Alive and Kickin'

"Hi, let me re-introduce myself. My name is Cristy, and I have a blog that I have SORELY neglected. I'm so sorry for those who thought for sure that our house had burned to the ground, or that I had contracted the bubonic plague, or possibly that I had been carried away by a pack of rabid possums. I just wanted to reassure you that I am indeed alive."

So, hmmm, where have I been for the past, say 3 weeks or more?

Homeschooling. Swim lessons twice a week. Art class on Tuesdays. Science club on Fridays (for which I am the room mom, which literally means I stay in the room for 2 hours each week to help the teacher. Weird, I know.) Piano lessons. Did I mention homeschooling? Ah, yes, and then there is play group on Thursdays (which I wouldn't miss ever. I promise Aimee. Unless of course I am carried away by rabid possums and then I will you my entire stash of chocolate chai.) Oh, and a few friends and I started a girl -scout- like group called "Keepers at Home" which ironically meets at MY home. With 9 little girls, and their moms.

And there's the nasty business of the GYM I joined, and the exercise buddy I recruited. What was I thinking??

And let's not forget the ever growing laundry pile,dusting, vacuuming, grocery shopping. And my family has this weird little quirk of wanting to be FED every few hours. Which produces dirty dishes. Which requires the clean dishwasher to be emptied to actually get them out of the sink. It's a vicious cycle.

At the end of the week we all are ready to collapse.

My sweet husband decided to take us away from "it all" this weekend, in honor of our 24th year of wedded bliss. My love language is SNOW.

We went to our country home.

Okay, this is not really my home.

It belongs to the Vanderbilts, but they let me borrow it for the weekend.

Kinda, sorta.

In a, buyticketsandtourmyhousewith500strangers, sort of way.

Like little girls have done for hundreds of years, Aria set to work making the worlds smallest snowman in the Vanderbilt's courtyard. I'm sure they won't mind.

Not to be out-done by her sister, Gianna decided to trip and fall out of the van and hit her head.

Another state, another hospital.

Here she is proudly sporting yet another lovely hospital bracelet to add to her collection.

(She is okay, thankfully.)

I think Aria's love language is also SNOW. She is her mommy's girl through and through.

We toured, we hiked and we reminisced. About two young kids who wanted to get married far too young. And how only God can take those two kids, bless them with 4 beautiful children and allow them to grow in Him year by year, each one better than the last.

And, at the end of our magical weekend, we did what any self-respecting guest of the Vanderbilts would do: We collapsed. Right there on their front porch.

Maybe they'll feel sorry for us and let us stay?