Get-A-Way

Hmmm. I thought I posted this long ago, but just found it in my drafts. Trav and I got to go away all by ourselves for 2 nights a few weeks ago. We got a free couple of nights in a great cabin for free (except that we did have to go to a sales pitch, presentation, and lots of pressure to invest in this vacation club--but totally worth it). It was cold and rainy, but was SO nice and fun. One of my friends said that they have never left there kids overnight, because they just like them too much. I don't think she was saying anything about us being wrong to do it, but I thought about it anyway for a little while. It is hard for me to leave my kids and I miss them and worry about them feeling abandoned, and worry about my good friend Emily going crazy, and like to call and check on them a lot. But for my kids it was a big adventure--Kaden cried the morning we left, and I was touched until I found out he was crying because it was only going to be 3 days that we were gone! Hmmm. Anyway my point is, it is so nice to spend time with just Travis--just because I like Travis so much and we can fit in so much in so little time, and it's so nice and relaxing and fun, and I totally recommend it to everyone!This is from our canoe on the lake, the first day we got there. It started raining while we were out on the lake and didn't stop until probably a few days after we were gone...

The fall colors were showing a lot more here than at home. I guess it would be considered the mountains of VA.

The second day we drove to the Luray Caverns. It was an hour and a half drive, and was pricey to go inside, but even being the cheapskates we usually are, we both thought they were totally worth it. These caverns were incredible. And they give you a headset in the beginning, so that you don't have to be part of anyone else's tour. You go at your own pace, and program in the numbers as you get to certain parts. It was a mile and a quarter walk through them, and took us a couple of hours. It was so fun to just relax and take our time and marvel together. Although--we both though many times about how much the kids would love it, mostly Noah.

Our camera really couldn't capture even a fraction of how amazing this place was...

The picture above and then the next couple, show a place called "Dream Lake" where the water is practically invisible and mirror images all the cool things about and is so amazing.

Randomness

The one picture we have taken at Noah's baseball...this is his first time really playing and it's been fun to see the kids and how much they start to understand the game at this age. The other kids all have more experience than Noah, but Noah has loved it and really wants to play again.

Noah thinks he is the guardian of all animal life and that he attracts animals and they love him...I won't mention the unguardian-like behavior that sometimes come out....but mostly he just loves everything out there and loves to collect them. This was a family trip to the Botanical Gardens.

The best day ever--

Actually I titled this post a bit wrong. It was the best night ever, but the day was the longest I can remember. Just waiting and waiting for the time to arrive....we were even very busy most of the day, but somehow I was aware of every minutes ticking slowly by. I like this sign..."Thanks for coming home". I had other things I was going to write, but that was Kaden's contribution and I thought it was pretty good.

Waiting on the flight line while the jets fly in and taxi....

Micah is a bit traumatized by the loud jets...

Our first glimpse of Trav...

So it's kind of a surreal experience to see your husband for the first time after 4 1/2 months. It probably took a good 3 or 4 days of staring at him and poking him and holding his hand for it to feel in any way real.

Micah wasn't so sure at first. But I really think it was just the sound of the jets added to being 2 hours past bedtime for him. The first thing he did the next morning as soon as he saw his daddy was to run and tackle him.

A complete family at last!! And I am finally posting this after more than two weeks of having him home. To some it up, it Trav had those two weeks off and it was the best two weeks ever. We had so much fun just being together. Now it's back to busy life where each of us has so many other things to worry about, but it's good to at least see each other every day...

Everyday adventures

No matter how hard I try, things like this seem to be happening an awful lot in our household. Micah's favorite thing to do is to wait until his brothers are done eating breakfast (he can count on them to forget to put the lid on the milk or even better, put the milk in the fridge...), then he watches until they leave the table, and makes sure I am distracted (it was usually while I was talking to Travis on the webcam and getting kids ready for school at the same time). Then he very quietly and expert climbs onto the table and fills the milk jug with cereal. On this particular day, he must have gotten down from the table a few times and gathered more goods because this is what I found in our almost full gallon of milk. The little gold square is a chicken bouillon cube...