Vacation Dreaming

This time of year always finds my family dreaming about our fall vacation. Don has to turn in his date requests by Dec. 31st in hopes of getting his preferred dates. So, my head is spinning with excitement as we plan our trip to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Every vacation that I have planned has a very seemingly impossible budget to stick to, but they are always AWESOME!!(and I mean this in the humblest way possible;) We are blessed to be able to use www.getravelop.com which provides resort villas, townhouses, and condos for $379 per week. This is actually cheaper than staying at a low budget hotel and with having full kitchens(saves money on eating out), washer/dryers(we take very few clothes) and 3 bedrooms(space to spread out), I find it difficult to go elsewhere. Only certain people can use this, like government employees and teachers. One alternative that I have used for the same rates without the stipulations and EXCELLENT customer service is www.wyndham-vacations.com  We always say we are going to our "vacation house" and this makes the little ones feel very comfortable about the whole being away from the familiar.

Why Hilton Head?? It combines the best of our family's dream vacations. First, it's an ISLAND!!! Wahoo!

Second, you can ride a bike EVERYWHERE, yes, even on the beach, the island is covered with wide bike paths! They have several rental companies www.hiltonheadbikerental.com  with extremely reasonable rates including free baby seats, baskets, locks, resort delivery, and pick-up. The idea of riding our bikes to a picnic on the beach, to Mass, Adoration, thrift store shopping, or to go to see lighthouses, children's museums and conservation areas is heavenly. Our resort even includes 2 bikes free with our townhouse. Third, we love wildlife, and Hilton Head has a plethora of it, from dolphins, flying fish, sharks, crabs, alligators, sand dollars,....etc.

There is even a Chick-fil-A! I know it's probably not the healthiest place to eat....but they have the BEST chicken sandwiches! Hilton Head Ice Cream Inc. has also received rave reviews, so we HAVE to try it! It's these little things that make me smile!

When life stresses me out, I have something to fantasize about, plan our budget, save coupons, send away for visitor info, check out books from the library so we can learn about it's history and wildlife.

UPDATE: I actually booked with http://www.wyndham-vacations.com/ because I found a 15% off code (RMN15) on http://www.retailmenot.com/ an excellent source for online/offline discount codes. Not only are we paying less, but there is a 3 day cancellation fee with 100% refund, which is much better than getravelop's policies.
Coral Reef Resort, here we come!!
HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Coolest Toy Ever..Plasma Car!

Santa brought this to our house.

 No batteries, sturdy, kid-powered vehicle.
It goes up to 6 mph, so just enough speed for a thrill but no scary spills.
It can hold up to 220 lbs, so I can ride it with the little ones.
Tomorrow is forcasted to be nice, so we hope to take this baby to the park for a real spin!
I hear that you can get it online for $50 including shipping...our version is called the coaster car.
(Just ignore my mismatched Santa socks and messy dining room!)

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.~Edmund Burke

Unplugged: Chrismas Caroling

I know it's a little late in the season to post this, but we had so much fun caroling the week of Christmas!
There was a group of 19 of us that went including 1 seminarian. We went from house to house in our neighborhood and the reaction of our neighbors was heart warming and touching, a few of the lady recipients, actually cried! We were offered treats and 1 man took pictures. One of our favorite gifts was hugs! Most every single person said they had never been caroled before. Okay, well I kind of scared a couple of kids when I asked if they had a request, and they ran and hid behind their Daddy's legs..other than that, is was all positive. We agreed to make this a Christmas tradition.

Christmas

Kisses for Grandma

Christmas Lights on the Party Bus 

 Look, I'm Mr. Donut Eyes!
 We had to laugh at the "after".

My side of the family, of course I forgot my camera at our other celebrations;)

Hannah received twins that she named Sophie and Sophia.

2010 Photo Album

Click here to see:  Picaboo Photo Book

It seemed like all we did this year was move, but I managed to scrounge together a few highlights from this year.

Book Review: God Gave Us So Much

I recently reviewed this book with my kiddos. It is beautifully illustrated and all the kids loved the pictures. The book contains 3 books in one, God Gave Us the World, God Gave Us Love, and God Gave Us Heaven. The stories are all about a little Polar Bear having conversations with his Mother, his Grandfather and His Papa. The recommended ages for this book are 4-8. I think it's closer to 6-8 at least with our experience. Benny, who is 4, loved the pictures but didn't quite understand the story's lessons, it's a little more depth than what he was capable of understanding. Elijah (7) and Hannah (9) enjoyed reading the story and were able to grasp the concepts just fine. As an adult, I enjoyed the messages and one of my favorite passages from God Gave Us Heaven is ..."Sometimes we think we need stuff, but it's just more weight for us to carry. Our best stuff doesn't weigh anything at all- stuff like love, family, friends, and faith. That's where are real blessings are." It is well written and I felt like most of the messages applied to our family. I think this is a very nice book to have in a family collection and maybe even to use as a special Christmas Book to get out during the season, even though it isn't a Christmas book, the fact that it's about Polar Bears in the snow would be a nice variation to the theme. It is a very well made hardback book and even comes with a ribbon book marker in it. I am always glad to see faith-themed religious books with a Christian moral. I definitely give it a thumbs up!
Here is a link to purchase it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/God-Gave-Much-Limited-Three-Book/dp/0307446298
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.