I LOVE family vacations, such a great time for us to just hang out, no worries about places to be or things that need to get done.  This was not one of those vacations.
We were blessed with friends giving us a substantial gift card to Great Wolf Lodge (Thank you!!!) and decided to take the crew, play hooky for a school day and have a little pre-Thanksgiving getaway.  Started out with excitement, then it went downhill with arguing and fighting in the car.  By the time we got there, I was more than a little frustrated w our people.  Check in took forever, as we were there with friends and supposed to be on the same floor (a request made when we booked the trip) but they somehow messed that up and didn’t do it.  We got a complimentary breakfast instead but all that took time.  So, we finally get to the room, ask the kids to get swimsuits on and then the complaints come about what suit I brought and yadda yadda yadda.  (Insert mama speech about gratitude and spoiled kids here).  We became “that family” with the parents hushing the kids, kids arguing a whining and mama finally losing it, sending Dee down with the kids were behaving and me staying in the room w the one who continued to be less than stellar.  Gave him another chance to pull it together, didn’t happen, so he sat out while the rest of us swam.
Onto problem number two – the water was COLD.  Not good when you have a 2 year old, poor girl was frozen.  Swimming at GWL didn’t last too long that evening, we decided we’d wrap it up early, grab a bite to eat.  Had a beer in the room w our friends and hung out awhile (fun!) then went to the main restaurant instead of waiting for the nicer one.  Figured a 25 minute wait w crabby kids was less than desirable.  Glad we had a $50 meal voucher from when we booked the trip, because that $65 meal was crap.  The kids didn’t even eat much.  Went back up to the room, put on pjs and a movie and put that day to rest in hopes that day two would be better.  I wish I could report that it had been – two boys decided to throw out the attitude, missed out on the first 20 minutes of swim time.  Then when the two pulled it together, the other boy decided to be tough.  Erin was lacking in GWL endurance and, even though she was having a ball, we were done.  Got food, headed to the room and packed it up to go.
We did, however, get to spend time with our dear friends and that was fun and got some great pictures!  All in all it was a vacation I was disappointed in but they all can’t be winners, right?!
Here are the pics!

The boys had the chance to be a part of an ongoing photography project by the great Cameron Karsten again!  This one about American Gun Culture.  The pictures came out amazing, as always, and the boys had a blast having a massive Nerf War in the living room.
We are looking to have a day with friends over soon for a giant Nerf War in the field…let me know if you want to be a part of it!

This photo is from Erin’s baptism – a sweet moment captured where she was anointing the pastor.
So genuine, so pure.  Love.

So it’s been about a year and a half since Dee and I started on the Dukan Diet – and we have each lost about 65 pounds.  We have been a little relaxed about our eating but in that time we have formed much healthier eating habits that have kept the weight off.
We are both more than happy to talk about this, because it works.  Change your eating, change your life.  Period.

Here are the basics (although there are tips and tricks we have learned along the way):

The Dukan Diet: What You Can Eat

Almost too cool for the pumpkin patch

I love our trips to the pumpkin patch where everyone picks out the perfect pumpkin for their creative masterpieces.

11:21am

So today after a lovely coffee date w some friends, Erin and I went up to Wilkes to pick up some paperwork (NOT changing schools, just getting some evaluations done).  We walked up to the office, down to the counselor’s office and back to the office.  Erin had had enough of the walking thing.  I picked up the paperwork and we were heading out to the parking lot and Erin wanted to be carried.  We weren’t too far away, so I told her she needed to walk. Then all hell broke loose…the tantrum started (click if you want a snippet of it).  Screaming at the top of her lungs and generally hysterical.  At this point, I know it would have been really easy to pick her up and carry her to the car (what she wanted) but in the long run I know that if I did that, it would set a pattern of her knowing she can pitch a fit and I cave.  Not going to work that way.
Anyhow, as I was sitting there waiting out the tantrum, I had a few very different experiences.  One woman came up and said “Oh, I feel your pain.  We were in the same spot doing the same thing for 25 minutes just last

12:08pm

week.  Hang in there.”
Another person (who I know) said, “I wish I had done this when my son was little”
At this point we were going on 25 minutes of screaming, I am filling out the paperwork I was planning on taking home, there was no end in sight.
So then, one by one, came the moms who didn’t say anything but rather gave the disapproving “my kid would never do this in public” look that always makes me furious.  I end up wanting to cave, pick up my girl and take her to the car and end the embarrassment.  But today I stood my ground.  Another came by, again the look.  And yet another.
We were at the 45 minute mark (and keep in mind, this isn’t just a little crying, it’s SCREAMING at the top of her lungs).
I finished up my paperwork and a friend came walking out of the school.  So nice to see a friendly, sympathetic face.  As we talked, Erin came over, climbed up next to me and put her head on my shoulder.  One hour later and the tantrum had ended.  We walked the completed papers back to the office, she asked again to be picked up and I stood firm, told her we could walk together and I would hold her hand.  I braced myself for another hour long tantrum, but miracle of all miracles…she grabbed my hand and walked to the car.  Sigh.  Being a mom is tough business (even tougher with the holier than thou attitudes of those with have perfect kids who seem to hate how I parent).

I think this has to be my favorite wedding post…the pictures of the hugs.
So much love that day!

So I was at a meeting up at Grace the other morning and looked up to see this and had to take a picture.  Carlos had been in this room playing a couple weeks back and apparently left his mark.
(for those not up on “kid spelling” it says “Carlos is a awesome kid”)