Goodbye Vineyard, Hello Beautiful Floors!

As I prepare to write my guidebook: "Family Vacation: No Longer An Oxymoron" I reflect on what we learned from this year's adventure. We took huge strides towards successful vacationing with preschoolers by making one major adjustment: our expectations. Vacations for most of my life centered around two core values: sleeping in and laying out. My goal is no longer to sleep in (unless you mean sleeping in...a bed - as opposed to sitting up rocking a crying baby) or lay out (this should never have been my goal according to my mother and dermatologist.)


But once again what we give up we make up for in other ways - significant ways. We had the time to experience life as a family of four. Who are we? Away from outside pressures, other relationships and overall busi-ness which dictates life at home...what is this new family we are building? Well, I can tell you who we are not: anyone you want to sit next to on a plane, ferry, or bus.

There were definitely moments of devastation...

But there were also many, many moments of joy...

We made lots of new friends!

(Alice inspired Olivia's first two-word combination: Night-Night Alice. Some would call that a sentence.)

Saw exciting things that they just don't have in Williamsburg:

Realized we can do the impossible: Early for the 7am Ferry - Unbelievable!

And remembered that looking at our own children can still take my breath away

(These are my favorite pictures from the trip. I think they perfectly capture both this crazy season and these sweet girls.)

And then to return home to new floors! I know material things cannot complete me or fill me up. But sometimes they sure make me happy.

In my rapture I lost track of the camera once again:

Finally, I had to get a picture of our yard the afternoon we returned. The new floors inspired a major porch clean up thus producing the scene below. I turned to Travis and asked "Do you think the neighbors know we're back?" I mean, how would they?