1.2.12 {picture a cutie}

Well here we are, at the end of our 12-day vacation, the first as a family of five. What a fantastic time in Florida we had--playing with cousins, visiting with extended family, enjoying God's fabulous creation (hello beach!), and soaking up time together.

now we are blessedly loaded down with Christmas gifts and crammed full of sweet almost-sleeping children. I can hear cutie face, once the only and now the biggest sister, softly complaining about goIng to sleep. If it was still just her in the car, I'd crawl in the back and tell her stories, sing her a song, and do prayers until she fell asleep. My heart hurts for her a bit because neither of us have known those times of such undivided and individualized attention in nearly two years. And how sometimes I wish we could go back to those times so she knows how much she is loved and valued--more than just being the excellent role model for her sisters and the incredible helper for me, her mom.

But then I know how rich her life (& mine!) is because of her siblings--the love expounded, the lessons learned, the forever-bonds formed. How amazing to think that our God can give us, his children, individual attention and a plan just for us but then plop us in the middle of our Christian family to learn the same lessons and experience the same love.

I anticipated just attempting to see if a picture could upload from my iPhone to snapfiah to blogger while we drove home. I wanted to keep the daily picture streak alive! Sorry so long winded!

Chattanooga chooCHOO!

the first weekend in October (oh, yes, more than a month ago), we went to Chattanooga. It was so much fun that I had to post, no matter how late! 

Sadly, i forgot my camera. Thankfully, my fantastic father-in-law is a professional photographer.

Our days away from home (and at home, for that matter) always start out super early. When we are on the road, though, we need to get out of the house and avoid waking others too early--so away we went! 

We found a butterfly bench which provided oodles (5 minutes) of entertainment

we put a slightly concerned Cutie Cakes in the Whole Foods punken patch

and then Cutie Face decided to join her for a sisterly photo-op

Cutie Cakes really couldn't get enough of the pumpkins

it was still early, so we visited Rembrandt's and the sculpture garden

 

 The Cuties were content to check out the sights

 

the glass bridge was particularly nifty

what was the most cool, though, was the hot air balloon festival

It was very impressive

 

 and great daddy-daughter bonding time

It also made for great scenic backdrops

 

 The park with the balloons also had "instruments"

playable with a handy stick

 

late breakfast made by Gramps is always a special treat

especially when it is pancakes

it seemed like this was the weekend of festivals

We found a great one complete with bouncy castle

 a firetruck,

 and a chalkboard car 

(what? you don't have one of these at your festivals?)

 

so much fun!

 

Pumpkin decorating and popsicle eating rounded out the day

and pretty much wore out the Cuties

It was a great fall family weekend, 

made perfect by spending time with Gramps and Jen-Gram!