The Zoo & Great Wolf Lodge

We recently traveled with the Love's to the zoo and Great Wolf Lodge.  It was a fun getaway weekend that we all enjoyed and came back wanting to make it an annual trip.

First stop, The Zoo.

The boys were so curious & excited! 

Best Buddies

We took a train ride around the zoo, it was a nice break in the middle of the day.  

Blake didn't go with us, he sat with Luke while he napped.  

*Nat is too funny!

Zookeepers allowed the kids to touch some animals, they talked and taught them about their habitats & niches.  

and of course, my favorite - the giraffe. 

Luke snoozing

By the end of the day, Layton was tired wanted to be held and then immediately fell asleep in the car!  

It was a fun day! ;)

     

We also made a stop, here.

Now, I'm addicted and can't wait to go back.
My favorite part - childcare!  Yes, they watch your kids while you shop.
(It was very safe and secure, no worries!)

Then we checked into the Great Wolf Lodge.  It was awesome!  Wonderful family time.

The boys!  

Layton, Nolan, Nathaniel and Luke

*coming very soon Miss Ella!

Great Wolf Lodge is a resort with an indoor water park.  They have activities for the kids such as pottery, painting, story time and cooking.  There are also restaurants at the lodge, so you never have to leave the resort.  But the main attraction is the water park. There are tons of slides (for all ages), pools, geysers, and a lazy river.  It was perfect for families of children, old and young. 

The best part about it -- no sunscreen!  We played all day and never once worried about being sun burned:)

The boys devised a plan to make a boat!

Luke, again snoozing, on Cindy's shoulder.  He may get a little jealous when Ella arrives:)

    

Oddly enough, we ran into our good friends, Daniel and Kendra.   We were so surprised to see them, and enjoyed catching up!  

Their girls are adorable - Kenlee has the bluest eyes I ever seen, and Maddie kept us all entertained!

Layton and Maddie became buddies.  They chased each other for hours....this is their goodnight hug!

Then every night after the park closes, there is story time by Buddy the Moose.  The kids were glued to him!!  It was a great way to end the evening. 

       

Overwhelmed.

Ok, so I'm feeling overwhelmed with my blog. 

It's my fault.

I have gotten so far behind (remember this is my digital scrapbook) that I don't know where to begin.  I need to be blogging about recent things and also "back" blogging too! AH!  Will I ever catch up?  I have so much to share, that I haven't shared anything lately. Does that make sense?

Ok, one step at a time.  One step at at time.

p.s. HAPPY 26th BIRTHDAY to my little brother, Bryan!

of pumpkins past

Going to the orchard is a yearly ritual.

We go several times, and each time we can't wait to go back.

It's not fall without picking out a pumpkin and eating a caramel apple:)

One of our trips each year is with our good friend, Cindy. We take the boys and reminisce about how small they were on their very first visit.

Nolan & Layton, 7 weeks old

Nolan & Layton, 3 years old

And this picture reminded me of....

these pictures...just one year ago.  Oh, our baby boys are growing so fast!!

But let's not forget the other boys....here they are - and here was their best picture!!

Cindy kept Luke warm...while watching big brother go...

up the "Cider Slider"....all by himself...

Weeeee!!!!!!!!

And Nat even tried it out.......while Nolan slid down sideways!

We also saw some of our other friends, like Charlie!!

The orchard, one of my favorite parts of fall....stayed tuned for our second and third visits soon!

Happy Fall!

If I close my eyes....

this is what my dreams look like....

silhouettes at sunset,

sandcastles on snowy white beaches,

and sweet brothers sitting by the ocean...

my heart skips a beat and I realize that it's not a dream, but my reality. 

Praising God for his amazing blessings.

More to come soon.....