A Weekend Away

This past weekend we got to go on our first overnight getaway as a family of five. I must admit that I was a little nervous about being in a car for four hours, but the girls did amazingly well! Even Abby! They slept half the time up there, which meant I didn't have to listen to four hours of Veggie Tales ;-)

Grand Lake, CO
View from our cabin

Sean, Abby and I have been up to my father-in-law's co-owned cabin once before, but it was during the summer. This time when we got there we had to park about 200ft away from the cabin because the snow was too deep to drive through, (also, our van does not do well in the snow so it was really probably for the better). Only one child fell while walking to the cabin. I tried not to laugh, but it was a classic snowfall, and she was adorable doing so. It made the trek through the snow a little more light-hearted anyway.

Saturday was our "snow" packed day.

We went sledding

built forts

Roasted Marshmallows

Made snow angels

Tended to the fire

Enjoyed the fire :-)

made snow men, shoveled, painted, read books, and relaxed. Although a vacation with three children is not as relaxing as a vacation with two, or even three, it was still a time away. A time away from endless laundry, dishes, dirty bathrooms (and everything else dirty), paperwork, and the list goes on.

Learning to just stop and play with the girls has been one of my biggest challenges. I seem to always have something to do. This was finally an opportunity to be with the girls and even just sit on the couch with my hubby and read while he did schoolwork.

I love that we had a family getaway. And the girls loved it as well. We kept asking them what their favorite thing to do was and the answer was always changing. What I gather from that was they enjoyed everything.

Our family growth has brought challenges and changes, but I wouldn't chose to have it any other way.

I feel the journey thus far (2 MONTHS!) can be summarized through these verses:

Psalm 40:1-4a
"I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust" 

I praise God for giving us this time away as a family. I praise God for giving me this family. And I praise God for using us to love on these girls like they are our very own.