Home Sweet Home

We are back from our mountain mini-vacation. We enjoyed beautiful weather and scenery and fun family time. The drive was a bit long for my idea of a vacation (I'm more of a two-hour beach drive vacation kind of girl)! Anna Clare was an excellent traveler, especially considering our portable DVD player blew a fuse less than an hour after we left the house! Owen did as well as a 17-month-old could do. We had a couple of hours of constant screaming, but we picked up a book on CD at Cracker Barrel that helped drown her out. Perhaps that's why she was screaming....


The Griswold's are off! (My sister wanted to ride with us, so we left the 3rd seat in and borrowed the luggage carrier!)



First of many, many stops



We are here!!! I think Owen heard someone say the words "car seat!"




A quick stop for a picture on the way up the mountain during our "family hike"



The waterfall at the top...halfway there!


My brother, Scott, my sister, Erin, and AC



The girls with my mom and my dad (the real Clark W. Griswold)


And the real highlight of the trip...


My brother, Dave got engaged to his girlfriend, Jaime! They went on their own hike (their hike was 13 miles compared to our two and a half mile). He asked her to marry him at the top of the mountain and she said "YES!" We love Jaime and could not be happier! They want to get married next fall in the mountains! Guess that beach trip will have to wait till the next year:)

We're Off To The Mountains!

We are packing up to head here...

We will be looking out at this...

I can see myself doing a lot of reading here...

especially on that back porch!



AC is most excited about this...

Not sure that she will be in there...

My goals are to...

*Sleep late
*Finish a book or 2
*Take a good Christmas card picture
*Enjoy family time...husband, children, parents, brothers, sister

We don't get to see my brothers too often and AC is super excited about spending some time with her uncles! If you don't mind, please pray for all of us to have a safe trip. Thanks!

A Little Fall Fun

Bike Riding 101

Time to say goodbye to those training wheels! Steve borrowed our neighbor's bike because his is smaller and easier to ride. Notice the smile has faded after a few frustrating tries.








She's just about got it licked! But just so you know...there was a certain clip of her in complete meltdown mode and kicking the bike after she fell crying, "Please don't put that on the blog!" I recall doing pretty much the same thing when my mom tried to teach me!

P is for Pitiful!

There are few things more pitiful than a sick child. OK, maybe a sick family! No, the kitchen fairy did not make a stop by our house this week. But the sick fairy came and unpacked her bags for a week long stay. Since last Wednesday, someone in our family has been sick in some form or fashion. Thankfully, I was hit the least and was not actually sick but just felt like a train had hit me and was completely energy zapped. I think I could have slept for 2 days straight. I didn't even make our bed for 2 days, and while I'm the first to admit that I am weak in the house cleaning department, I am OCD about making the bed every day. PRAISE THE LORD we are all better! Although we did miss one day of school, church, and Bible Study, I am definitely not complaining. It could have been a whole lot worse!


She is still not 100%,but improving. I did not pose her in these pictures. She is usually nonstop-on-the-go, but actually took it upon herself to seek refuge on the couch. She has the absolute worst diaper rash I have ever seen and literally shakes and screams when we change her. Talk about breaking a mama's heart. AC never had diaper rashes so this is a new experience. Thanks to Denise for introducing us to Resinol, which has helped a bunch. Although with this one, we had to resort to a prescription cream.


Owen accidentally headbutted Anna Clare in the mouth and when AC started crying, she instinctively went to hug her....sweet sisters!

And this is what we found when we were loading up for school this morning...







"Turkey" is one of his many nicknames for her!

If that won't make you smile and get your day off to a great start, what will? :)