Here are pictures from our recent trip south to Disney World. It was a.mazing! I'm planning on adding more detail as soon as I finish our photo book. Gotta get those memories down!
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2012
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Bunker Bash
Last week, we had the wonderful blessing of going camping as a family. I've been camping (albeit over 15 years ago) and Ben's been camping, but before last week the most camping the kids had done was popping a tent in the backyard with the convenience our house within 50 feet. Well, this time we decided to give a shot and pull out the tent and borrow a second tent to make it happen. To be fair, we camped within 15 miles of our house with an escape plan and a waterpark onsite for entertainment. But it still counts, right? We also had a family of the pop-up camper types come along and show us the "camping ropes". It was nice to have the Loper family there with us. They were nice company (and a convenient source of those things that were forgotten). As mentioned in the previous post, our first day was Madelyn's birthday. She was very excited about camping on her birthday. I had wished that I had the camera prepped when she was riding her bike around the sites with her balloons trailing behind her. It was a very cute sight.
The first afternoon we set up camp and went out to enjoy the waterpark for a couple of hours before coming back for sitting around the campfire. Here is Madelyn opening her presents from the Loper's on the first night over roasting hotdogs, which were followed quickly by marshmallows. We fell asleep with the sun that night. Unfortunately for Ben and Mad, it was a chilly night. Grey and I slept like logs.
The second day we woke up, made breakfast, let the kids ride their bikes for awhile, ate lunch, and then took full advantage of before-mentioned waterpark! After five hours and lots of slathering with the sun block, we had done about 6 dozen water slides, 2 hours in the wave pool, 5 rounds of the lazy river... that is except Greyson who spent the WHOLE 5 hours in the sand box area. Man, for a kid that doesn't like to get dirty, he was head-to-feet filthy by the time we left!
Greyson is still figuring out how to pick up his feet when he walks.... he kept scraping his toe on the concrete and no bandaid would stay on.
Making rivers and sandcastles.
basking in the sun with the oldest Loper.
playing in the sand with the youngest Loper.
Mama Loper and the youngest in the wave pool
Mad and middle Loper playing in the wave pool.
Mad taking a rest from the wave pool.
Exhausted and hungry, we biked ourselves back to our campsites and were fed an amazing camp meal (grilled chicken thighs, alfredo noodles, grilled broccoli, fresh fuit salad - yum!) by Mama Loper! It was so good and I felt like was completely (not) roughing it. Then while I stayed to help clean up, Ben went to get our fire ready for our campfire circle. So fun to circle a fire and tell stories and talk. Thank you, Lord, for good friends and your nature that shows us your presence.
Waking up in the morning, to the musical animal sounds is so much fun, especially when there is a particular sound that you can't figure out. On the second morning, there was an animal that was SO loud and sounded vaguely like a duck quacking but decidedly was not. I was joking with Greyson about it and then heard Madelyn bust out laughing about it in the next tent (with Ben). It was definitely a moment that I will remember for a long time. I loved the ease of the mornings though. So peaceful and no-rush. Such a blessing.
and yes, of course, Blue Bear had a great time too.
Nature all around beckoning us to join in....
The first afternoon we set up camp and went out to enjoy the waterpark for a couple of hours before coming back for sitting around the campfire. Here is Madelyn opening her presents from the Loper's on the first night over roasting hotdogs, which were followed quickly by marshmallows. We fell asleep with the sun that night. Unfortunately for Ben and Mad, it was a chilly night. Grey and I slept like logs.
The second day we woke up, made breakfast, let the kids ride their bikes for awhile, ate lunch, and then took full advantage of before-mentioned waterpark! After five hours and lots of slathering with the sun block, we had done about 6 dozen water slides, 2 hours in the wave pool, 5 rounds of the lazy river... that is except Greyson who spent the WHOLE 5 hours in the sand box area. Man, for a kid that doesn't like to get dirty, he was head-to-feet filthy by the time we left!
Greyson is still figuring out how to pick up his feet when he walks.... he kept scraping his toe on the concrete and no bandaid would stay on.
Making rivers and sandcastles.
basking in the sun with the oldest Loper.
playing in the sand with the youngest Loper.
Mama Loper and the youngest in the wave pool
Mad and middle Loper playing in the wave pool.
Mad taking a rest from the wave pool.
Exhausted and hungry, we biked ourselves back to our campsites and were fed an amazing camp meal (grilled chicken thighs, alfredo noodles, grilled broccoli, fresh fuit salad - yum!) by Mama Loper! It was so good and I felt like was completely (not) roughing it. Then while I stayed to help clean up, Ben went to get our fire ready for our campfire circle. So fun to circle a fire and tell stories and talk. Thank you, Lord, for good friends and your nature that shows us your presence.
Waking up in the morning, to the musical animal sounds is so much fun, especially when there is a particular sound that you can't figure out. On the second morning, there was an animal that was SO loud and sounded vaguely like a duck quacking but decidedly was not. I was joking with Greyson about it and then heard Madelyn bust out laughing about it in the next tent (with Ben). It was definitely a moment that I will remember for a long time. I loved the ease of the mornings though. So peaceful and no-rush. Such a blessing.
and yes, of course, Blue Bear had a great time too.
Nature all around beckoning us to join in....
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
It's a wonderful TOWN!!
I have been reflecting recently on time and it is FLYING. I literally look up and find that weeks have past since the last time I looked up.... wow. I have a friend that says her life slowed down when she had kids. Mine was the opposite - my life sped up at least three-fold!
Rockefeller Center
As for my trip to New York City - wow... what a great place! I really think that NYC could be a fun place to live for while (if we didn't have kids). It was really awesome to see my sister, Liz. I had just seen her for when she came here for the state fair (did I forget to post about that?) but this was the first time I've been on her turf in a while. She has a great apartment with a great workout plan included - it is a 5th floor walk-up! On street level around her apartment are some interesting shops and restaurants - a miniature dog store, several ethnic restaurants (German, Greek, East Indian), and I'm sure more that I just didn't see because, frankly, my senses were a little overwhelmed the whole time I was there. The first day I walked around in sensory overload! Truly! I was almost numb....
I told Liz when I got there that my trip was more about seeing her than trying to take in the touristy spots. I think we did a good job of balancing the trip. I loved spending the whole time with her and seeing her life as it is now, but we did get around to see a bunch of fun things! And, man, did we walk!! We walked everywhere! Miles and miles. But it felt wonderful. The weather was a little on the chilly side, but a jean jacket (and, of course, a new scarf) made it perfect.
The first two days of my trip were sunny and beautiful! I was amazed at the life that NYC held! The day I flew in, we had reservations to be in the audience of the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show. I love his show. I think it is hilarious. (you can see Liz and I in this clip - Let's spin that wheel of carpet samples!) It seemed a little less finished in person but when we watched it later, it seemed somehow that all the rough edges had been sanded off.... amazing TV work! Since the show is taped in Rockefeller Center we walked around that and, to tell you the truth, I know we saw Grand Central Station and Time Square but the order in which we saw them is a blur.... I was just a bit overwhelmed. So much so that I think Liz was a little concerned for my safety around zigzagging taxis.
Here's my offering to the chocolate lovers out there!
The second day (after a wonderful experience of my body waking up naturally!) was fun-filled too! Central Park, a Broadway show, the NYC Library, a New York slice, rice pudding at the hippest little shop I've ever seen, Canal Street, Chinatown, and Top of the Rock... whew! It was a busy day! Central Park was better than I would have ever imagined. Amazing what they can do in the middle of Manhattan! We took a long walk through and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
After the park, we went a Broadway show, Hair. I'm not sure what I expected, but I was a little flabbergasted. It was pretty risque, but I also enjoyed it. I enjoyed the energy and the music. I also enjoyed the story. It was first released on Broadway in 1967 and I'm pretty sure that it was anti-war propaganda during Vietnam. It was almost like it was a snapshot of American history in that way. I found that very interesting!
I think Liz thought I was a little crazy, but I requested a visit to the NYC library. We walked through it a little and I was amazed by the grandeur of the place. I probably could have stayed a lot longer but, alas, the city was calling. And I had to take this picture! Quintessential NY, right? Chess in the park!
Chess in the park right outside of the NYC Library.
Next, we decided to head down to Canal Street and Chinatown. We hit this awesome, unique rice pudding shop on the way! Yum! And whoever does your marketing, Rice To Riches, BRAVO!!! Their pudding even came with a reusable bowl and spoon! FYI - They take online orders and if you want delicious rice pudding, this is IT!
After rice pudding, we headed to Canal Street and Chinatown for the experience and for goodies of the food and souvenir kind. And I wanted to pick up some fresh fish to pan fry once we got home but Liz said she wasn't walking any closer. I have to admit, it did stink to high-heaven. A couple more scarves, a few steamed pork rolls, and a (too expensive) pendant later, we headed back up to Midtown to go to the....
TOP OF THE ROCK! Now, this was amazing! You can go to the top of the Rockefeller building and get breathtaking views of.... everything! This was my favorite though. Liz and I got there about 10:30pm and we closed them down at midnight. It was drizzly and so we found a relaxing place to lounge inside and just talked, and laughed, and cried too.
Do you see the darker spot in the middle? That is Central Park.
On Sunday morning, Liz and I got up when the alarm went off at 8:30am. (compared to 6am, that's heavenly!) We got in our church clothes and went to the Met. What a great place! I can say that I couldn't focus on much of anything after about the third exhibit, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the people watching too! The Egyptian exhibit was one of my favorites for the day.
a Egyptian temple reconstruction
Egyptian model boat and figures found by accident hidden behind a wall in a pyramid - cool!
Bet you're wondering why we put church clothes on to go to the Met. We raced down from the Met to the Brooklyn Tabernacle's 3:30pm gospel service. It wasn't quite what I expected but very fun and worshipful. The Greenes performed and had an awesome testimony about the male lead's road into and through his kidney transplant (donated by his wife!). It was very touching, God-centered, worshipful, full of beautiful music and very humorous too! I'm really glad that we went. It was a great way to meet God during the weekend. After about 2 hours, church was let out and and we decided to head back to the apartment to change, run out for an Indian dinner (that was delicious!) and relax for the evening. Whew! What a great weekend!
On Monday, Liz saw me off at the subway station and I made my way back to the airport. It was a little bit of a close call catching my plane because I got held up at security (the line was LONG and not very organized!). But I got on and everything worked out. Inspired, I took MetroTransit home from the airport too and was home just in time to meet Madelyn getting off her school bus. Home Sweet Home.
Thanks, Liz, for giving up your weekend for me to come visit. It was a blast! Love you.
Rockefeller Center
As for my trip to New York City - wow... what a great place! I really think that NYC could be a fun place to live for while (if we didn't have kids). It was really awesome to see my sister, Liz. I had just seen her for when she came here for the state fair (did I forget to post about that?) but this was the first time I've been on her turf in a while. She has a great apartment with a great workout plan included - it is a 5th floor walk-up! On street level around her apartment are some interesting shops and restaurants - a miniature dog store, several ethnic restaurants (German, Greek, East Indian), and I'm sure more that I just didn't see because, frankly, my senses were a little overwhelmed the whole time I was there. The first day I walked around in sensory overload! Truly! I was almost numb....
I told Liz when I got there that my trip was more about seeing her than trying to take in the touristy spots. I think we did a good job of balancing the trip. I loved spending the whole time with her and seeing her life as it is now, but we did get around to see a bunch of fun things! And, man, did we walk!! We walked everywhere! Miles and miles. But it felt wonderful. The weather was a little on the chilly side, but a jean jacket (and, of course, a new scarf) made it perfect.
The first two days of my trip were sunny and beautiful! I was amazed at the life that NYC held! The day I flew in, we had reservations to be in the audience of the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show. I love his show. I think it is hilarious. (you can see Liz and I in this clip - Let's spin that wheel of carpet samples!) It seemed a little less finished in person but when we watched it later, it seemed somehow that all the rough edges had been sanded off.... amazing TV work! Since the show is taped in Rockefeller Center we walked around that and, to tell you the truth, I know we saw Grand Central Station and Time Square but the order in which we saw them is a blur.... I was just a bit overwhelmed. So much so that I think Liz was a little concerned for my safety around zigzagging taxis.
Here's my offering to the chocolate lovers out there!
The second day (after a wonderful experience of my body waking up naturally!) was fun-filled too! Central Park, a Broadway show, the NYC Library, a New York slice, rice pudding at the hippest little shop I've ever seen, Canal Street, Chinatown, and Top of the Rock... whew! It was a busy day! Central Park was better than I would have ever imagined. Amazing what they can do in the middle of Manhattan! We took a long walk through and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
After the park, we went a Broadway show, Hair. I'm not sure what I expected, but I was a little flabbergasted. It was pretty risque, but I also enjoyed it. I enjoyed the energy and the music. I also enjoyed the story. It was first released on Broadway in 1967 and I'm pretty sure that it was anti-war propaganda during Vietnam. It was almost like it was a snapshot of American history in that way. I found that very interesting!
I think Liz thought I was a little crazy, but I requested a visit to the NYC library. We walked through it a little and I was amazed by the grandeur of the place. I probably could have stayed a lot longer but, alas, the city was calling. And I had to take this picture! Quintessential NY, right? Chess in the park!
Chess in the park right outside of the NYC Library.
Next, we decided to head down to Canal Street and Chinatown. We hit this awesome, unique rice pudding shop on the way! Yum! And whoever does your marketing, Rice To Riches, BRAVO!!! Their pudding even came with a reusable bowl and spoon! FYI - They take online orders and if you want delicious rice pudding, this is IT!
After rice pudding, we headed to Canal Street and Chinatown for the experience and for goodies of the food and souvenir kind. And I wanted to pick up some fresh fish to pan fry once we got home but Liz said she wasn't walking any closer. I have to admit, it did stink to high-heaven. A couple more scarves, a few steamed pork rolls, and a (too expensive) pendant later, we headed back up to Midtown to go to the....
TOP OF THE ROCK! Now, this was amazing! You can go to the top of the Rockefeller building and get breathtaking views of.... everything! This was my favorite though. Liz and I got there about 10:30pm and we closed them down at midnight. It was drizzly and so we found a relaxing place to lounge inside and just talked, and laughed, and cried too.
Do you see the darker spot in the middle? That is Central Park.
On Sunday morning, Liz and I got up when the alarm went off at 8:30am. (compared to 6am, that's heavenly!) We got in our church clothes and went to the Met. What a great place! I can say that I couldn't focus on much of anything after about the third exhibit, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the people watching too! The Egyptian exhibit was one of my favorites for the day.
a Egyptian temple reconstruction
Egyptian model boat and figures found by accident hidden behind a wall in a pyramid - cool!
Bet you're wondering why we put church clothes on to go to the Met. We raced down from the Met to the Brooklyn Tabernacle's 3:30pm gospel service. It wasn't quite what I expected but very fun and worshipful. The Greenes performed and had an awesome testimony about the male lead's road into and through his kidney transplant (donated by his wife!). It was very touching, God-centered, worshipful, full of beautiful music and very humorous too! I'm really glad that we went. It was a great way to meet God during the weekend. After about 2 hours, church was let out and and we decided to head back to the apartment to change, run out for an Indian dinner (that was delicious!) and relax for the evening. Whew! What a great weekend!
On Monday, Liz saw me off at the subway station and I made my way back to the airport. It was a little bit of a close call catching my plane because I got held up at security (the line was LONG and not very organized!). But I got on and everything worked out. Inspired, I took MetroTransit home from the airport too and was home just in time to meet Madelyn getting off her school bus. Home Sweet Home.
Thanks, Liz, for giving up your weekend for me to come visit. It was a blast! Love you.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
New York, NY
I'm headed to Manhattan early tomorrow morning to spend the weekend with my sister. It's my first time being there... a lot to do in a weekend! See you next week!
Friday, September 04, 2009
Monday, September 15, 2008
July 4th week: Grandad's Plane
Madelyn goes on her first trip in Grandad's plane.
Grandmomma's and Grandad's house
coming in for a landing
July 4th week: Be careful with the fireworks!
I have always been very wary of fireworks.... maybe it came from having a nurse for a mother. She always had a couple of horror stories about firework mishaps. But this year, I decided to jump on the band wagon and try to enjoy it. And it was fun! I actually think I had more fun watching and take cool pictures than I did playing with the fireworks, but that is cool with me. Madelyn had a great time playing with a few sparklers and then she and Grandmomma went in search of lightening bugs while the rest of continued to play. She so enjoyed that special search time with Grandmomma and they came back with a couple in a bottle!
Ben writing "Melissa" with his sparkler.
Ben writing "Melissa" with his sparkler. 
Ben trying to write "Ben + Mel" in a heart. I can see it, can you?
It is too bad this turned out so fuzzy, I think it still a cute picture.
One last "Hurray"
And the clean-up.... notice Buddy is doing all the work!
July 4th week: Grandad Rex
While we were gone to the park, Momma Susan's last surprise arrived. Her dad, Grandad Rex, came in from Arkansas to spend the weekend with us!! We weren't sure if he was going to be able to join us until the last minute and we were so glad he did!
Adults are zonked and kids are watching VeggieTales.
Great-Grandad Rex leaves to go backhome but gets one last "lovin'" in with Madelyn.
Adults are zonked and kids are watching VeggieTales.
Great-Grandad Rex leaves to go backhome but gets one last "lovin'" in with Madelyn.
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