Our Get-A-Way

We are winos
We are foodies.

We are in Napa.

(and cue angels singing)

We are in heaven!

We visited Napa almost two years ago (see pics from that trip here) and fell in love with the whole experience. After Lainey's tough summer, Mom and Dad are in need of some rest and FUN! We thought as we prepare for RSV/Flu season, we should get away while she's well and take time to just be with each other. Our moms and sisters have made this possible for us and we are SO grateful. We owe them BIG time!!! Really, what a gift they have given us.

Yes, Lainey (and Nat) needed some fun too so they got it! I'll post pics about their fun later;)

So, day one started off with one hour of sleep and a 6:30 a.m. departure flight. Three flights and two planes later (it was a beating but hey, they are FREE) we arrive in CA before 11 a.m. (STILL!).

We had a great first (half) day and even had an "experience" on the first day...you know, those little unexpected finds you come across that totally make your trip memorable. Wait! We had TWO of those! Ahhhhhh...and still two full days to go.

My mom and dad had an experience here many, many years ago.

So we had to check it out, for sentimental reasons:)

My big, fancy camera stinks!

Ok, I think I'm a little out of practice and no editing software on Kev's computer so bear with me!

It's all still so beautiful...

It's harvest time in Napa right now, a lot of the grapes are still full on the vine.

Until Swiper swipes them!

...Swiper, nooo swiping!

(yes, we do miss the kids;))

..and now I'm singing Dora...

Here we are blissful and about to be surprised by our next find...

Experience Number One...

There was a wedding about to start and it was picture perfect.

I didn't get a pic of that but here is part of the winery where the wedding was taking place.

Then on to our next experience.

A locals fav that a guy on the plane told us about...
now one of my favorites!

Again, my camera st...ok, III... stink at using my camera but the colors and decor were so charming...kind of vintage black and white mixed with bright fun colors and flowers.

Yeah, you really can't tell at all from this pic what I'm talking about...
oh well, my brain took a picture;)

Now on to DAY TWO...beautiful blue skies and a high of 78 awaits us:)

Bedtime Stories

Bedtime is so sweet in our house.

After donning their princess pjs or oversized t-shirts, the girls climb into our big bed and snuggle down, ready for their nighttime playlist. They each get to pick two songs and Mommy and Daddy proceed to channel everyone from Darlene to Dorothy.

***

For some reason Lainey always holds us accountable when we are singing Dorothy...holding Daddy accountable is really the story here and I so wish I had a video to put right here!! Kev will start off in his regular voice, sounding quite manly. As manly as a man can sound while singing, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Lainey will stop him after the first line shouting, "Daddy sing it like Dorothy!" On command, Daddy will switch to his hilariously charming falsetto and sing the rest of the song like a prepubescent choir boy.

Sometimes I will be in the kitchen getting their milk and I will hear him start the song...I pause... wait for it...ahhhh, there it is. Kevin going into the stratosphere.

***

I smile. I do love our nights as a family.

Other top songs on the girls' nighttime playlist includes:

*1) Somewhere Out There

*2) "The deer song" (As The Deer)

*3) I Love You Lord

*4) Tear Down the Walls

*5) We Exalt Thee (which always prompts Lainey to ask, "What does 'exalted' mean?" She's asked so many times, it's a game now, and she will answer herself, "LIFTED UP!" as she raises her arms up over her cute little curly head.)

We end our concert with "The Lord's Prayer" and a prayer over each of the girls...and for Natalie's husband, of course. She's been asking us to pray for her husband for over 6 mos. She always ends with, "Let me dream about him and him about me." Not kidding. The girl's relationship with her Creator brings me tears on a regular basis.

So tonight we mixed it up and Mommy and Daddy performed the bedtime songs with "mics" on our "stage", then the girls asked to take the stage. Here's a video of the sweetness...

Goodnight Sweetheart!

(Another song sometimes on the rotation.)

Feeling Good

Look at this face.

Sweet. Oh yes. Mischievous. Not usually.

***

But...

Kev walked outside to this this morning

See that nice LITTLE hole in the bush?
I'd say she took a little off the top.

And the monkey grass has been murdered...

Not much left. And a little uneven, Nat.


And this sweet angel...

Don't let her fool you.
She's feeling better today.

We get done sizing up the damage outside,
running around like banshees inside trying to get ready for a security inspection
with the local police...

At least our littlest one is contained and out of trouble...

Wait, what is that dripping out of your mouth and all over your shirt?

***
Just ask Lainey, acting all non-chalant while sneaking butter...

(I wish she'd make it easy on the photog and stay in her clothes!)

"RHETT LIKES MY MEDICINE, HE SUCKED IT LIKE A STRAW!"
she says of her now empty syringe of antibiotic.

***
She's at that "do it myself" stage and
we ARE teaching her to share, but really.

***
She is SO our little Curious George.
Heart of gold, FULL of mischief and energy...
when she's well, of course.

***
Rhett? He'll be fine.
Maybe it will make this ridiculous top tooth finally come in!

(His blankie makes everything better)

***

On a side note, anytime Rhett feels anything silky,

he falls to his side like he's been tazered, thumb in mouth.

(When we're bored, we sometimes throw silky things in front of him while he's crawling. He never fails us:)

***

Well, the po-po cancelled the inspection last minute.
***
All this and a clean house by 8:30 this morning.
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It's gonna be a fun Friday...MWAH-HA-HA!
***

And WELCOME BACK LAINEY!!




(the *** are the only way Blogger will SPACE out my sentences. And you thought it just looked pretty.)

Hooray, Hooray...

"...we're on our way! Summer vacation starts today!"

***

That was our little family "diddy" we always said as kids as we headed out for our summer vacation destination. It was exciting and cheesy...and we still say it to this day.

***

We took a little mini-vacation to Hot Springs Village, a place I've been going with my family since I was a pre-teen. We've stayed in the same house for the last 20 something years and it holds a lot of wonderful memories for us all. They finally changed the carpet...that made this germ-freak very happy, although the bedspreads still remain. That's just gross. But they looked clean.

It's always risky taking Lainey out, especially to a place she's never been before. We never know how her lungs will react to certain local allergens in the air. Her lung doctor advised us to start her on a few different medications before we left, just to safeguard her, and she did great. Rhett, on the other hand, started running a fever the night we got home so I'm thankful we got home when we did.

The road trip begins...

we grabbed some mustaches at a little store on the way to entertain us...

We started our first morning off with a little coffee and "varmit watching". Liz and I took a very similar picture when we were little girls.

Then off to play tennis.

Lainey and her ant smasher

My dad and I played on this very court growing up

Very special times, all the way around.

The fun playground right outside of the house.

Natalie had her first ice cream cone at this little shop.

Now it's Rhett's turn!

Natalie wanted the exact same flavor she had for the first time as a baby...

Mint Chocolate Chip.

Rhett loves Blue Bell!...mean Daddy! :)

Our plan was to wear the kids out every day

in hopes we'd get some sleep while away on vacation.

Starting the day off with a hike around the lake...

Then on to swim and play on the lake...

On to go-carts and bumper boats...

Nat's getting so big! She got to drive all by herself!

Don't ask how we all slept.

ugh.

Visiting the alligator farm/petting zoo before we head home.

Lainey's really gonna love this!

I'll just kick back here, feel free to push me around and feed me cheerios.

WHOA! These dudes are big!

Pretty sure the Crocodile Hunter would roll over.

The gator's mouth is rubberbanded shut.

Rhett's cheerios were a hit!

Our animal whisperer was in HEAVEN!...not at all shy with the greedy goats...

She kept saying, "Mom, I love this! This is so nice!"

Not a lot of pics of Nat in the petting zoo.

She did join us eventually, and had fun...kinda;)

After trying to wear the kids out in the morning, we headed for home.

We totally pigged out on lots of sugar, junk food, and Cokes! Vacation is FUN!

The impending sugar crash is even better as we head out of town.

Kev and I started our vacation a day early! The night before we left, instead of packing, we had a little sushi and Coldplay, live. That was a SUPER fun night...I'm in love with my husband.

We are so thankful for SUMMER TIME and are trying to make the most of it before winter sets in and we have to take Lainey back into "the bubble".

Another round of testing in early September and we'll see where she stands as we head into Fall/Winter. We are hopeful!

Now back to real life:)