perfect little getaway!

we had the PERFECT little get away! just the 8 of us! pat and i got up super early on tuesday (well, kind of our normal time) and worked out. and finished packing the last few things in the car. then we got ready and woke the kids up!

i don't have pictures of their sweet faces, they were mostly confused and stumbling around doing what we said to do, "put your clothes on (i had laid them out) and get in the car!"

once we got on the road, we told them what we were doing. most of them still didn't have any clue what "busch gardens" meant...but they knew we were going to have fun, so there were lots of smiles!

trying not to smile...

we stopped at chick fil a right before we got there and everyone ate a chicken biscuit. it was at 9:30 am. we were hoping it would be brunch?? (everyone had eaten a cereal bar at 6:30 am...) sorry. i hope i don't say EVERY meal we ate!

the smiles continued...sawyer LOVED these little bumper cars! i think he rode them no less than 10 times during the day! because it was SO HOT (like, 100 degrees) the lines were NOT bad at all!

around noon, we happened upon this show...INSIDE...with a/c! it was PERFECT!!!

watching bailey's face almost made me want to go to disneyworld. but JUST with her! :-) (i said "almost")

besides watching her watch the show, i spent most of that time filling up everyone's water bottles. we drank SO much water. but it was $3/water bottle! but you could bring water bottles in. so, we each had one and then bought this BIG cup thing that you could get refilled with water for free (there were like NO water fountains!)

this little guy ROCKED the stroller all day! he did AMAZING! he did get to ride a few rides. but he was totally happy and fine with hanging out in the stroller!

  

pat and rebekah went on a REAL roller coaster a couple times. they loved that!

around 4 pm, we left the park and went to check into our hotel. we were SO hot and everyone wanted to stay for the fireworks at 9:30 at the park. i did not think we could handle checking into the hotel at 11 pm and getting everything set up then. so, we got our room set up, went and ate dinner at cracker barrel (we did get pretzels around 3 pm at the park...i think because it was SO hot, we weren't really hungry!) then we headed back to the park around 7 pm. 

we rode a few more rides, everyone got to play a game (bailey won the unicorn stuffed animal she had been talking about ALL day - we couldn't believe it!) and then we watched the fireworks.

we got back to the hotel around 10:30, gave EVERYONE a shower (we were SO gross!) and crashed. they slept til 8:30 the next morning! (yes. all 8 of us in 1 room. 2 beds. 1 pack n play. 3 in sleeping bags. it was tight but worked!) 

i have to say that the day was PERFECT. it was a LONG day. but everyone did so so good. so little complaining. very obedient and patient. LOTS of walking and following directions and they all did AMAZING!

ate breakfast at the hotel (LOVE the hotels that include breakfast!) 

and then headed to jamestown. again. super hot. but we really enjoyed it!

he walked a LOT this second day! and did great!

ate a picnic lunch (yes, i made pb&j sandwiches in the hotel room that morning.)

then we went to THE yankee candle store. sounds weird, i know. but someone had told pat about it and it was SO amazing and fun!!!

it even snowed in there! like, REAL snow!

santa was there :-)

he found EACH of their names in his book!

in another part, you could make your own candle! that was so fun!

went back to the hotel to let those that needed to rest, rest for a little bit. pat woke up this second day not feeling well...which wasn't fun...but he pushed on!

rebekah, joshua and i played some cards in the lobby.

went to zaxby's for dinner (YUM!!! we were SO excited to find one there!)

and then went to historic williamsburg to watch the fireworks.

so. pat and i got married almost exactly 14 years ago (july 11). we got married in college and had no money. pat's parents paid for us to stay in a b&b in williamsburg for our honeymoon. it was fun to stand here and think we were here 14 years ago. if someone would have told us we'd be here 14 years later with the 6 kids we have, i think we both would have laughed! or cried :-)

i would say, "i could NOT love him more." but i know that i love him SO much more than i did 14 years ago. and i know that love will just keep growing. so, i'll say, i love him SO very much and look forward to our love continuing to grow for many more years!!

the only picture we got of ALL of us. at least we're all looking!

waiting for the fireworks to start...

sawyer cried through the WHOLE fireworks show the night before. and hid his head in my chest. he held onto pat's neck for dear life the second night and actually watched them. progress... :-)

another LATE night getting back to the hotel. showers. bed.

overall, this second day was harder. most everyone still did great. but one did not. like, night and day difference from the day before. which was good to watch...as we have a couple weeks at the beach later this summer. the price he and everyone around him pays if he has sugar/doesn't get sleep is too high. and not ok. live and learn. we learned.

again, they slept til 8:30 am! ate breakfast and headed home. while we were eating breakfast this last morning, joshua said, "i wish we were just getting here!" it was so fun to give them a couple days full of JUST fun!