Saturday, September 17, 2011

September Saturdays

This is one of my favorite times of the year. The weekends are so precious because there are a million things that I want to do and experience while the weather is perfect. Tonight my heart is so full of joy that it might burst~ I just love family time and I am blessed beyond belief with an amazing husband (who is also Super Daddy) to our sweet baby girls! So why was this September Saturday so fabulous?? Well, with a little mishap in original weekend plans it opened our day/evening up to do things that we probably wouldn't have planned otherwise!

When Tula woke up from her nap we decided it was the perfect weather for a hike. We have been talking about doing this and so today we hopped in the car and headed to Shaker Town. We just went on a little trail that was about a mile total. Ivy picked flowers and buckeyes (note to self- bring a bucket next time) but she was sure to dodge any possible bug that may come her way! Tula rode in the carrier and was Mommy's little cuddle bug. She loved looking up in the tall, tall trees.

After a little while Ivy's legs got tired so we stopped to have a snack. The walking was good practice for our upcoming Disney trip and we decided we probably need to take a stroller for her 4 year old legs to get a rest from time to time! Greg and I had such a good time enjoying the beauty of everything around us. Kentucky really is gorgeous and at times I take that for granted because I have lived here forever! Our first hike was definitely a success and to Ivy's surprise- we did not see any "OCTOPUSSES!!" (I am not sure where she thought we were going but that was a major concern!!)

Then we came home to our backyard camp out! I fed and bathed a very sleepy Tula and put her to bed in the comfort of her crib. Then Mommy was able to join the camping fun.... monitor in tow! Ivy and Daddy set up a fire for us to roast hot dogs for dinner and then enjoy our favorite dessert- the JUMBO marshmallow smores. We gazed at the stars and watched airplanes fly by that were possibly going to Disney World. We laughed at all of Ivy's silliness and got to soak up lots of time with our big girl.

It was wonderful to get to spend some time with Ivy... especially having a sick and needy Tula for much of the week. She makes us laugh without a doubt and she is really growing up too quickly. Even though she didn't get to go camping with her friend (hopefully sometime soon!) it was great for Mommy to be able to take part in this adventure!

The best part of camping in the backyard is the nearby amenities! When bedtime came my two campers got to come inside to brush their teeth, take one last potty break, and put on some cozy pajamas. I just left my husband (Super Daddy) and my big girl cuddled in the backyard tent reading Where the Wild Things Are and another current Ivy favorite If You Give A Pig A Party!

Hopefully Ivy's eyes will shut soon and she will drift off to sleep under the stars in the arms of her Daddy and she will be thankful for the wonderful memories we made today.