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| From Sunday, November 1 to Wednesday, November 4, we took our very first "just-our-family-vacation" courtesy of Tim's parents who gave us a hotel stay in Ocean City.
We always go to see extended family for our vacations, so this was really the first time ever it was just us, and we had a very relaxing, enjoyable time. There's not a whole lot to do in Ocean City in November, but that did not matter a whit to the Millers. There was:
1) cable TV!!!
We had two rooms (which basically is what allowed it to be a real vacation - thank you thank you thank you thank you Carol and Norm), and sometimes the boys camped out on their beds glued to non-stop kid's programming while their father watched boring things like cop shows or crime shows or other things beside E! (the only channel I was interested in) on the TV in our room. Yawn.
2) sleeping in!!! This untold luxury...blessed blessed experience.
3) a yummy warm Jacuzzi indoors situated right next to a bigger, cold (to me) warmish pool. The pool was perfect for everybody but me. Who would not budge from her Jacuzzi. No how no way. Gabriel just ADORED the pool. He was excited about that pool for weeks before we even went. It was the thing with which I could successfully lure him tearlessly away from his Grandma and Granddaddy's fun house. He couldn't WAIT to try out his new wet-suit floaty outfit that his Nana Carol had sent him for his birthday. He asked and asked and asked about when we could go to the pool alllll day every day.
4) shopping at the few beach shops that were open to find lots of good deals. I found Zion some cute little red crocs for only $3.99.
 
 
4) the beach!!! The last day and a half or so we were there were bee-yoo-ti-full, and we spent long portions of it next to the water, with the boys playing endlessly in the sand,
Zion toddling around,
me looking for shells,
and Tim playing tag with the water.
I had had my heart SET on getting a picture of the boys down by the water. Sigh. Tuesday and Wednesday were perfect days for this. This....this...unattainable dream. It is literally painful to my stomach to flip through alllllll of the pictures I took on the computer and see how seriously only one out of a jillion has faint whispery possibilities of working. SO. Depressing. Seriously. Pained sigh again. The background was GORGEOUS. The lighting was PERFECT. The children...the children were very busy not looking at their screeching mother, the children were very very busy digging in the sand or shielding their eyes from the sun or making strange faces or jumping up or totally turning away from the camera. Or bellowing tearfully. Pained shake of head. I got so frustrated, Tim was mad at me because I was so frustrated, the kids were oblivious...a fine time was had by all in all of that picture taking.
Zion was just as cute as a button toddling around in all his mismatched glory. :)
He has no inhibitions about just taking off and going - he would walk right down into the water if not watched or would walk a long way down the beach with nary a glance behind him to see if any beloved ones followed him.
His footprints show his toe-out toddle. :)
 
Sweet baby...
Gabriel just played and played and played - he rolled and rolled in the sand, kicking it up and doing somersaults.
Israel actually got croup the first night that we were there, but fortunately I had brought his steroid along with us, and gave him that and then camped out beside him in bed for the rest of the night. He slept fine the entire night.
I had allowed the kids to each get a vacation toy. Gabe got a Nerf gun with darts. Israel got a bulldozer, and LOVED to play with it in the sand.
 
Tim was enamoured of Zion's cinnamon-sugar little foot.
We had a WONDERFUL and relaxing time. Thanks again sooooo much, Norm and Carol!!!
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| I had been wanting to take the boys on a walk in the woods, with the leaves coming down, so they could enjoy scuffing their feet in the leaves, looking for pretty leaves, and smelling that leaf tang and woodsy air. By now, most of the leaves are simply brown, but it was a warm enough day that I decided to hurry up and go for it.
APPARENTLY, however, the woods are very scary and full of ominous, unseen things or happenings.
Before we even left, Gabriel was already concerned out us getting lost. "I'll draw us a map!" he enthused. I told him I thought this was a good idea, and he promptly set to his task.
When the boys saw the entrance to the woods, though, they still weren't so sure.
Gabriel talked about seeing monkeys. I told him there were no monkeys. He talked about seeing bears. Mommy cheerfully plunged on down the leafy trail regardless, baby on her back, and two uncertain children in tow.
Before long Gabriel thought we should stop on the clearly marked trail to consult the map.
"That's the line where there is going to be a bridge," he told me. Israel got very wide-eyed and looked around concernedly for the "lion".
We came to a bridge along a creek. (He was right! :) )
Mommy chirped happily about how we should return in the summer to play in the water. Gabriel wondered worriedly aloud about the crocodiles in the water. More laughs from Mom. After pointing out the minnows, we carried on.
Now Israel was in tears.
He wanted his shoes off, and then on, and then off, and wanted to be carried. Ha. I tried to distract him with pretty leaves. He would not be fooled.
Then Gabe saw a snake that I had tromped right past.
He jittered around fearfully and shouted warnings as I excitedly snapped pictures. "Mommy, I'm scared!!" I heard for the 400th time. "Mommy! I'm scared!" Arrrggghhh. It is the middle of the day, the air feels beautiful, the leaves smell wonderful - it is so peaceful and quiet and relaxing. Meanwhile Gabe is cowering away from every sensation and possible cobweb or leaf stirring or possible snake.
After some cool moss sightings,
lots of tears about shoes, shoe swaps, bench sittings,
screaming worriedly about giant Granddaddy long legged spiders, peaceable baby rides,
a million "Mommy, I'm scared!"'s (solely from Gabriel), fearful scurrying beneath curving trees someone was convinced may very well fall down on him,
and an otherwise generally good time had by mommy and mommy alone, we emerged from the dark scary forest about 2 1/2 miles later. (I know this because the trail was also a cross-country trail that was marked.)
Gabe informed me that he hates the woods. "Too bad for him," schemes the mean ol' Mommy. That just means he needs to go back more often to get used to them!! I think this is the second time that Gabe has ever been in the woods. Who in the world would ever have thought they would be scary?? Although, on second thought, I do recall being mildly worried about them when I was little, and wanting to hurry and get out of them. Interesting.
As we buckled the weary hikers back into their seats, Gabe pointed out a deflated cartoon helium balloon and voiced a concern it could be a body. ??!!!!?? What????? Where on earth does he get this stuff???? | | |
| On Wednesday, October 28 we drove to Washington D.C. to meet Mom and Dad who had agreed to do some boy-sitting for us. It was an enjoyable drive - looking at the fall leaves, and not having the full four hours to go!
We met for lunch at a sandwich place,
And sat peaceably on one side of the table while grandparents and grandboys were crammed in the other side. :) Not really. Just a little bit.
Gabe and Israel returned to VA with them QUITE willingly (a bit of an understatement), and Tim and Zion and I puttered on up to Baltimore for a Voice Of The Apostles 2009 conference with Global Awakening. It was a very interesting and encouraging experience for us - we especially really wanted to hear Bill Johnson speak, and it was sort of a fascinating new cultural expression of worship for me to experience.
It perhaps would have been a mite easier to soak it all in if it weren't for Busy Guy that toddled around with us.
Zion was just a few many months too old for this. He firmly rejected Mommy's great ideas about snuggling up with his blanket and relaxing when he was tired, in favor of squawking loudly and flinging goldfish and baby snacks far and wide and being fussy and needing to MOVE. The only time he would really nap were when we got in the minivan, where he would fall instantly and soundly asleep.
His shoes made me laugh. I guess he needed to get that done before he conked out. :)
So then. But it was still fun to take Zion and have extra cuddle time with him - Tim said that he felt like he got to know Zion better.
Here we are in a Mediterranean restaurant for lunch near our hotel .
I laughed when I got this creamer and took a picture of it (which didn't turn out very well) - the creamer is labeled Mini Moo. I call Zion "Moo" all the time. This morphed from Moo Moo Buckaboo to Moo Bob or Mister Moo or often, simply, "Moo".
"Have you seen my Moo?"
"Come here, Moo."
"Can you give The Moo a bath?"
"Mister Moo, I love you."
It just fits him. :)
Moo was QUITE busy back at the hotel also.
Mommy seemed to have brought along lots of snacks for his scattering pleasure. Heavy enduring sigh from his parents.
I also got to see my friend Emily who drove up from D.C. for the conference also. I am always very happy to see her! :) (I unfortunately did not photograph her beautiful face, so you'll have to wait till another time.)
We headed back to D.C. on Saturday afternoon to gather up some stray boys that reluctantly waved goodbye to their Grandma and Granddaddy, and got back to DE to get ready to leave for Ocean City the next day!!
Thanks Mom and Dad for watching the boys!! Maybe next time we let you take all three!! :) | | |
| Israel turned three years old on October 15.
By the time we get through the summer, Tim's birthday in August, and Gabe's birthday at the beginning of September and then Zion's birthday at the end, I'm sort of in birthday overload by the time we get to Israel's birthday in October. :) But Israel still enjoyed his birthday very much.
We had a pretty low key day at home, where Israel got to do fun things like watch extra movies, and get other special privileges for his birthday. We gave him a mini trampoline, a little VW bus, and some books that I really liked growing up - some of them I had read and some of them I found when I was looking for others: The Little Duck, The Little Lamb, and The Little Pig, all by Judy Dunn; also The New Baby and My Goodnight Book by Eloise Wilkin - I just love her illustrations!! Gabe gave him a Cars card that played a song from the movie Cars. Israel also really enjoyed that. (It took a lot of deliberation for Gabe - it was between that one and one that played "Who Let The Dogs Out". :))
Israel loved all of his presents, but the hit of the night was mostly the trampoline. Tim had a crowd watching him assemble it.
For supper I made him a red velvet cake, with whipped topping and whipped cream, and decorated it rather badly with some gel I found in the cupboard. :)
He didn't care if his smiley face looked sort of...strange. Snicker.
One thing that is so sweet about Israel is the delight and joy he finds in things.
He savored having a birthday day just for him!!! We love you so much, sweetheart!!!! | | |
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