...Our Growing Family...: Back from Vacation...AGAIN.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Back from Vacation...AGAIN.

Yes, we've already taken vacation #2... Do I recommend taking two vacations with two children (one under two years old) within two weeks, both multiple states away?? Hmmmm...not so much. But the dates couldn't be helped, and we had a blast on both trips. The driving has definitely worn on us, we have been reminded why it is a pretty good idea to drive through the night, and we are for sure beyond exhausted. BUT a good time was had by all. And we are happy to be staying put for a while now.

This trip was to KY to meet up with some of Ryan's college buddies, one of which he hadn't seen since our wedding back in 2006! When Ryan planned the trip, he made reservations for a cabin in a state park....which just so happened (totally coincidental!) to be at a park that I have visited many, many times for family get-togethers...because it just so happens to be less than 15 miles from much of my family on my dad's side. How perfect! The guys could have their guy-time, and I could spend a couple days visiting family that I normally only see for a couple hours at Christmas.

Well, things didn't quite go that way (do they ever?), but it was still nice.

My great-grandmother's older brother passed away over the weekend, so the get-together my grandmother had planned for us all had to be canceled (understandably). We did spend one afternoon with my dad, step-mom, sister, and my older brother and his two kids. We even made it to dinner at Hometown...home of the best white chicken pizza ever! And the next day, my brother and kids even made it back to spend some time at the pool with us. While there, my grandmother and great-grandmother came to the lodge for lunch, so I did manage to see them for a bit, which was a great treat!

While on the trip, Ryan also had another reaction to medicine he had finished taking a week before... If you remember, he had a bad reaction while in Florida, keeping us out of the sun for much of the trip. (He finished the medicine on Saturday, mowed the lawn Wednesday evening, and the reaction appeared the first day of our trip...a little worse in some areas this time. He has been told this is not a typical reaction, so this definitely will go on his list of "never take again.") So, that kept him from playing golf and enjoying the pool. But I feel confident in saying that he and the other guys still thoroughly enjoyed their time together.

The little guys had a blast, too. Aiden napped...once the whole trip (last day, after a great deal of time at the pool - poor guy was exhausted and just couldn't fight it any longer!), but the cabin was small and not conducive to napping really - and he was relatively well-behaved for a child waking before 6am and not napping. Both boys just loved playing around with the other guys on the trip, Tom and Darryl. Neither Tom's girlfriend or Darryl's wife were able to come as originally planned (but after seeing the cabin, I can't help but wonder...would there have been room? It was much smaller than expected.) Overall, the trip was a great success - at least for what it was intended, and that's what matters most. :)

Our drive home took 17 hours instead of 9, and we drove in the daytime b/c we needed to make a few stops on the way home...but we got to see some loved ones (even if for very short visits that nicely included food! Thanks, guys!!), and we made it back safely. And just in time for Camden's end-of-grade testing that started the next day. (Seriously...what school schedules EOGs right after a holiday/long weekend?? And how does that make sense?)

Here are some pics from the trip. And yes...they really did wear those.