, you probably know I've had sick kids crawling all over me and consuming my time this past week. I won't go into the gory details - but believe me, you're not missing out. This post was started so long ago I can't seem to wrap my mind around where I was when I started writing it....so I'm starting over!
Last week (or was it the week before?), our family took a much needed vacation up in the snowy mountains of Whistler, BC. My parents have a time share just outside the upper village where they had an extra bedroom for us to use. We were thrilled with the invite and jumped at the chance to experience some snowy fun with our kids, since Seattle seemed to miss out on anything more than a winter dusting this year. Just over a four hour drive from our home, (give or take depending on the wait at the border) Whistler was the perfect way to get a break from our routine without breaking the bank.
It didn't take long for us to bundle up and head outdoors into Whistler village. First stop was the grocery store to stock up on food for the long weekend. We split up the staples, and while waiting in line to pay, Grandma and Grandma informed us that there was now an awesome playground just minutes from there - how exciting! The ladies took the kids while the gentlemen brought our groceries back to the condo and put them away.
This playground was seriously awesome! Although the compacted snow all around it made it quite slick so it wasn't long before the kids were freezing and ready to head back. We hadn't exactly dressed them for snow play. So it was back to the condo we went, fixed up a delicious dinner of hamburgers, salad, and chicken nuggets for the littles. After that, the kids begged us to take them in the pool (indoor/outdoor)...but it was so cold that evening that by the time we got down there they were happy to go in the hot tub instead.
My parents had mentioned wanting to go to the village afterwards, but when we looked at the clock we realized we were already past bedtime AND Cocoa had missed her nap today. We decided to take advantage of the time away though, and got out the stroller for Hollywood, and I put Cocoa in the Ergo and we headed out into the cold. We really just wanted to get some exercise and see the village....but we couldn't help ourselves when we walked past the chocolate factory and popped in for some caramel/chocolate covered apples...
mmm! Of course by then, Cocoa had fallen FAST asleep in my arms (after
literally fighting me to get her in the Ergo in the first place). But it turned out it wasn't a problem at all. When we arrived back at the condo, Hollywood said he was
soooooo tired and Cocoa transferred into the pack and play without argument (thankfully we had planned ahead and put their pajamas on under their winter coats before we went out).
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| The Olympic Rings |
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| My precious SLEEPING baby...these moments are way to rare!! |
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| Back at the condo, she didn't even blink as I took off her winter gear!!! |
Sleeping arrangements worked out better than I had imagined. Grandpa and Grandma, of course, claimed the master suite (it was only fair considering they paid for it =). It included a king size bed and attached bathroom. The guest room, where we stayed had a queen size bed and just enough room to put the pack and play for Cocoa Puff. We probably could have put Hollywood on the floor and tripped over him in the middle of the night, but he was SO EXCITED that the couch pulled out into a bed and BEGGED to sleep there. He really had to talk us into it... ;) We also had our own bathroom just next door.
I was a tad concerned about our lil man sleeping on the hide-a-bed because last time he slept in a bed without a railing he fell off at 6am and woke the whole house up screaming. I put the edge of a chair against the bed when it was pulled out...but he really did great. Every night we put him down on our bed and then transferred him to the hide-a-bed when the adults were ready to go to sleep.
The following morning, my parents wanted to get some more skiing in, this time at the Olympic Village. They had heard about a great sledding area right near the lodge, so we decided to follow them up there and do our own thing and then meet back at the condo. It was totally worth it. Right at the base of those HUGE ski jumps you see on the Olympics they cut into the hills some great sledding paths. Most of them were simple slopes, but a couple had jumps (that daddy had to try out, of
course). Much to our surprise, our fearless adventurers were absolutely
terrified. They LOVED the snow, but they did not want to go down that hill a second time. We still had fun playing in the snow, but it wasn't very long before our little man was in dire need of a bathroom. We walked up the hill to the lodge, and Cocoa and mommy played in the piles of snow while the boys searched out a bathroom.
After they got back out, they were more interested in climbing the "mountain" (the pile of snow outside the lodge) than they were sledding, but we just had fun with it. Of course the underprepared parents over here had horrible gloves for the wee one and it wasn't long before she was crying "cooooooolll!!!!" We talked little mister into going inside, warming up, and getting some lunch.
Daddy ordered mommy and Cocoa some coconut curry soup to split while Hollywood devoured probably the most amazing blueberry muffin on planet earth. Then it was back out into the snow for a couple minutes before heading back for a nap for Cocoa.
Grandpa and Grandma arrived back at the condo during Cocoa's nap. After warming up, mom and I wanted to head out and explore the village a bit. With my husband's blessing, we took off, grabbed some coffee from Starbucks, and walked around. We found some awesome clothes, but all of it was completely out of my price range. It was still fun though. And I found some warm fleece gloves for my baby girl that matched her new winter coat.
When we got back to the condo, we found out Grandpa was starting to feel pretty crummy. The kids were sad to have to keep their distance from him, but it was for the best. Whatever he had, did NOT sound good. After some yummy steaks for dinner, we did the hot tub thing and put the kids down for bed. Since my dad was in bed coughing his lungs up, mom offered to stay and watch after the kids so we could get out for a little bit! We weren't going to turn down that offer. We didn't do anything but walk around and have a good chat, but it was good to get even a short break from the kids and be just us for a bit. Those days are rare lately.
After a lazy Saturday morning, Grandpa asked if we wanted to walk up to Blackcomb village with them and check out a soup and sandwich shop there for lunch. It sounded like a good break from PB&J so we bundled up and headed out...Hollywood rode in the stroller (which he is quickly growing too tall for), and Cocoa went back and forth between daddy's shoulders and mommy's arms (her favorite places to be....can I hear a huge "
awwwww" =). Before heading that way though, Grandma wanted to stop into the toy shop and treat each of the kids to a treat. Hollywood picked out a garbage truck and blue airplane and Cocoa chose a purple My Little Pony that came with a baby butterfly. Made. Their. Day. Grandma also bought some dice and a new game for something entertaining to do back at the condo tonight.
It surprised me how busy the shop was at lunch, but it probably shouldn't have. It was in an ideal location for skiers and snowboarders to take a break and warm up for a bit. Hubs and I both built an awesome sandwich, which we each shared bites of with Cocoa. Hollywood refused anything but a muffin, but that was okay. There was another little baby there that Cocoa was oooing and awwwing over while we ate and chatted. Afterwards we leisurely walked back to the condo to put our little lady down for a snooze.
During her nap (and Grandpas), we broke out the new game "Pick Two". It kind of reminds me of a mix of crossword and scrabble....but it was so fun it surprised me!!!! It was fast paced and just a little competitive. Hubs won almost every game, not surprisingly, but we all enjoyed it so much! After Cocoa woke up the kids BEGGED to go into the pool so we headed on downstairs with them.
For dinner, Grandpa and Grandma wanted to take us to a new restaurant in the village, but when we arrived it was so busy they said the earliest they could get us in was 9:30!!! So we went next door. G&G got some burgers and Hubs and I got to try some yummy stir fries. We were all happy.
We took our time heading back to the condo, trying to wear out the littles....it worked! They were SO ready for bed when we got back. As soon as they crashed we got back to our games =)
The next morning we had to be checked out quite early so we quickly took showers and got to packing. But before making the long drive home, we decided to all take one more walk around the village (which mainly led us to the playground for the kids) and stop at a burger joint for lunch. With tummies full of food and eyes full of tears, we loaded the kids in their car seats, started a movie, and back down the mountain we went. Hollywood couldn't stop crying, so we promised a stop at the other Grandpa and Grandma's before heading home. That did it!
There was an
insanely long wait at the border which made for some majorly crabby kids. But a new movie and some snacks mostly fixed the problem. Thankfully I also had some Mad Libs in the glove compartment for our entertainment. After we crossed back into the United States, we had a little trouble getting ahold of my Hub's parents...which made me concerned we may have to break our promise to little man. Thankfully they called us back (they were just outside) and told us to come on over. This was also about the time that my boy started complaining about a tummy ache and was the start to a long week of disgusting mom duties. (Enough said, right?) We ended up staying over there past dinner time waiting for his tummy to settle a little bit. Our beds were a welcome sight that night. =)
Alright....so it didn't end on the best note...but it really was a great trip and we are so thankful we took the time to head up into the snow to make some final winter memories!
So tell me friends...where is your favorite winter retreat???
P.S. ALL of these photos were taken on my iPhone, so please excuse the quality. I was just not in the mood to tote my bulky DSLR around the snowy mountains.
for peeks into our daily routine and follow Cocoa's hair care journey. For instance, if you had been following me the last couple weeks...you would have had some sneak peeks of these pictures! =)
So. Nashville. Everyone asks us...why Nashville? You mean, besides my obsession with music and my love of the south (or my mental picture of the south, considering that was my first time actually GOING)??? Well, since we started the adoption process we have had a growing group of friends in the Kentucky-Tennessee area that we have been dying to meet (admittedly, I probably wanted to more than my husband). We needed a break. It was a good time to take off work. We wanted a family vacation. We wanted affordable. We wanted warmer weather. Nashville!
We were blessed with AMAZING weather while we were there. Just one crazy rainstorm/thunderstorm and the rest was sun-sun-sun!!! We even got some tan lines (yes, including my little Ethiopian)! 
On Friday, we got a very unique opportunity to meet up with some very special friends whom I have known for a long time, but never met in person until this trip. This is kind of a crazy story, are you ready? We met about 5 years ago on babycenter.com when we were all trying to start a family. My husband and I were at a point that we were ready for kids, but we wanted to surprise our family and friends with the news. But until there was news to share, I needed a place where I could share my excitement, concerns, and ask questions....and that's when I met these amazing ladies. It started out as just conversation but grew into deep, meaningful friendships. Our group grew quite big over the years and we're spread all over the United States and even Australia! They are some of the best friends a girl could ask for - they let me vent without judging, they have been an emotional support system through every adventure our family has gone on, and I am so blessed to have them in my lives. SOOOO....when these two awesome ladies from Kentucky were willing to come MEET ME in Nashville, I jumped at the chance! So finally we got to hug and talk face to face and see each other's precious kids. SUCH an amazing day. So THANK YOU Amber and Jenn for making the drive. It means the world to me.
So on top of meeting all these amazing families for the first time, we also got the opportunity to meet up with my cousin, who moved to Nashville last year. It was so fun to see her in her environment! Nashville so fits her personality! Necia took us out to a fun southern restaurant, Jim 'N Nicks, which is well known for their life-altering cheesey biscuits. If you haven't tried them, you must! Soooo good! The kids just LOVED seeing mommy's cousin...she's kind of awesome and always a hit with the kids =) And then she took us back to her apartment so we could see her part of town and chat for a while. SO glad it worked for us to get together because it was SUCH a fun evening.
