Family Vacation: Part II

If you know Chris and I, you know spontaneity is not our strength.  I am a planner to the core.  I am also indecisive (being married has made this worse since I always have someone to defer to!).  When we planned our trip to Pennsylvania a year ago we just figured we'd do the trip and come on home.  That was when we thought it was only a six hour drive from here.  Then I did google maps about a month before we left and found it was ten hours (more like 11+ stops).  Going for a long weekend seemed like a lot of time in the car in a short span of time.  I started looking at the map more closely and started seeing the word beach in areas that didn't seem all that far away.  Another google map search revealed we would be less than three hours away from the beach.  I love the beach.  I started making hints to Chris that perhaps we should extend our trip by a couple days and do the whole beach thing with the kids.  At first the answer was no.  Then we talked some more and Chris realized that he could use a full week off from work (he is great about taking a day off here or there, but really bad about allowing himself a full chunk of time to get away, rest, and rejuvenate).  At first we were going to just enjoy those extra days at home.  Then on Tuesday, as I'm madly packing, Chris sends me an e-mail and says "Let's do it!"  So Tuesday night around 10PM we finally booked a hotel and made it official.  Once we packed up camp in PA on Sunday, we would travel south to enjoy the beaches of Delaware and Maryland.  Hooray!  I'm so glad we figured this out before the suitcases were completely packed so I had time to sneak in the extra needed outfits, undies, and socks!

This was probably one of the most spontaneous things we've done recently.  And it was awesome.  It was such a great time to show the kids the ocean for the first time, have no agenda beyond waves and sand, and just enjoy our togetherness!  The kids loved it!

First stop was Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Grace got there, saw the water, and instantly said, "I go to water!"  This girl loves to get wet!

 

 

Joshua, on the other hand, was not too impressed by the water.  He kept saying, "I don't like that water!" 

 

It was okay that he didn't like the water.  The sand was a perfect compromise for him!  He loved it!

 

Grace enjoyed the sand too....

 

...till she ate it.  She said, "Hmm...its crunchy Mommy!"  (Take note of all the sand smashed around her mouth and face.)

 

Jacob had fun splashing in the waves too!

 

You don't get a whole lot of rest on vacation, so here he is chilling out on the sand.

 

A lap full 'o love!

 

After Rehoboth Beach we made our way down a coastal highway to our hotel.  We'd hoped to see more of the beach along the drive, but there were too many buildings.  It was a bit disappointing, but we did get to go through some cute little beach towns.  We stayed inland a bit from the beach to make the hotel more affordable.  We were about 25 miles inland and it worked out great.  Except for the fact that Joshua hums before he goes to sleep and it keeps everyone else in the room awake (and the fact that kids needed to be in bed at 8PM and Mom and Dad wanted to stay up later...hotel dwelling with little ones is a bit tricky!).

 

The second day we went to Assateague National Seashore in Maryland.  This is a barrier island and they have wild ponies in the park.  Well, the sign said they were "reintroducing" the wild ponies to the island.  They didn't seem that wild since they all congregated in the parking lot looking for food (despite the MANY signs not to feed them, I am sure people still do--they even have a special bike force called the Pony Patrol to keep people from getting too close or feeding them).  It was kind of neat to pull into the park and see ponies randomly walking around on the dunes or next to the road!

 

 

 

 

We loved Assateague National Seashore so much!  It was sooooooooo much better and enjoyable than Rehoboth because it was much less commercial (we could do without parking hassles, tons of shops, and a bustling boardwalk).  This was perfect.  There was a little boardwalk across the dunes to the beach and then just beach as far as the eye could see.  No buildings disturbing the beauty of it all.  Nothing commercial trying to capture our attention.  There were restrooms at the edge of the dunes (well, permanent outhouses, but they were sufficient) and showers to use after your day of fun to get the sand sort of off before getting into the car.  We spent the entire day here.  We could have stayed longer, but I think the kiddos were just getting worn out from the sun and needed some sleep.

 

No surprise Gracie was eager to test the water here, too!

 

All the kids really enjoyed the sand!

 

I really enjoyed getting my feet wet.  The water was a bit chilly though and people kept finding jelly fishes.  I didn't really want to venture out too far....

 

Chris and Jacob had no problem with the temperature of the water or the jelly fish sightings!  They both gave the boogie board a try and mastered it!  So proud of Jacob being brave enough to give this a try!

 

Gracie told me she needed to, "take a rest."  What a little sun bather!

 

Daddy worked with Joshua to help him not be so afraid.  They went to check out the water...

 

...and he got in!  After saying all day the day before, "I don't like that water" he ended the day saying, "Mommy!   Oshua likes that water!"  So proud of him to conquer that fear of the waves!

 

When we got back to the hotel we had three very sleepy, worn out kiddos!

 

 

We loaded up and hit the road pretty early the next day.  Vacationing is hard on the little people!

 



 

 

Vacationing is hard.  It is hard work to plan and prepare, to pack, and be ready.  It is exhausting when you get home (ummmmm, can you say mountains of laundry??).

 

 

 

Was it worth all the planning, the stress, the tension, the hard work before and after?  Yup.  It was worth every bit of sweat, every sleepless night, and every penny spent.  So many wonderful memories were made.  We hope to do it again soon!



 

Family Vacation: Part I

You can learn a lot when you take your family on a road trip and family vacation.  There is just something about the close, cramped quarters of a minivan and five people in one hotel room that just opens your eyes to the many quirks and idiosyncrasies that make your family tick.  Our family recently took a trip to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to "camp" for four nights.  I say "camp" because we were just kind of camping.  We stayed in little cabins with beds and electricity, bathrooms and hot water, mini fridges and microwaves.  It was just enough of camping though, to make our van bust at the seams with stuff....sheets, towels, food, suitcases, swim gear, play gear, baby gear.  Well, you get the idea.  Lots of gear.  We spent the first four nights of our trip in PA celebrating my parents Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary.  All of my siblings came with their spouses and kids and we all "kinda camped."  We had three cabins in a row and my sister at the end in her travel trailer.  I learned a lot about my family during those five days and four nights.  I am amazed that my parents gave birth to and raised us all because we are all so totally different from each other.  But then, we really aren't all that different either.  Here are a few things I learned during this portion of our trip:

First, road trips with little children go so much better if you come prepared!  Jacob loved listening to a couple books on tape with his own personal cd player and head phones.  Grace and Joshua really enjoyed the pom pom push it in game.  I also made each child a cookie sheet with some magnetic games.  Those were all a huge hit!

 

We're all smiles.....so far.  Getting there always seems to go so much faster and be so much more fun than the coming home part.

 

The next thing I learned is that on the outside, my family likes to try to make people think we look like this:

 

 

 

But really, on the inside, we feel like this:

 

 

 

I'm not sure what parent provided the goofiness that makes the Ruth family tick, but none of us missed out on it in the gene pool.  Some definitely got more of it than others, but we all got it nonetheless.

 

Did you know it takes three picnic tables to seat and feed 18 people at one time?  Well, now you know.  It also takes a lot of charcoal (three grills) and a lot of Capri Sun's to adequately hydrate seven little boys and one little girl.

 

 

 

I learned that nephews are seriously a lot of fun.  Especially in large quantities all at one time.  Add in a touch of sleep deprivation and lots of freedom to roam and stay up late at night....they just get even MORE fun.

 

 

 

 

Hmmmmm....that tiny touch of sleep deprivation and late nights can make adults get a bit of the sillies too.

 

 

 

I learned that laser tag and the bouncy pillow can make everyone "think" they are a kid again.

 

 

 



 

 

It takes massive amounts of bacon to feed 18 people at breakfast and campgrounds give you skillets that are way too small to cook massive amounts of bacon at one time.  It also takes massive amounts of pancakes and one master chef to prepare enough pancakes for 18 people.  You should be prepared to eat pancakes and bacon in shifts if it is raining while camping.

 

 

 

I learned a thing or two about my children during this leg of the vacation, as well.  First, kitchen sinks make an outstanding option for a bath tub when faced with either bathing WITH your child in the shower or sticking them in the kitchen sink.

 



 

My children can be naughty anywhere.  They do not reserve it special for home.  Below you will see Joshua and Grace sharing a pack 'n play.  I put them down to nap and heard a lot of noise.  They figured out they could scoot the pack 'n plays across the floor to get close to each other.  Then Joshua got out of his and into Grace's.  Naughty babies!  Busted!!  They don't look too worried about the consequences here....

 

 

 

Children can surprise you anywhere, including on vacation.  Like Grace, who won't eat fruit at home, who ate grapes and blueberries by the truck load on vacation.  Now we're home.  I served grapes with lunch today.  Did she eat them?  Nope.

 

 

 

I learned that camp fires are fun, but also seriously intense with little kids around.  I am very thankful for the watchful eyes and helpful hands my siblings offered around the fire!

 







 

Lastly, I learned that nothing quite compares to making memories with your family, no matter how goofy, silly, or nutty they are.  I love my family and I am so glad we had this opportunity to ALL be together in one place at one time.  With folks in Kentucky, Michigan, and New York, a large gathering with all the spouses and kids is pretty rare (the last time we did anything like this was when Jacob was about 9 months old!!).

 

 

 

 

Congratulations, Mom and Dad.  You made it 50 years!  What a rare and special lesson you've taught all of us about commitment!  We love you and we are so glad we had a "reason" to get together.  I learned this was fun.  Let's not wait till we have a "reason" to do it again!

 



 

















Water Wednesday!

Summer finally decided to arrive and it gets hot, hot, hot in a hurry around here!  We are laying low this week and staying pretty close to home during the days since we have jam packed evenings full of fabulous VBS.  This morning I decided I'd let the kids play with the water table and sprinkler before we got our morning bath.  We tried to get out there early....close to 9:30 or so, but it was still already pretty hot, even in the shade!  That's okay!  That just made the water all the more fun!

Jacob finally discovered the concept of running through the sprinkler this year, rather than just running around it!

 

 

And if it gets really hot, you can just stand over it...

 

 

Even water worried Joshua got in on some sprinkler action!  I was impressed!

 

 

He still wants the sprinkler on a pretty low setting and he'll only touch it with his hands, but boy, he has come such a long way from last summer and even the start of this summer!  Before we know it, he'll be a regular fish!

 

 

Grace got in on some of the action, too, but not a whole lot.  She was rather content to hang out on the steps and just watch the boys play.  She's not been herself this week.  I think she's either getting a touch of a cold (stuffy nose) or she's working on those two year molars and just not all that happy.  I'm sure our super late nights and shortened afternoon naps are contributing some too.  Only three more nights of VBS and then hopefully she can catch up and get back to her happy self!  We've missed her fun spirit!

 

 



Sleeping Beauty

It is VBS week in our house and while VBS equals tons of fun, it also equals super tired, worn out little bodies!  Our schedule is out of whack and we're doing our best to make due.  All in all we're having fun.  And who can resist a little sleeping beauty all surrounded by her best friends?

I could stand and watch them sleep all day long.  There's just something so sweet and innocent about it.

Love you, sweet Gracie.  Sweet dreams!

Pockets!

Somebody found his pockets and thought he was mighty cool stuff.  Look how grown up he is, all ready for church!

"Pockets!  Mommy, I got pockets!"

Mommy Time

Everyone has their days when they just need a touch more attention from mommy than the others currently require.  Today was Joshua's day.  I'm so blessed to have so many helpful little chefs around!

 

 

 

Joshua, I thank God daily for placing you into our families.  He knew we'd take ourselves far too seriously if we didn't have your sweet, happy spirit to lighten us all up a bit!  I am so blessed by your cheerfulness, inquisitiveness, fearlessness, and joy.  You've really go the "joy, joy, joy, joy down in your heart!"  Thanks for smooching my face, hugging my neck, and helping me make Grandmama's famous baked beans.  I love spending time with you!  Little big man, don't ever get TOO big to fit criss-cross applesauce on our kitchen counter!

Batter Up!

Chris has been anticipating this day since the day we found out we were expecting a little boy.  It is the day he got to take Jacob to his very first Cincinnati Reds Baseball game.  I'm not sure who was more excited about this day, Chris or Jacob!  Chris took the day off from work and he and Jacob had a big time watching the ball game.

Thumbs up!  Let's go Reds!

 

Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH.

 

Jacob says, "this trip was #1!  Let's do it again!"