Vegas Vacation...Kinda :)

So we went to Vegas. Although stay-at-home-mom is my main gig, I work a little on the side for some friends and a big annual work thing was there this year. Since B and I also really needed to get away after the crazy last few months, we tacked a 2-day vacation onto the 3-day trade show. We could have been anywhere and enjoyed 2 days together by ourselves. Even Vegas...not really somewhere we fit in. :)

I love him so. Wish we had more time like this to focus on each other...it's really fun. :)

Our hotel looked like Venice inside...

Waiting for the fountains at the Bellagio. It was the prettiest hotel to me...just clean and calm with a beautiful plant conservatory and amazing mosaic tile work everywhere. And the fountain show was amazing.

Otherwise, I am ok not to go there again...it just felt really worldly and materialistic and not so much focused on anything eternal. It made me long for my earthly and heavenly homes!

The last 3 days were super busy with work stuff...it was great to meet a lot of the people I've only known over the phone for the past several months and to learn more about the business in general. Although I enjoyed it and am so thankful for God's provision through a great flexible, work-from-home job, I definitely confirmed that my old corporate life with travel and business is not where I am supposed to be right now. I missed my babies SO much.

With Kelley in front of one of our displays...

MEANwhile...the kids were in GREAT hands! I got emotional more than once while I was gone, missing them and being overwhelmed with gratefulness for such amazing friends and an absolutely incredible husband. They loved on them so well that I'm not sure I was really missed. :)

Jenn and Matt's mom came to stay for the first couple of days while both Bryce and I were gone. It made it super easy for our kids to stay in their routine and be with the friends that know them best. It is impossible to thank them appropriately for the peace that comes with not having to worry about the kids at all.

Now Gehrig reads to Madi for real :)

Babies!

Gehrig loves his new Sorry game...

Excuse me, please stop growing! You guys are supposed to be the BABIES.

Jenn and the big girls went to see the new Winnie the Pooh movie one afternoon...such a fun treat!

And Grama...she is just like Jenn in that she treats our kids like they're her own grandchildren. So thankful for her traveling and spending those days here. The kids loved it :)

Grama's market...making money and things to buy out of playdough. Fun!

And if I didn't feel blessed enough by their sacrifice for our family, other friends joined in the care of the Gs. The Ruckers picked Gehrig up one morning to go to a cool animal event (loved hearing Gehr's report on it over the phone :)) at the library and then to get smoothies. Perfect.

Maymay and fam kept Garner one night and loved on her so well. Her first sleepover...sigh. She had fun too :)

And Mandy and Chandler came to keep the kids the last few hours until B got home from the airport. Seriously overwhelmed with everyone's love. It made being gone so much easier for sure...

And finally, the BEST husband ever. He came home after our quick getaway to take over all 3 kids, pack us all up for the beach, leave early to visit Mammaw on the way and get the fam and all our beach stuff to the beach for our annual vacation. UH-mazing.

I missed Garner's transition to her big girl carseat on the ride to the beach...thankfully, Daddy took a pic for me:

I flew all night to meet them there the next morning and was so giddy to see them, I barely noticed missing a night of sleep. The whole thing went amazingly well thanks to everyone's help and it was great to have QT with B and good work time. BUT. I'm not sure that I ever want to be away for that long again...I just love being a mama. :)

Princess Dance Camp

A week to dress like a princess every day with glitter and dancing at Princess Dance Camp was about the best thing our little sparkly-girly-girl could imagine...here with Finley on day 1:

MayMay applied their glitter each morning and did their hair. Greer LOVED it.

We found out about a special to get a leotard and ballet slippers at a local shop and seriously, I should have videotaped our trip there. I was never in to dancing as a little girl, but it sure is fun to experience it through Greer's eyes. She could've stayed in that place forever. As it was, we left with a new purple leotard and new "balleray" shoes. :)

Thankfully, we also remembered a box that Aunt Lindsey sent us of some of cousin Meg's dance things. It was fun letting her pick something out to wear everyday and she was so cute carefully hanging everything on hangers and making a new special section in her closet for her "dancing tings."

On the last day, we all came to watch them perform and have a little party. It was all so well done and I seriously teared up. There's just something about seeing your little girl SO happy. :)

Loved it and so proud of all the things Greer learned in one short week! Looks like we have a new summer tradition :)

FCA Camp 2011

Our annual trip to FCA camp went great this year...with great God time, fellowship with our buddies there and even good sleep despite it being our first time with all 5 of us in a hotel room for a week. Garner even caught a few zzz's on the go. :)

Couldn't capture this shot well. The room was dark except for their glow bracelets from July 4th festivities. Greer's were in her little princess bag and were glowing through it. Really cute.

And then, a bad fall for Garner. She is pulling up on everything these days and fell against the front of the bedside table in the hotel room. She gashed her head right on her soft spot and got a rough carpet burn on her nose. It was scary for a little while and thankfully an urgent care on Epworth's campus was able to check her out and confirm that she was ok.

By the next day, the swelling had gone down on her head and she was left with a pretty nasty-looking burn. Still stinkin cute...

Water park day!

Sweet Aultmans...so love having time with them there every year!

So much fun...the kids love riding the bigger slides now!

Gehrig and Anna Leigh were hanging out and talking so big...

Aultmans and Masseys :)

Eric :). Next year Jess can come!

Typical evening there. Kids in bed and coaches/wives visiting. Love that time :)

Sweet face...even with her booboo....

Date night!

We really enjoyed time with Phil and Amberley Roberts this year! Phil's sister, Katie, is one of my best buds, so we have known them for a long time. But it was so nice to have more time to get to know each other and really visit with them. They are great :)

And saying goodbye to our Bolemon buds...our families have such a great time/connection with each other. Truly a blessing to count them as friends and share our experiences together. Just one of many reasons we love FCA.

Callie, Katie Beth, Gehrig & Greer :)

Cuties

We so love this week and this place...thankful for the moving of the Spirit there, the beauty of God's creation and our time together as a family and with friends. Can't wait until next year :)