Holiday World 2014

So as I mentioned in my CTM365 post, we visited Holiday World & Splashin' Safari July 17-19.  I had never heard of it before moving to Indiana and although it's about a three hour drive, the park is promoted heavily at home on TV and radio. We had been wanting to go and had talked about it off and on for several years, so when another long-weekend trip we'd planned fell through, we quickly booked our mini-vacation to Holiday World and invited some friends to join us.

Anyway, Holiday World opened in 1946 and has grown into what it is today.  Allegedly TIME Magazine rated The Voyage the #1 Wooden Rollercoaster in the Nation* and in 2013 USA Today proclaimed Splashin' Safari to be the Best Water Park in the USA*. {*SOURCE}I haven't been on THAT many wooden coasters or to THAT many water parks, but I'd definitely hesitate to disagree with those claims.  It. Was. Awesome. We had a blast from the time we got Thursday morning until we pulled away Saturday morning. 

Things that I want to brag on Holiday World for: 
1. Free tea, gatorade, water, soda, and lemonade all day long. Plentiful. Oasis stations at every turn.  Amazing. 
2. Free parking. All the time. 
3. While we didn't use theirs, they do offer free sunscreen stations in the water park. 
4. The water park and amusement park is all offered at one price. The sections are connected and you don't have to leave one to go to the other. It's all one big happy place. 
5. So clean. Immaculate. Lots of shade and just a pretty place to walk or take a look around. 
6. Tons of attractions for the little kids (at least ones that are 36" or taller) - from mild to wild.
7. The food.  We ate lunch and dinner in the park both days along with snacks and everything that we had was GOOD.  Not just so-so but actually really good. And fairly priced.  They miss so many chances to bleed their customers dry but they don't.  It's a refreshing change from any other theme park I've been to. 
8. Everything. All the stuff.  I just loved it and can't wait to go back. 

P.S. Am I getting paid for this mini "review" or was I given tickets? I wish. I just love it that much. On July 24th they announced the next addition to the park - their first steel coaster, the Thunderbird, new for 2015. Definitely ground-breaking and already has me looking forward to our next visit. I can't wait for Theo to get big enough to ride roller coasters -- he is already asking when he will be tall enough. My little adventurer.

Moving on from my new obsession -- how about some photos?  I didn't take a lot and while it stings a little to know that I missed a lot of great photo opportunities, I'm okay with it because I really took advantage of living in the moment and making the most of our trip. I didn't take any photos at all around the water park but my friend was kind enough to share ones that she snapped on her phone with me. 

Someone crashed out during the water park both days! 

Karate-chopping those geysers!

 Thanks, Erin, for the pictures!

Look at these little buddies riding the canoes. Big enough to ride without mom and dad. They really thought they were something -- splashing each other and breaking the rules by not keeping their hands inside the boat!

Just riding some rides:

The first place we ate in the parks (yum)...

not the first or last map study breakout session. 

End of the first night. Gorgeous weather. We got so lucky. 

Dex passed out at the water park Thursday night and I couldn't bring myself to wake him up just to change his clothes so this is how he hung out for about 2+ hours. 

L snoozin' in the camper.  

Obligatory Holiday World posed photos:

I just love looking through all these pictures. I know these are memories that we will always treasure and look back on so fondly.  This post has gone on long enough so I'll shut it down but psst... in case you haven't heard, you should go to Holiday World sometime. 

xo,

~C~

the fourth: 2014

Huh, how about that. I guess I've never posted a 4th of July recap. Well, last year we were on a little weekend getaway for our 10th wedding anniversary but it wasn't all festive with fireworks and that kind of crap.

So here's my first real Independence Day recap. It was nice that the 4th was on a Friday which lent itself to a lovely, long weekend.  Ryan's parents live on a small lake that is perfect for relaxing, jumping off the dock, floating around, and taking pontoon boat rides. They invited us We invited ourselves to come and stay for the weekend. Ryan's sister and her family were able to join us from Ohio as well.

Obligatory red, white, 'n blue outfit pics.

I mean, could they be any sillier? No. Cuter? Never.

Love them a lot.

They napped for HOURS every day.

Saturday was our 11 year anniversary so Nana and Pop Pop watched all three boys while Ryan and I enjoyed a rare double date with his sister and her soon-to-be husband.  Dinner at FARMbloomington.

Their FARMfamous garlic fries. Oh. Wow. And their homemade chipotle catsup. Yes.

Our view from the "silo" table.

Neat sights at every turn in this one-of-a-kind restaurant.

Yep, even by the bathrooms. 

Although it was a GORGEOUS night to walk around downtown Bloomington, which is lovely, we wanted to get back in time to enjoy the fireworks over the lake with the boys. Aunt 'Chelle treated the boys with glow swords and glow bracelets --they may have been a bigger hit than the show.

After messing with my camera settings for five minutes before the actual show started, I gave up and put the camera down. I couldn't figure it out and didn't want to spoil the moment.

Sunday mornin' cherry eating.  Theo likes the "yellow cherries." 

Dexter prefers red.

There is a HUGE component of our weekend missing.... the LAKE and the sunshine that we were so lucky to enjoy all weekend.  Seems like when we are all able to get together, we are cursed with cool temps or cloudy skies - or both. Not this time. Again, I chose to live in the moment and not take 500 pics. I had a drink in my hand and the sun on my skin and many long conversations with my sister-in-law. That was all I needed to make the weekend complete. 

A few iPhone pics: 

What'd you do for the Fourth? 

xo,

~C~

the weekend was just what we needed

Life with a 3 and 4 year old, not to mention a house that needs (and is semi-in-the-process-of) remodeling inside and out is busy and hectic to say the least. I feel like we are going, going, going nonstop but not with anything particularly substantial.  Ryan is working on the house and I'm trying to keep the boys busy and entertained. That's the story of our life lately. It was really. REALLY. fun (and needed) to connect with each other as a family of four, all while reconnecting with some friends we hadn't seen for far too long to live only 2 hours away.

We spent the weekend with Ryan's friend from school and his family. They live in beautiful town with lakes all over the place. We'd only visited in the winter before and didn't fully realize how lovely the surroundings were at the time. I think we're both looking forward to the (warm) day when we can visit again.

Saturday morning started off with a walk to the playground and throwing rocks into a retention pond across from it. That's just about all that kids need to be content. 

Such a sweet family.

Look at these two cuties (4 & 2) and their beautiful eyes! 

After a bit of playing, snacking, and loading up, we headed to their parents'/in-laws' lake house. Plenty to keep the kids entertained...sand...water...shells...food, food, and more food.

Oh yeah. And swans.

Taking a cruise around the lake on the pontoon boat.

Little mister was thisclose to falling asleep while mom drove us around.

A milestone! Theo and Dexter got their first rides on a jet ski. And they LOVED it. I love that they are afraid of almost nothing.

Sole bit of photographic evidence that I was actually present.

I love her. I love her eyes. So beautiful. Inside and out.

Charmer. Life of the party. 

Perfection. Bliss. 

A long day winding down. 

Rides on the gator.

As we were loading up to head back to our friends' house, I had to get back out of the car to snap this quick photo.  Oh, to drive up to that view whenever we wanted...so gorgeous, peaceful, and relaxing there.

So when we planned this weekend with our friends, I don't think any of us realized it was also Father's Day weekend.  In fact, I didn't realize it until last Monday. That's okay - I had time to throw together a book for Ryan with the boys help.  Read their answers to my Father's Day Q&A here. The book had the interviews, some recent photos, some artwork, and tickets to an upcoming pro soccer game. He was surprised, and I think pretty pleased! 

Sleepy boy on the stairs.

After enjoying a Father's Day Feast (I feel like we ate so much delicious food all weekend -- like literally nonstop "all weekend"), we went to a nearby park and then a cute ice cream shop.  The town has these lifelike bronze statues all around right now to promote a local community summer event, First Fridays. I wish I'd taken the time to walk around and photograph more of them.

Some great guys - and a great girl.

There was a little festival going on around the ice cream shop we visited so of course the kids had to play on the bounce houses for a few minutes before Ryan, me, and the boys headed back home. 

It was such a great weekend...returning home to all the chores that failed to get done was a bit of a disappointment after feeling like we'd been catered to by the best hosts all weekend long.  I think we might see how much rent they'd charge to let us just take over their basement...

xo,

~C~