river fun

We celebrated the Fourth at the river again.  We spent three days out on the water with Mimi, Poppa, Brad, Steph, and the boys... Tripp was super proud of his daddy's boat!  The weather was fantastic and there was much fun to be had!!!

After Grace finished her ride, these two boys made their way to the back of the boat and helped each other on...it was a lot cute!  They just took initiative...it got them what they wanted!

We made Carter hold onto a ski rope when he was swimming if not, he would just drift far, far away.  After getting him back to the boat a couple of times (which involved way too much cardio and swallowing half the river), our lesson was learned.

The kids practiced skiing on this ski trainer thing...we may have some real skiers next summer!!!

Hang ten. Kind of.

Our little queen of the boat is growing up way too fast!

Aunt Steph helped the kids make s'mores in the oven and they were yummy!

The sun, water, and fun wore us out!

But, I'm ready to go back now!!!

fireworks

the days before the starlight spectacular it poured.  we decided at the last minute that we would venture out into the mud and puddles for the firework show and it turned out to be fun little night.  michael w. smith was singing as we squatted to play duck, duck, goose while waiting for it to get dark.  once the sun began to set, we made glow stick creations.  and, we ended the night with an exciting fireworks display (but, we totally missed andrew!)

ten years and a getaway

ten years.  we've been married for ten years. it's kind of crazy...in some ways, it feels like forever.  like there was never a life before.  in other ways, it feels like time has gone by so fast.  it feels like just the other day that it was just us...young(er) and eating dinner on the couch and watching tv.  ten years.  a decade.

john had a conference in little rock and i (just i) went with him.  now, nothing against little rock but, it's not a very exciting place.  there are about a thousand different cities that i would have rather been visiting, but little rock was where we were at and it was pretty awesome.

it was pretty awesome because john and i were together and alone.  we haven't been able to complete an entire conversation in like the past 6 years.  we got to in little rock.  we also got to eat a meal at a restaurant without getting up to take someone to the potty.

each morning, i had to decide if i wanted to read in bed, read by the pool, blog, watch a movie (or two), or roll over and go back to sleep.  it was wonderful to be "stuck" in a hotel room with "nothing" to do.  there was no guilt.  it was just restful and freeing to not have to check things off my to do list or take care of my children for a few days.

i read an entire book.  in one day.  i never do that.  i usually read one book in an entire summer.  i also went shoe shopping not at target.

our bed was huge and super comfortable and huge.

helloooo over there.

i even started a second book.  i'm going to finish it.  i'm going to finish it.  i'm going to finish it.

yum!  i ate doughnuts in bed.

we went to the river walk and hung out there for a little while.  we played and explored and talked.

i also went to a movie.  alone.  i was literally alone.  i worried for a minute that i would choke on popcorn and no one would be there to save me.

i didn't choke.  but, after sitting in traffic on the way home, i was wishing i had of.  jay kay.  but, we were ready to be home and see our kiddos.

we are going to do this again.  it was so wonderful to take time away from our kids and spend it with just each other without any distractions.  i totally recommend getting away.  do it.  now.

The Jacobs Do Disney...day eight

On our last morning, we visited the Grand Floridian for the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare.

We ate a yummy breakfast and met a few more characters...some who we had met before and a couple of new friends.

 He may have been refusing to leave.  And...I really didn't blame him.

But...the time had come.

Good bye Disney World.

See ya real soon!!!