mason, Ohio. We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge so the kids could swim to their little hearts desire. We played in the arcade, visited the cub club, and spent one afternoon seeing a few sites around the area. ( A twirl around Jungle Jim's Grocery and of course a trip to IKEA) We had a great time getting away from the homestead and just spending some great quality time together as a family. Sophie was hilarious in the waterpark! NO. FEAR. I pray for that to be channeled in the right direction as she gets older. :) Jack spent most of his time on the slides. He's a little more reserved than his sister. If you're ever looking for a quick getaway...check out the lodge! :)













Pictures Above: Sophie at her favorite slide, Our posing duo, Jack in his crazy scuba gear and a quick family photo op!

Holiday Traditions

Holiday Traditions I love...
1. Sharing around the table at Thanksgiving a blessing from the year.
2. Breaking the wishbone from the turkey.
3. My annual shopping trip to Chicago with my mom and friends.
4. Trimming the Tree.
5. Sleeping in the light of the tree.
6. Sending and receiving Christmas Cards.
It's that time of year when we start drawing names for Christmas, start planning the menus for our family get-togethers and discussing just what we're going to do to celebrate our gratitude during this Thanksgiving season and how we'll bring joy to others at Christmas. It seems that since we've been married the only real tradition is that each year the tradition changes. But, such is life...the real blessing is that we have family to celebrate with regardless of the changing traditions. Recently, due to the economy and the fact that we are Americans and live in a land of "have it all," we decided to ponder some alternatives to our family Christmas exchange. Here were the ideas we tossed around.
1. Trade names by family and create a basket gift for the family you draw.
2. Trade individual names and lower the price limit using a theme. (ex; movie theme where everyone buys their person a movie, book theme, food theme...)
3. Purchase tickets to It's a Wonderful Life at the round barn theater along with dinner at their restaurant and that would BE our Christmas. We'd attend with one another and enjoy the evening.
4. Get the name of a needy family and have our regular family dinner and then end the night shopping for the needy family and wrapping their gifts up to deliver together.
We all voted on our favorite. The needy family ...Choice #4 was the winner. So...the money we would use to buy gifts for one another we will put towards a family that would otherwise have no Christmas. We'll still get together for our big family dinner but instead of sitting in the living room opening our own gifts afterwards, we will hit the town shopping for a less fortunate family. We'll take the presents home, wrap them up as a family and then take them to their destination in time to bless a family on Christmas Day. I'm so excited! I'm not only excited about the opportunity to do something for someone else but I'm also excited for the lesson that this will be for my kids. Oh, I suppose Sophie is too young to understand it but Jack will and I can't wait for the conversation that will surround his shopping and the blessing that this "tradition" will be for him. I'm wondering...any fun holiday traditions that you care to pass along? Leave me a comment and share! Happy Holidays to all my blogging buddies...the season is upon us!

Trick or Treat...Smell My Feet

We had a fun time trick-or-treating this week. Our town holds a Boo-Fest each year where kids can trick-or-treat downtown at the area merchants. That is a tradition for us and then we always have some friends over for dinner following the festivities. Friday night we went trick-or-treating as a family. Yes...we actually got Justin to dress up as a pirate so we could go as a pirate family. We had so much fun. Sophie wasn't thrilled with Boo-Fest but by Friday night she was all about being a pirate. We don't go too many places. A few friends in town and to family. Every year we seem to have the discussion as to whether trick-or-treating can possibly glorify God. I grew up with it being such a fun family memory. My hope is that our kids will remember it with the same fondness and be firm in their understanding that we are a light in the midst of darkness. Here are a few shots of my 'D-ARRR-LING" pirates!
Pictures Above: Our own Jack Sparrow, Mommy and her little pirates, Daddy escorting his matey's trick-or-treating with our friend Lynn, One tuckered out Captain Jack

Family Time

We're on fall break and since our school is on a balanced calendar, we get to spend two whole weeks on vacation!! To kick off our week of relaxation, we took the kids to a small park near our house. Not your typical swings and slides park...we took a picnic lunch and hiked the trails and enjoyed skipping rocks on the pond. The views were beautiful with all the changing colors around. Here's a peek at some of the fun we had as a family just walking and talking and enjoying each other's company! Ahhh...family and fall...it doesn't get much better than that!

Jack and Sophie take a closer look at the water with their dad.

Jack and Sophie hiking hand in hand and taking a break in the gazebo.

A happy family is but an earlier heaven.

- John Bowring