Gone Celebratin'

The past few years, we have been blessed to be able to slip away in March or April for a quick family get-away (here are 2012's trip and 2011's trip), and this year we did the same, packing up and leaving our house the night of Easter after our guests had departed and spending the next couple of days at Massanutten, a nearby resort.  Financially we can swing this because Jeff has a customer who works there and gives us a super deal and because we do some things to save money during our time away, like taking food for meals so we don't have to eat out much, etc.   It is a true highlight of late winter/early spring for us!

This year was extra special because our time away happened to land exactly on my birthday, and I can't think of a better way to turn 37 than to spend it at our favorite indoor waterpark.  :)  I got lots of cuddles from this little sweetie who, although she looks brave enough in this picture...

...was actually quite timid in the waterpark and wanted nothing more than to be held.  I didn't have a problem with that.  ;-)  Josiah and David were their normal adventurous selves and went on all the various slides/pools/activities there, including--for the first time--the body board/wave thing.  Tobin was finally tall enough to have unrestricted access to the slides, and he LOVED the big waterslides, even the dark ones that make you feel like you're falling through outer space.  ;-)  Shav surprised me by how reluctant he was to do much, although he did spend some time in the kiddie pool and the other pools.  The lazy river that he rode through last year (and in the process, taught me SO MUCH about trust)?  He would have NOTHING to do with it this year.  He wasn't yelling or crying or having a tantrum about being there at the waterpark, but he certainly didn't enter in as enthusiastically as I thought he might.  I have a feeling that might change in another year or two.  ;-)

Like other years, we went to the waterpark for a few hours in the morning, then went back to our condo for lunch and some rest, then back to the waterpark almost until it closed.  It's a good schedule for us, at this stage of our life.

Tuesday, the other full day at Massanutten, was spent mostly relaxing in our condo or having fun in a regular ol' swimming pool (indoor, of course) that we had free access to.  Josiah and David are such fish, and I love watching them in the water.  Tobin, too, is really developing a wonderful level of comfort in the water.  Shav--and, of course, Moriah--aren't quite there yet.  ;-)  But we still managed to have fun.  :)

As always, the boys enjoyed watching some TV since we don't have it here at home, and they had a blast in the HUGE bathtub/jacuzzi in the condo.

We also took books along...

...and everyone had some time to enjoy them.

Josiah discovered that he can use his toes to help hold up his Kindle when his arms get tired.  ;-)

All the swimming and playing in the water not only led to big appetites, but also to tired little ones!

Besides the things I managed to snap a photo of, we also spent some happy moments together listening to Carry On, Mr. Bowditch as I read it aloud, and I was reminded that reading books aloud together is one of my all-time favorite things to do as a family.  ;-)  I was also reminded, during those few days, that my family is without a doubt my very favorite group of people to be with.  Isn't it wonderful that my best friends are found within the walls of my own house??  ;-)