Project 365 Week 35

I just realized that I did this week's post completely backwards... and I don't feel like fixing it... So... read from bottom to top.  ha!  :)

Saturday, August 27th

As we prepared for Hurricane Irene to cross over the Northeast with winds of 60-90 mph, we took photos of every room in the house for insurance purposes... Thank God we did not have to use any of them!!!  :)  Here is the photo of our office/playroom.

 Friday, August 26th

On our way home from Pennsylvania - Vacation

At a pit-stop... Elia having fun behind the wheel!

Thursday, August 25th

Donnie had complete control of the trip... which is something I am NOT used to... it took me a good day and a half to RELAX and TRUST... This trip made me realize how much trust and "self-made-not-God's-kind-of peace" I find in having control... This vacation CHANGED my Life... I realized how much I NEED my husband, our family's SHEPHERD to guide us and take care of us... The picture below is one I took when my heart was SO TOUCHED by what God was doing in the depths of my heart... Donnie took us to a place I would never have chosen to go... cuz you know, I know IT ALL... wow... this place was the most beautiful, out of this world quaint and lovely place we had ever been too... It was raining when we walked through the Village, so I did not carry my camera... I simply RELAXED... not "relaxed-in that kind of planned way", NO, I let it all go, all of it, I yielded to the man God has given me to gently love me and guide me and our children through this life and I received all that he had for me that day.  I may be with the children for more calendar hours, but I am NOT the leader of our home, I am this Man's soul mate and helpmate, I love him with a new and fresh love because I have found out what it means to trust and let go... wow!

 There was an adorable arcade type place with a large carousel and lots of rides and games.  The kids LOVED IT!  Again... I would NOT have chosen this place... WIFE - WRONG AGAIN... QUIET SUBMISSION IS THE ONLY WAY TO ROLL! 

 Wednesday, August 23rd - Sesame Place - Separate Post

Tuesday, August 24th - Separate Post

Monday, August 22nd

VACATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  MUCH NEEDED!!!

Donnie set us up in such a lovely spot!  Gorgeous room, perfect location, lots of food and the Outlet Mall nearby and SESAME PLACE less than 10 minutes away!  Here is the huge pool and kiddie pool beyond... this was the selling point for Donnie, he really wanted pool-time with us!

 Elia checking things out and Liliana walking by... she was writing on the notepad with the hotel pen... you know, regular hotel routine... :)

 Look at that beautiful bed... and the GREEN walls and bedding... my favorite color!  Noah is pointing out the window at the pool asking about when we will swim in it!  :)

 Elia reading a book... haha!  :)

 Here we go..... !  :)



10 Day Caribbean Cruise

A little over a year ago David Albano, at CCC began advertising a 10 Day Caribbean Cruise for anyone interested in going. One of the stipulations to making it a "church" outing was to have a pastor accompany the group to provide bible study's each morning and a Sunday service with Communion on the first Sunday of the trip. So, the four of us packed our bags and off we went with about 34 others! :o)

We stopped at 5 ports: San Juan, St. John, St. Maarten, and Tortolla and I can't remember the other one...We did not get of at every stop, only two of them as it cost extra, it was a lot for the kids, and I just did not feel to great a lot of the time. :o)

Here is Megan's Bay in St. John:

Me, Liliana & Noah. Liliana and I spent almost the entire time out swimming in the absolutely perfect water!!! :o) What a sweet time!!! She is a good little swimmer...just like her mommy...a fishy!
What a yummy fruit drink that was!
Beach Babe!

LOL...she was crazy with that sand! She was digging like a puppy! Soo silly! :o) She's pretends to be a doggy no matter where she is! Ha!

See...digging like a puppy!

The water came up and got them!

My man bringing us some DELICIOUS hot pizza...the water brings out your appetite!

Our ride back to the ship: the Norwegian Gem...It was GINORMOUS!!! I didn't like looking at it as it overwhelmed my senses...I am weird like that...I am like that with mountians too! Ha!

Noah was POOOPED...we got back to the room and showered up and he crawled right onto the bed and fell asleep just like this right away! Awe!

This is in Antiqua, St. Maarten. Rough waters...I swam a lot of the time while the kids played in the sand. I got knocked over and sucked under a handful of times...you get the feel for it and learn to roll with the waves after a few times, but still, rough. There were lots of shells here, Liliana and I had fun looking through them and brought some home!

Mr. Sandman! He was COVERED in sand...and he enjoyed eating it!!! Oh Boy! :o)

I have lots more pictures, but need to get to bed. :o)

What a wonderful time we had and are SO SO SO SO SO BLESSED to have Donnie with us for 13 days straight!!! :o) He is the best husband and Daddy EVER!!! Noah is especially cute during and after any family vacations as he gets extremely attached to Daddy...last night he even told me to "go away" at bed time because he wanted Daddy to sing to him. :o) During the day I tell Donnie that Noah is orbiting him! ha!

Thank you, Jesus for Donnie and our precious family!!!

Old Sturbridge Village

I just don't know what to say about this bathroom set-up.... uhmm... looks like a men's room to me...

Daddy educatin' the children on how this little building out back works.
Look at this handsome little man!

I tried to get the kids to sit with me for a picture, then finally said "fine, I will have one by myself", then my girl joined me.

Chewing gum. Way too cute!

I just had to have a bull in my blog!

Liliana loved "milking the cow".

Photo booth style!

I love this one...

Where's Noah, What is Daddy saying & check out the bling on Liliana's finger!

The bling, btw, is from her friend Alley's recent princess birthday party!

I finally reached my arm out far enough to fit all of us in!

Mommy & her Noah!

Liliana was posed in front of this... she ran off! ha!

I just love red houses, barns, farmhouses... love them!

We had the best, most relaxing day! The weather was PERFECT... so perfect it knocked us all out... we are all very sleepy tonight! Nothing like fall weather!

Gillette Castle

Working on the dress ettiquete. :o) Check out Liliana's shades under her bangs! Ha! She is too cool!!!

What a beautiful spot!

What an amazing spot this is down below by the river! So relaxing! *sigh*

Here is Noah looking up at Daddy and pointing at the water and saying "pool". He calls any body of water, including the bathtub a pool and any type of sprinkling water rain.

Getting tired of all of my photo taking! Check out her plastered on smile... she is ready to run accross that bridge!

WhaaSay???

Liliana has been in and out of this "WhaaSay?" phase lately. On vacation she did it bad - it became a family joke. Donnie and I began asking her "whaasay?" haha!!! :o)

WhaaSay - What Did You Say - all mushed into one annoying word! :o) lol

Speaking of vacation, we had the BEST time having Donnie around for a good long week. It was wonderful to see him TOTALLY take a break and relax from work, etc. He is a very hard worker and is all-consumed with the ministry, so it was wonderful to see him take a true break. I am proud of him. He is the best husband and daddy I could ever dream of! The kids, especially Noah really LOVED having him around so much. Noah really became a "daddy's boy"! So sweet! We hit the pool a few times and the parks and Donnie and I had some good ole' movie nights together. One of the ones we watched was Valkiere (spelling)... it was excellent.

The Smokies

Yucky slobber! :o) Ha!

Liliana's first time put-putting. Daddy teaching her the ropes. She was a natural!

Liliana feeding a zebra! Super-cool!

The goats were so sweet! One of them started sucking on my thumb! ha!!! :o) Above are Liliana, Noah and cousin Jonathan.

PawPaw, Noah, Donnie, Jonathan, Mom, Me, Liliana and Great Grandma. We had a blast! What treasure it was for the kids to have 4 generations in one cabin! :o)

We just returned from the BEST VACATION!!! We went to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg TN/The Smokie Mountains and we LOVED every minute of it.

It was about a 14 hour drive, which was not bad, a little long for the kids, but we managed. We stayed in a gorgeous cabin in the mountains in Pigeon Forge. We went to Capes Cove, Ripley's Aquarium, The petting Zoo and pony Rides, Ripley's Where Pigs Fly Put-Put, Gatlinburg, all of which were amazing! We would do every single one of them again and again!

Noah's first pony ride! He LOVED it! He hummed and giggled the whole ride! The ponies name is Smokie.

Liliana riding Little Joe. She also loved the pony ride!

Here is Liliana handfeeding a peacock a big cheezit on our cabin deck. It just walked right up the stairs and made himself at home. So cool!

Above: At a stop on Cape Cove. I could live right in that very spot! The air was so amazing up there. So peaceful!

Here we are sitting in front of Roo's Retreat. :o)