Jellystone Park

For Memorial Day weekend, my mom suggested the 7 of us go to Jellystone Park.  We'd never been before, but we got the last available cabin and decided to go.  It was really fun, and it's a great intro to camping for our boys since Ryan and I aren't brave enough to get the tent back out yet.

The park is a Yogi Bear theme, as the name suggests.  It was really nice and well done from what I could tell, and the staff (all of the rangers) were friendly the whole time we were there.  I think this year and the next several years our boys are a great age for the park.  Once we age out, we'll try real camping in some of the great state parks we have available.  But for now we'll take a small but nice cabin with AC. :)

We arrived Saturday evening (Ryan had to work Saturday until noon.)  Anderson had spotted the playground and wanted to go there.  So we loaded up our golf cart and headed down...

The playground was fun for a bit, but then the boys saw the giant jumping pillows in the distance...

Ryan and I even gave them a try, and they were fun!  Neither of the boys could keep their balance very well when "big kids" were bouncing near them.  Brady was happy enough just to walk around and hang out, eventually ready to head back with Grandma and Grandpa as they started dinner.  But Anderson wanted to stay longer,  and he found the perfect little buddy to bounce with him.  This boy was just Anderson's size, but much feistier!  When the big kids would come bouncing nearby, the little guy would shout at them things like, "No big kids!  This one's for little kids!!", which was totally false, but effective.  Anderson was thrilled and bounced happily away.  Ha!

We headed back and had dinner and our first campfire (s'mores!).  Anderson was into this.

The next day, Lauren joined us around 10.  There's a couple of pools and a fun splash playground, but I didn't take pictures.  I did get a cute one of Brady visiting with Yogi and Cindy Bear...

We had lunch and then the two little guys had naps.  Anderson got to skip quiet time and Lauren, Ryan, and I played baseball with him.  He was in heaven!

Then we took him to tie-dye t-shirts.  It turns out he LOVED it, and counted down until he could wear his shirt.  I did much better helping him make his than I did with my own.  Ryan did awesome making one for Brady, too.

Mine is on the left.  That "olive green" in the middle started out as purple.  Womp womp.

Then we headed back with a wilting Anderson (who ended up taking a nap after all) and had dinner.

Some chilling out while my mom and dad worked on dinner...

We missed candy bar bingo (I was bummed), but we had time to head back to the playground...

(Finally lots of Brady pictures!)

The view! (Anderson and Ryan were playing baseball out there)

 Then more s'mores and campfire fun...

The next day we packed up and headed to Luray Caverns.  It was really fun!  The cabin was a little tight for the 7 of us.  Ryan slept up in the loft with Anderson and Brady, and at its peak the loft was maybe 4' tall, sloping down from there.  Getting Brady in and out of his pack-n-play was tricky!  It was sweet because that first evening you could tell Anderson was nervous about sleeping in a new place and said he wanted to go home.  But as soon as he found out his daddy was sleeping up there with them, he was happy to stay. :)  Hoping to make Jellystone a tradition while the boys are still little!

Wrestling

 

The wrestling feels nonstop most days, and it mainly drives me crazy.  So much to worry about! And my pediatrician said she worries about their heads which seems like confirmation to worry to me. 

BUT

they love it.  They both seem to, even though Brady whines off and on while they're wrestling.  

They are evenly matched.  Brady is ready for a break before his brother, but he can hold is own in the ring. 

They are bonding.  I guess that really is how boys bond, weirdos.  But they seem more and more like buds, and I think the wrestling has a lot to do with it.  Case in point: after all of the wrestling this afternoon they ended up in the playroom, and the most beautiful words were said: "Brady, Do you want to play a game with me?"  He said, "No." But after a few more requests, I heard Anderson starting to deal out cards and ask Brady which one is more.  They played two whole hands of "war", but it was my favorite moment of the day. Probably of the week.  

Maybe I'll get use to the wrestling. 

Our favorite guy

I write a lot about my little guys, but this one's for all of our favorite big guy in the world (and I mean that in the best way possible).  Yesterday in particular, Ryan outdid himself.  And we all had a great day because of him. He helped me get us all out the door for church, which is no easy feat these days.  Then, after we picked up and ate Moe's for lunch, Ryan took the big boys on a bike ride, which they all loved!

Somehow Ryan got tired before the little guys. :)

Then we got the boys down for naps and Ryan power washed the deck and all of the furniture.  That seems kind of fun to me, but I'm sure stretching out on the sofa watching the Nats game would have been preferable.

He got finished with this right as the boys woke up (and the game ended), so he offered to take them to the park while I fed Colby and got dinner going.  Deal!  Pictures he sent me from the park...

Yup, Anderson in the baby swing.  Apparently both boys were happy with this arrangement.  And honestly Anderson's little booty probably fits better in there than his brother's. ;)

The weather was beautiful and with no other plans, we got Sadie and the boys ready after dinner for a walk/ stroll.  Ryan handled Sadie and the double stroller (my hero!) and I had Colby in the wrap.

Colby's new crab hat, thanks to my mom

And proof that Colby was really in there.

These are lucky boys, and I am one lucky (and grateful) wife!