I don’t tend to get too sentimental over many possessions. I treasure many of our books and certainly cards and other items that my husband, the girls or other close family members have given me. Outside of that, one of the things I do love most in our home is this picture.

My father-in-law had an unexpected surgery last week so we made an overnight trip to Georgia to visit him in the hospital. We are probably some of the most “un-spontaneous” people you will ever meet, which made this somewhat of a big deal for me! Here are some things I learned from our little adventure.

1. It’s actually less stressful and uncomplicated when you only have a couple of hours to pack as opposed to a couple of days.
2. If you’re looking for a certain restaurant at which to stop for breakfast, you will not find it no matter how many exits you continue to pass.
3. My youngest can sit still for long periods of time when she’s on her Granny’s lap.
4. If reviews for the hotel at which you made last-minute arrangements to stay include the phrase “worst hotel I ever stayed at,” your expectations will be so low that you’re pleasantly surprised when it’s not as bad as you thought.
5. Traveling in general gets easier as the kids get older.

Did you learn any great lessons this past week? See what others are sharing at Musings of a Housewife.photo courtesy public domain pictures

Since we’re sweltering in the heat here this month, I decided it would be good to list thirteen things that I love about summer.

1. Vacations
2. Sleeping in a little later
3. No homework for the kids
4. Going to the beach
5. Longer periods of daylight
6. Not having to pack lunches for the girls
7. Swimming at the pool
8. A more relaxed schedule
9. Trips to visit family
10. The large variety of fresh produce
11. Celebrating our wedding anniversary
12. It’s easier to clothe the girls – simple cotton dresses with flip-flops or sandals works for most any day
13. Cold treats like ice cream!

Hope you are enjoying your summer wherever you are!!This post is linked to Thursday-13.photo courtesy public domain pictures

We are back home after spending a week making some special memories with my family. I thought I’d share pictures from a few of the fun things we did!

We found some beautiful gardens to explore.

Later that day we shared a wonderful afternoon with cousins – eating lunch, riding a ferry and a trolley, then finishing the day with ice cream.

We love being with my cousin and her two girls. The four “second” cousins get along so well!

We worked in some shopping, a little one-on-one time for each of my daughters with their Grandmama, and celebrated my sister and her first baby boy (due in September) at her baby shower.

We also traveled to an animal park where the girls got to feed some animals – up close and personal!

God gave us safety, smooth travel and absolutely gorgeous weather for which we are very thankful!

I was so unmotivated when we got home last night that I didn’t do anything – hence today consists of a trip to the grocery store (already done), unpacking and several loads of laundry!!

Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! We were blessed to be able to do several fun things together as a family.

On Friday night we went to a minor league baseball game where the girls got their faces painted…..

…..took in some baseball action…..

…..and ended the evening with some pretty neat fireworks.

On Saturday my eight-year-old and I made July 4th Cupcakes…..

…..and late in the afternoon we headed to a friend’s house for a cookout and some time for the girls to play with friends.

Okay, are you tired of hearing me talk about the family vacation we’re going on next week?? Since I haven’t yet tired of talking about it, here are thirteen things that will make this vacation fun.

1. Anticipation. Thinking about and planning for our vacation is lots of fun in and of itself.
2. Watching the girls play in the hotel pool. Finding a hotel with an indoor pool is pretty much top priority for any trip these days. That way we know that they can be entertained no matter what the weather. They don’t have a lot of opportunities to swim in a pool here at home, so they thoroughly enjoy all-day access to a pool.
3. Spending time together as a family.
4. No cooking (although I am definitely ready for a home-cooked meal by the time we get back)
5. No cleaning
6. Being in the mountains. For whatever reason, I seem to feel more calm and peaceful when I see mountains around me.
7. Reading. Without laundry to do and meals to prepare, I have more time for reading books and magazines.
8. Amusement parks. The girls are at the age where they’re able to ride more rides (and want to ride the same ones over and over again!)
9. Shopping.
10. Relaxing. No schedule or bedtimes to keep…..
11. Water. I love seeing waterfalls or even just the little streams that run alongside the road.
12. Pictures. I like taking pictures of the girls in the different places we visit, to record the fun times we have together.
13. Getting home. As much fun as it is to go away, it’s also pretty sweet to sleep in your own bed after several nights away!

In case you missed my many references this week to our upcoming vacation (ha!), I thought I’d share one of my favorite packing tips. Not to confuse things, though – I really dislike packing. I must say, however, that it is so much easier at this stage of life when we’re past carting all the baby gear along!