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Saturday, September 28, 2013

Here we go again...

Okay, I had a week free of cloth diapering. I desperately needed a break since they were inducing anxiety attacks every time I would wash a load and find more mold. If you missed the beginning of this saga you can read about it here. So after one week away I was ready to try again to conquer the mold once and for all.

So what I did. Well I walked away and that was the first big thing that helped. Then I talked to a wonderful friend at church, Kathy. She cloth diapered all of her children when she was raising them (many moons ago) and asked her what to do and the first thing out of her mouth was "Borax." This was already an avenue I was thinking about so I jumped on it. First I googled it and then I purchased it and many days later I felt motivated to try it out. 

In my google search I read that you can mix vinegar and Borax together and no nuclear explosion would occur so I decided that the combination together would give me a better chance at killing the mold spores. So I filled up my bathtub with the hottest water my tap would create, then a poured a fair amount of Borax into the tub. The directions said one cup for every gallon of water but I was not going to be exact since that seemed like a lot of effort for such a big task. I let it dissolve and put my cleaning gloves on and swished the water around. Then I took my vinegar and dumped a bunch in, again not an exact amount. Then I threw in the inserts and the two diapers that were affected. At this point I realized I could ruin the diapers but didn't care since to me they were no good anymore moldy so might as well see if this worked. I soaked them for a while and then went through and squeezed them/hand washed them in the solution. 

From there I tossed them into the washer and put them through the wash cycle. Then I removed them from the washer and took them to my kitchen sink. Here I went through them with a "fine tooth comb" or more literally a toothbrush. I poured straight bleach on any and all of the black spots I could find. I would say over 80% of the inserts were affected with at least one black spot and of that about 10% were pretty bad. It took me about an hour to do this and my head was spinning, most likely from the fumes. After this I put them through the wash again with a second rinse cycle. Then I hung the two diapers up and put all the inserts in the dryer on high for 40 minutes. After taking them out of the dryer I inspected each insert for any spots and found none. I then stuffed the diapers. 

I plan to start using them again on Monday. Today we were out of the house the whole morning at the church workday and then tomorrow we have church all morning and then we plan on going to the pumpkin patch in the afternoon- and there is no rush in my mind. 

My friend Heather gave me the idea of separating the poop diapers from the pee diapers in two different wet dry bags. This would help me to see if it is the poop that is causing it by inspecting them prior to putting them into the washer to see if I see any mold on them. For the most part now though, Olivia has been having solid poop so I don't think this will be necessary. Plus, I still plan on using the flushable liners until I'm confident that the mold is gone for good. 

So Tuesday will be the day of reveal since that is when I'll wash diapers. I will hopefully be following up with good news!

"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." Hebrews 6:10-12

Friday, September 27, 2013

Giving my Hubby some props

So if you follow my blog at all, then you know that I've been working on changing my perspective and being the person God intended me to be. One way I've been doing this is by intentionally showing my husband how much he truly means to me. You know how it is, in the hussel and bussel of the day and in the stress of life's moments it's a lot easier to get caught up in the crazy- and forget to really lift up and support our spouses the way we should. Why it seems so much easier to do it with the little ones and not our spouses sometimes baffles me. So here I am lifting him up and sharing with you:

TOP TEN LIST:
TOP TEN REASONS MY GUY IS THE BEST...


10. He does the dinner dishes! 
9. How he tolerates my backseat driving and even jokes about it, I know I'm working on this one ;-)
8. The way he's a big goofball and just does the silliest things with the girls and me 
7. When he holds my hand in church as we listen to the sermon
6. The way his hug can melt away the rest of the world and make me feel safe and loved
5. His ability to be selfless- and put others first without hesitation 
4. Helping me out all. the. time. with our crazy life - he's a great partner!
3. Being a great father to our two girls- everytime I catch an 'outsiders' view of him with them it makes me fall in love with him all over again
2. Being able to make me laugh, really laugh, even when I'm tired and cranky
1. Loving me unconditionally, daily and sharing this journey with me

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Finding the EXTRAordinary in the Ordinary!

I caught myself the other day. I caught myself being a nag. I don't like that I can get that way. I feel like I just need to get EVERYthing done at this one moment and it can't happen fast enough so I start nagging those around me. I find myself struggling to juggle it all. And am I surprised? NO! I can't get it all done and there isn't a human being on this earth that can, so why I hold myself to a higher standard is beyond me. So when I caught myself I turned my head up and said "God help me. Help me PLEASE."

As I was picking up the house later that day I was thinking how blessed I am and God did helped me that day. He helped me to give my house a look over with a different perspective. So as I watched the "tumble weed" of fur float under my feet and I thought what a blessing it is to have those. Those wonderful bundles of fur that litter our floor regularly are signs that a sweet, loving cat lives here. And she's such a snuggly good cat. Those fingerprints on the back door are reminders that a sweet toddler lives here and how she loves to run and see daddy at the back door when he gets off work. The crumbs of past meals that have taken up residence under the table are just God's little reminder of meals eaten, shared, and enjoyed. Dirty dishes too! The wipes and diapers and saliva soaked toys make me think of the giggly baby fast asleep upstairs. The piles of socks, underwear,  pants, and shirts remind me of my loving, wonderful husband who works hard to be the best he can be for us. The rumpled bed sheets remind me of a peaceful, restful nights sleep. 

I'm blessed beyond measure. After I called Matt to apologized for being the "nagging wife" I made sure I thanked him for all he does, day in and day out for our family. I prayed that God would help me lift him up and say thanks more regularly for all that he does do. In fact, later the next day he laughed and said something about how I've been praising him a lot. 

My life didn't change, but my perspective sure did. 

Yes, maybe it's taking us two weeks instead of one to get through our school stuff for 'E' week, but what a joy it is to have Brooke over our house. To give her a safe, fun place to enjoy her days while her parents are hard at work. What joy she brings to us! Helping us learn to share and having a friend to play with.

I might not get it all done, but what is most important is that we are happy. I saw that this past Friday. When I didn't feel like making another meal and then cleaning it up I was hoping to find a friend to go out to lunch with. Esther was busy packing to head out of town, Robin was busy with prior plans, and Matt had too much going on at work. I drove home bummed, but then I was blessed beyond measure as I ate with my two girls. Lauren helped me prep the food and helped with the clean up. She rinsed every dish in the sink so I could put away what was clean in the dishwasher and then all the dirty dishes were ready to load. It didn't feel like a chore at all. Perspective.



May you God always open my eyes to show me the many blessings that surround me and remind me to take a breath and enjoy each moment on this earth. Life isn't perfect and neither am I, so Lord I ask that you guide my days so that they are exactly how you would have them, finding joy in each 'imperfection.' My house might not be the cleanest but it's filled with life- your life breath fills this house with each loving member in it. Thank you for my family and thank you for loving us in a special way only you can. I ask for your hands to hold and protect us. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Scrumptiousness

So what's been going on around here? Lots and little. We've been keeping busy enjoying our cooler days together as a family but not too many big things happening- can I hear an Amen! The last few weekends have been blessed with time to enjoy our home and each other. Last two weekends I've done lots of cooking. For church, for us, and for fun!

So what have I been cooking? Lots these days since our littlest one is in full swing of solids and finger foods. Oh do I have some money saving tips for all of you who are also doing the solid thing with your little ones. First, naturally baking things yourself is lots cheaper than buying them at the store pre-made- I know this is a given. In fact, when I started staying home I asked a dear family friend, who stayed home when her daughter was little (now she's a freshman in college, yikes) and she told me baking things herself instead of buying pre-made stuff is one of the biggest ways she saved money. It's pennies to whip up your own blueberry muffins and dollars to buy them at the store. So one of the things I was making was muffins. I found this yummy blueberry oat recipe in one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks. I was looking for something with a little less sugar than my MIL's wonderful, taste like cupcakes, melt in your mouth recipe- very hard not to be glutinis with those bad boys on your counter. Then this week I made pumpkin muffins- lots of sugar but so yummy! Olivia has loved them both. She enjoys anything she can pick up herself and put in her chubby cheeked mouth! She's been enjoying banana, peaches, and pear chunks. Also a favorite is Gerber Puffs, cheerios, and cracker pieces. She still prefers her veggies over fruit and will eat up her pea, carrot, or green bean puree with a big smile and moans of happiness.

So money saving tips for baby food. First you need to get yourself an immersion blender. I asked for one for Christmas last year after Esther informed me that they are great for making baby food and oh yes they are, but we'll get to that in a minute. Instead of buying small, expensive jars of baby food, I purchase cans of adult food and blend them. Go down the can food aisle in your store and look for the can of peas and green beans that says No Salt Added on the can. Check the ingredients label and you'll see that the only ingredients are water and peas (or green beans). Once you're home you open the can, dump it into the little cup that comes with the blender, pop it in the microwave for a minute or two (depending on the power of your microwave) take it out and blend it. Voila- you've got baby food at a fraction of the cost! I've found that you need most of the water in the can for the peas to have a good consistency but drain most of the water off for the green beans. For carrots, I just buy the baby carrots, boil them in a pot on the stove until fork tender, put them in the cup with a little water from the pan and again yummy baby food for lots less. 

I've microwaved apple slices until they are tender and I've also made homemade applesauce too. I can't wait to try squash this fall and my next shopping trip will include sweet potatoes. 

You can store them in the fridge or buy ice cube trays and freeze it. One cube is 1 oz. of food. That makes it easy. I freeze the fruit but not the veggies since she just has a spoonful at lunch and then again at dinner until that veggie is gone- which is less than a week, so I skip the freezing step. I also mashup banana for breakfast or now I just give them to her in little chunks. Sometimes, to get her fruit in, I mashup a small bit of banana and mix it with pear or peach for breakfast or lunch. If you need more instruction than this a great website is Wholesome Homemade Baby Food. I got that from Brooke's mom- there are some neat ideas there. I use a handful of cookbooks my MIL picked up at garage sales too.



She likes to make a big mess of herself but it is with joy and lots of paper towel that we clean her grubby face up!

Also on the topic of food is school! On C week we made cake for Daddy's birthday and then this week our bible story is Moses and the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus) so I found a fun craft on Pinterest that we made last night as Matt mowed the lawn. I got the idea from this blog. She had a great time with both fun activities. She'll tell you the best part has been eating it! She was super excited to eat up Moses- it sure beat last weeks baby Moses in a basket craft. We also made sure to enjoy some yummy eggs since it's E week. So much fun with food around here!





"Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything." Genesis 9:3

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Going Bonkers

So I'm finally getting around to writing a post about how cloth diapering is going this time around. Now if it was going well...I wouldn't need to write this post and I'm also hoping and praying for a solution to my persistent and annoying issue.

First, I need to say that Olivia is a heavy wetter and we found after just a week or so of getting her up each morning with pee soaked pj's that we had to scrap the idea of using them at night. I'm sure there is some ultra absorbent thing out there, but I'm just not interested in purchasing it so we've resorted to putting her in a disposable pampers at night. One diaper a day is no biggie and it is just easier all the way around.

Now onto my issues, well not my issues per-say- we could be here forever on that topic and I'll spare you... So about the end of July I noticed some black spots on the diapers and at first I thought nothing of it. Then one day I took off one of her diapers and the spots were very predominate and on the diaper and the insert. This is when it caught my attention that something was wrong. After further investigation I came to the conclusion that it was mold/mildew. I was HORRIFIED!!!! We are very good at caring for and tending to our diapers. We wash a load every other day and have never had a problem with it. My mind was racing with what I had done wrong. Here is a list of what I might have done, but the God's honest truth is that I have no idea what happened.


  • Our clothes pins were left outside in one of the many flash rain showers we had this summer. They were then put away wet and got some mold on them. The clothes pins were then used to hang the diapers. So could it have been that?
  • Olivia started solids around this time and her poop changed due to the food change so did I not do a good enough job of removing the poop and as it sat for 24 hours or so the mold took hold?
  • We've kept a wet/dry bag in the bathroom downstairs- we shower in this bathroom and therefore the moisture level is higher, maybe causing the mold to have a better growing environment?
  • We've had a very damp summer and I've hung the diapers outside a lot, could the mold in the air transferred to the diapers?
Now I need to say that the majority of the black mold spots are on the inserts, not the diapers. Only a few diapers have been contaminated and only one of them seems to not go away. I've done SOOOO many things to try and get rid of this issue. Here's what I've done.
  • I bought new clothes pins right away.
  • I started using the flushable liners to make sure the majority, if not all, the poop was being flushed away and not sitting on the diapers until wash time.
  • I bleached the inserts to kill the mold- and I've done this a billion times it feels like. I've hung them outside to bleach them. I've used bleach in a soak load and then washed them and triple rinsed them. 
  • I used a mixture of lemon juice and salt and hand scrubbed each spot and then let them sit for a half hour prior to washing them.
  • I've put 3% Hydrogen Peroxide in the rinse cycle.
  • I've put them in the dryer on High heat for 40 minutes.
  • We moved the wet/dry bag out of the bathroom and into the bedroom
Now nothing has completely gotten rid of the mold. I was about to throw a holy temper tantrum this week because I'm at my wits end. I've devoted so much time and effort doing extra loads and taking extra time to try and solve the problem and no matter what I do it won't go away. 

I need to back up and say that often times when I bleach them they come out clean and look great. 99% of the mold is gone, but then I use the inserts again and when I take them out of the laundry there the spots are- taunting me. 

This morning I pulled a load of "clean" diapers out of the dryer, that when I stuffed them they looked clean to the naked eye, and 6 out of the 7 had a black spot or two or three...on them when I investigated them. I looked at Matt and said- that's it I need a break, I'm going insane over this issue and I can't take it anymore. I'm putting her in disposables until I figure it out. I can't keep doing this. Are we really saving money at this point? I mean come on.

I've found most of the "possible solutions" on message boards on the internet. I'm not the only one who has had this problem. In fact, one person put the same issue down word for word. She said how they kept coming back no matter what she did. I've also been very frustrated since the internet is the internet and some of the advice has been "don't use a pal, use a wet/dry bag" and then you read "don't use a wet/dry bag use a pail." There seems to be no solution out there.

I'm devastated that this has happened. I hate to think I've caused it but have no real way of knowing where it originated from. I hate to think I've just ruined hundreds of dollars of diapers. I hate that I'm not finding a way to make it all stop so I can continue using them. 

So if you're reading this and have heard of or have had this issue and conquered it PLEASE let me know!! I will continue to try and find a solution. In the meantime I'm going to purchase some more disposables to get us through this insane mess. Prayers are needed!

"...we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Romans 8:37b



Thursday, September 12, 2013

Yesterday & Today

Yesterday I was standing in front of the kitchen sink, doing the dishes while the girls slept and I thought of twenty different posts I wanted to write about but ran out of time to do so. And now here I am today enjoying the quiet house- with time to write and blank goes the brain, go figure. So I'm sure this post will be a haug-paug (I have no idea how to spell this word, so roll with me here) of this and that, as I try and remember today all the things that seemed so important not to forget yesterday. 

Yesterday I was remembering how fun it was when we went grocery shopping together as a family this week. I used to have a routine about when I'd go grocery shopping but then Olivia was born (proud mama smile on display). Now I do what works best for the week when I need to do it. Sometimes that means we all go. Sometimes I go alone in the morning before Matt heads to work or at night after putting the girls down. Other times I take one of the girls. Anyway- you get the point- no routine is my new routine (hey that has a catchy ring to it). We had so much fun. It was a BIG trip so it took us two hours from pulling out of the driveway to pulling back in. The girls and Matt hung in there with me. Lauren enjoys shopping so much. The fun thing is the car cart. I avoided them until Olivia came along, she seemed old enough then to handle the responsibilities of the 'car cart.' She got out in aisles that weren't as crowded and took things I gave her back the cart #2 being pushed by daddy and occupied by the groceries. Then she'd load herself back into the car as we navigated to the next aisle. The best part is the reward at the end- M&M's at the checkout. We eat them on the ride home to celebrate a job well done. It also helps after looking at all the yummy food throughout the store to have a sweet treat.

After arriving home- past both girls bedtime, opps- Lauren helped Matt unload the car while I put Olivia down. Then Lauren continued being mommy's helper as she unloaded the bags of food. She just amazes me- when I came into the kitchen she had the freezer stuff in a pile in front of the freezer and stuff for the pantry in a pile by the pantry. This girl's too smart! She was saying "Oh" after pulling each item out of the bag as if she was so excited and thankful for each new package she encountered. It just was a glimpse of how we all should be as we unload our groceries, thankful to God for each thing we have. Like Mana to the Israelites, God provides it all. What a gift! 

Yesterday after a sweet friend gave me the nudge I needed, Olivia Jean went down to three nursings a day. I remember being so ready to drop every nursing with Lauren. Being ready for her to move along and I'm finding myself to be sooooo not that way with Olivia. I think it's because it's happening so much faster with Olivia. She's a good nurser and gets all she needs in a short time so she's progressed along a lot faster than Lauren did. Not to compare them but to show why it is I don't feel ready. 

It all came about the end of last week. She gets three meals of solid food a day and last week I started noticing how she wasn't interested in the solid food and that she was nursing more. I thought at first it was just a phase but that little girl was not getting enough solids so she was more hungry at nursing times. It was a vicious cycle that lead to her waking up earlier and earlier each morning one hungry baby girl. So this weekend it got very obvious to me as she was putting her hand in front of her face at meal times and pressing her lips together. She would moan for food (think I got a video of this because she was a goof with her moaning noise) and then when you went to feed her the food- hands in front of her face and closed lips. But you put a puff on her tray and the girl would reach for it and stuff that sucker in her mouth like a rabid beast. My first thought was, OH NO I got her hooked on puffs, she's not going to eat anything else! What have I done?! Then I realized the girl just wants to feed herself. So then I tried giving her cheerios and the reaction of "happy hungry baby stuffing her mouth" is what we got. I also noticed she didn't mind the stuff on the spoon as long as there was something on her tray for her to feed to herself. So this morning I put small cut up pieces of banana and cheerios on her tray and then feed her peach puree. That little girl ate like a champ. I also reorganized the nursing routine since I cut out one nursing. She now nurses when she wakes, before nap, and then before bed. She eats her solids after her morning nursing, lunch, and dinner time. So far so good. Just goes to show me how very special and different each of my little ones is. Amen to that!

Yesterday I was enjoying the feeling of contentment. This week has been an answer to prayer in so many ways. We were running ragged this summer- in both good and not so good ways. But now with vacations behind us and cooler days ahead of us I'm sure glad for the slowness of this week. I didn't have anything planned for Monday except house chores. We ended up taking an unexpected trip to the doctor for Lauren, but that fit right into "D" week. Then Tuesday we just took a small trip to a friends house to see her ducks- well we saw horses, chickens, a bunny, a dog, and a lizard too but the intention was to see ducks for "D" week. She got to feed them and pet a duck. She was so brave with all the animals coming up to her for food standing firm and not yelling out in fright. So far school has been going great. I really need to sit down and do a post all about what we've done, maybe...someday...hopefully. But yesterday continued with the relaxed, easy feeling as we're stepping back into routine. We went to library time (don't think we made it there all summer) and then the children's museum, which was so deserted I think Esther and I could have stayed there forever and let the kids play. Even with the unexpected trip back home for the forgotten lunch bag- it was still a wonderful day. I have contribute it all to God.

Yesterday I was also thinking about the study on Jonah I just started, and oh is it a wonderful study. So applicable to my life right now. I think Priscilla Shirer wrote this study after clearly jumping into my brain and seeing all the crazy up in there! This is my first study with her and I'm very impressed. I'll have to tell you more as I go through it- I'm looking forward to study group tomorrow- so much to share and I can't wait to hear what the other women are think too. Such a blessing!

Today I was thinking about how God has worked this relaxing yet productive week in just when I needed it most. He has helped me through the unexpected events of dropping one of Olivia's nursing, which I wasn't feeling very ready to do but it has worked out wonderfully. He was there when I realized I had forgotten our lunch as we pulled into the library parking lot, with not a moment to spare. He was there when I went to pick up my very full cherry pomegranate juice only to have it slip from my hands all. over. the. floor. He was there in the moments I just couldn't get enough of- playing with Lauren and doing school with her. Watching her smile and laugh. Run and be the super silly girl that she is. He was there as I rocked Olivia and built blocks with her just so she can squeal with delight and knock them all down. When she was happier than a clam watching Lauren play about around her. He was there in the few quiet moments Matt and I get to enjoy each other as husband and wife, with laughs and sweet embraces. We have such a loving Heavenly Father who provides what we need, when we need it- even if what we need is to drive a ten minutes back home to get the lunch we so absent mindedly forgot. 

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelations 1:8


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

The Sweetest Place on Earth

This past weekend we took a wonderful little vacation to Hershey, PA. We meet up with my sister's family for a relaxing and fun time as we camped and then spent Sunday at HersheyPark. We had a great time and enjoyed spending time with one another, something we don't get to do often enough since we live so far apart.

The stress of packing and getting out the door for the weekend melted away on our drive. Matt and I enjoyed two full hours of uninterrupted adult conversation with each other as the kids napped in the back seat- it was heavenly. Then we stopped at the Welcome Center/rest stop to stretch and enjoy our packed lunch. It was so cute as I faced away from the parking lot and nursed, Matt and Lauren enjoyed watching the big trucks come in and go out, they rambled on and on about where each one parked and what each truck looked like. I could have sat there longer, enjoy the soundtrack of our life, but back in the car we were and a few hours later we found ourselves at the campground, where my sister, her husband, and my nephew Finn were already set up and waiting for us.

We opted for a "rustic cabin" and not a tent this time around. It wasn't that much more and the thought of camping in a tent with two little ones didn't sound like too much fun to Matt, and honestly me either. I believe there were multiple times over the weekend that I thanked him for not wanting to tent camp. It's one thing to enjoy the tent in our own backyard- it's another to be in a tent for days on end with the kiddos. The cabin was just a glorified shed, with two sets of built in bunk beds, a table and two chairs, and a dresser. It did however come with a window air conditioner- which was heaven sent, since it was very humid all weekend. 


Friday afternoon/evening went so fast, before we knew it the kids were sleeping and Shauna, Charley and I were sitting around the fire- being goofy. We were letting the fire die down so we could roast some mallows up when we had a little friend visit the site. Shauna and I got up to retrieve the food, only to find a skunk already enjoying it for us. YES, you read that right, a shunk was enjoying some of Lucy's (Shauna's dog) dog treats. Then sniffing around to see if anything else looked good. I about peed my pants and had no interest in any food anymore. We waited a while until our little friend wandered off and then put all the food into the cars for safe keeping. I went to bed after all of the excitement- oh the great outdoors!

On Saturday we spent the morning taking it slow, then the campground offered crafts for the kids- so Lauren painted a bobble head cat and Finn an airplane. Then they played on the playground for a while. Lauren swung on a big girl swing and kept asking to be pushed higher. Oh I wished I had brought my camera for that. It seems like just yesterday she was terrified to swing in a baby swing too high. 

Then lunch and a trip to the swimming pool rounded out the afternoon. We enjoyed relaxing and chatting while the kids napped. We finally had our marshmallows and got dinner prepared ahead of time so all we had to do was cook it later (made a wonderful chicken santa fa meal, you can find the recipe here). We took a walk and watched the kids play that evening.

That evening we didn't have a skunk visit- all food went into the car right after dinner- but we did have a rainstorm come through. The kids were sleeping away and we just moved under the gazebo and waited it out.

Then Sunday we got up and started getting ready to head to the amusement park. By the time we drove, parked, and got into the park it was around 11- so we ate and then got to riding rides. Lauren and Finn rode so many rides. I've never been to such a kid friendly amusement park. Every corner you turned around there were more kid rides. Ninety percent of our time there was enjoying watching the kids ride on one ride after another. Lauren and Finn even enjoyed a few "big kid" rides with us. They had so much fun!

 Daddy and Lauren 






They went all day long with no nap and were so good. Lauren just kept wanting to go on another ride. Her facial expressions were cracking us up- she would look like she was miserable or expressionless the whole ride and then come off and be so happy. While on the other hand, Finn smiled with glee and excitement the whole ride, waving and carrying on. They were great riding buddies. My sister and I loved just watching them play and have fun. They're only seven months apart and soon you won't even be able to tell the difference. Olivia hung in there too. She mostly rode in the stroller happy and content, or slept in the stroller. For a short while I had her in the carrier- she just loves to be up and seeing everything that is going on!





We got to enjoy some family rides too. They have a monorail and we rode the old fashioned cars together. Matt did the accelerator and Lauren drove (bump, bump, bump) the whole way while Olivia and I relaxed, and held on in the backseat. They had a little steam train for the whole family too. Olivia was sleeping so I stayed back with her while the rest of them went on. Lauren loved the train!





They even got to meet the Hershey Bar! We saved Chocolate World for the end of the evening and went on the free ride that tells you all about how chocolate is made- they really enjoyed that. Matt enjoyed the huge selection of candy they had in the shop too. We also stopped at the souvenir store and Lauren got a little stuffed Hershey Kiss, who is named "Kisses." 

We had such a great time and made some wonderful memories I hope not to forget. Like how Lauren dragged Finn's wagon around everywhere she went. And Finn and her were so cute playing together. Finn kept giving Olivia kisses all weekend, who can resist those cheeks?!?






The ride home on Monday was relaxing and quick. I've coined the term "vacation hangover" since once you get home and the vacation is over the drudgery of unpacking, cleaning, and washing that follows is never any fun. We're now back into the swing of life at home. But next years vacation with them is already in the works...

"...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to konw this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:18b-21