Colorado Bound!

I'm headed to CO for our First Annual Sister Trip! I am extremely excited to get away with my sisters for a vacation full of adventure, fun, and sister bonding....that being said, I'm getting nervous too. I know I've spent a weekend away from my little man, but this will be more like a week. On top of that, Matt has a busy work schedule ahead, so Eli will be spending his days with a fantabulous baby sitter. If you remember from a prior post, we've not really left Eli with sitters much. Hmmmmm....

At the moment my excitement is currently outweighing my anxiety, so I'm hanging in there.

Eli's trying to stow away in Mama's suitcase

I'm also trying to leave EVERYTHING my boys and the sitter could possibly want or need. I've been making lists, typing up routines, and organizing emergency contact sheets. The kitchen has been working on overdrive to prepare dinners, snacks, and veggies for while I'm gone. I've finally finished that task and then moved onto cleaning the house. I don't want our sweet sitter to have to spend all day in our messy clutter and non-dusted/vacuumed house. And oh yeah, laundry! I need to pack from a clean closet...all my faves need to be ready to go! Plus, I want Eli (and yes, Matt too) to have clean clothes. Phew!

Luckily, I'm starting to feel like I have almost accomplished it all. I'm sure I'm forgetting something...but that is what tomorrow is for!
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Please pray for safe and easy travel for those of us sissies flying across country tomorrow night. And then you can pray that we all get out to Steamboat Springs safely...and have a blast! And if you don't mind a quick prayer for my boys, our sitter, and my anxious heart and mind. Thank you so much!
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It is going to be a fun week filled with rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, and more. I can't wait to tell you guys all about it.

Now, back to folding laundry and hiding clutter. Wheee!

* p.s. please note that the monthly post will picture link will come after my return from CO *
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Going Back is the Best of All!

So, we hit the road Friday afternoon, and made it to Atlanta. Aunt Lindsey was generous enough to let us stay at her place despite not being there, and Aunt Kristi was the backseat hero! Eli did great even though he stayed up too late fighting sleep. It was the most peaceful trip to date. Thanks for the prayers; they worked! And thanks to Aunt Kristi for being an amazing playmate.

Saturday morning, we hit the road again. After "tanking up" at Starbucks, we followed our GPS and the smell of the mountains into North Carolina. After a detour down a long, windy, gravel road to the Sweet Treats (a local ice cream treat...) owner's home(!) (whoops!...that is what we get for typing a location into the GPS and trusting it... ), we stopped at a roadside waterfall. Eli was in awe of the water falling off the rocks and onto the road. It was all we could do to keep him from getting into trouble...in the road...in the water...around the rocks...oh my!

We then headed into the "Hamptons of North Carolina", a.k.a. Highlands where we wandered the shops, ate pizza, and actually did delight in some Sweet Treats ice cream. Eli loved his licks while dad mastered the Ring Game.

Now, the actual reason for this trip was the summer camp my sisters and I grew up going to was having a reunion to celebrate 90 years. Pretty amazing. I went to Merrie-Woode for 13 or 14 summers and Kristi went for 17, so we have spent a good part of our summers there, making lots of memories. There was a cocktail party on the edge of camp Saturday evening. Kristi and I loved seeing, reminiscing and catching up with many friends.

Sunday, we were lucky to spend the day at camp with other alumnae and parents of campers. There was quite a turnout...probably 600 people! It was like we were kids again, getting butterflies of excitement as we drove down the camp road. My mind started racing with all the times I rode, drove, ran, or walked down that road. From my first summer at age nine in "Sunny Shack" through college as a counselor. Singing songs, making dear friendships, and crying (SOBBING!) when it was time to leave. Camp Merrie-Woode is a place I cherish with memories that are irreplaceable. These were some of the best times of my life. I was blessed (spoiled is more like it...) to have had the opportunity to attend this amazing camp. Seeing Lake Fairfield, nestled at the base of Old Bald...the campers in uniform...the cabins I spent so much time in lining the lake....WOW! I love it here!

We got there early enough to let Eli run around and get a good seat for the chapel service. Eli found some water lilies, but didn't care for jelly lilies.

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After chapel, we had some down time to find old friends, walk around camp, and just bask in being there; breathing the beautiful mountain air. Eli was plumb tuckered out, so Matt took him back to the hotel for a catnap. They made it back in time for the afternoon crew races. Kristi and I each spent a good part of the afternoon talking with some sweet friends that we haven't seen in YEARS! It made the trip so worth it! It was wonderful to see everyone, hear what they were doing, and hear how their lives have changed...or not...kids, husbands, jobs, adventures...

Eli loved the newness and openness of camp. He found lots to do and lots of mischief to stir up.

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I'm so glad I got to share CMW with him.

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Leaving camp is always hard...again, it reminds me of being a kid and not wanting to go. The trip was too short!! I didn't feel like we got to *do* North Carolina-type things. Just one of the many reasons we should go again...SOON! We stopped at one of the last, beautiful mountain vistas as we headed down and out of the mountains to snap a few more photos...

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And the drive home....it was fine. Eli did great again. Thank the Lord (seriously...) for an awesome aunt and Grandma's DVD player. One episode of his favorite show and lots of attention from his backseat companions made the trip go smoothly. Praise Jesus! It could have been rough...

Bubblicious

a boy and his bubbles

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truly tickled

We're headed to the mountains of North Carolina tomorrow for a long weekend and Camp Merrie-Woode's 90th Reunion. The next post is bound to be full of stories and pictures of our adventures. Pray for a safe and peaceful drive for us, as well as good times.
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Shenanigans

We have had our fair share of "shenanigans" this week. The most painful one included Eli pulling the tendrils of a plant only to have it come crashing down on his head. After carefully dusting off the dirt and clay shards, I was able to locate the "point of impact" on his noggin.

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He did not cry for long (kisses and ice make it all better.) Only freaked out when I had to get out the vacuum to clean it up.

And for a kid who is absolutely terrified of the vacuum in every way, shape, and form (...I'm serious, he literally begins to shake and freak as soon as he sees it...), he sure loves to pretend he is vacuuming. He found a tennis racket, and it quickly became a vacuum.

He continuously hums while pushing it around the house, pushing it into corners and hallways. Sure to get up all of the bits of dirt and grime.

At least we know his imagination is blossoming beautifully.
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A Fun-Filled Fourth

We had a great time at St. George Island with family for the 4th of July. Eli and I headed down on Wednesday....why not? My sister, (Aunt) Lindsey and Kurt were already there, so Eli squeezed in some play time with them before dinner and bedtime.

Eli was up early the next morning...early enough to enjoy the sunrise from the porch swing.

Matt and the rest of the family (Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Kristi) joined us on Thursday evening. The holiday weekend was in full swing!

Love from Aunt Kristi

Enjoying Grandpa's AMAZING boiled peanuts!

Eli and Grandpa started a new tradition of a post-dinner walk on the beach. Grandpa even had an Eli-sized walking stick that Eli adored. What a treat! And it was an amazing sleep-inducing elixir. Eli came in from each walk looking as if he was sleep walking. And he slept great each night. Way to go, Grandpa! :)

Cornhole was a highlight of the weekend, thanks to Matt and Grandpa's well designed and built boards.

Eli still loves everything about the beach. He gets more and more brave with each visit. He loves the water and sand. Every morning and afternoon were spent on the beach. We built all kinds of castles that Eli (or the waves) quickly demolished.

We hope to get back several more times in the next couple of months. We are so blessed to have the opportunity to go so often.
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A Great Ending

We spent our last weekend of June at Grandma & Grandpap Carson's (a.k.a. Maa Maw & Pap Pap in Eli-ese) house in Dunedin. Much of the visit was spent in the pool.

We did manage to get Eli to dry off and de-prunify enough to go to a Minor League Blue Jays game.

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....only got to stay a couple of innings, but we tried to give Eli the entire baseball game experience. The tastes, the sounds, and the sights. He had a good time, but as bedtime neared, we headed for home.

Eli loved sharing Pap Pap's chocolate donut!

Thanks for a great time...as always!

Hard to believe June is done...and summer is in full swing. July is going to be busy with trips to the beach and the mountains. Check out the photos from June if you're interested!
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