Spring BREAK!!!!

We are stoked that we actually were able to enjoy a break!!! We didn't get much of a Christmas break thanks to the stomach bug. We didn't get to go on a 10 year anniversary trip due to last minute babysitter change. So we decided that we would save that for this summer and since Stephen took the week off, we took a family trip instead. Our week started out with some family time at home on Monday. Then we invited some friends over for some smoked brisket by chef Steve the next day. Wednesday we spent preparing for the trip and spending time with Grandmom. Jesstine got a boost in her wardrobe for this summer on that day! Then it was off like a herd of turtles on Thursday. We left for the Dallas area as soon as the car was packed! The kids had breakfast in the car even! We stopped part way and saw my sister and her kids. Then it was off to the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, TX. We stayed there Thursday and Friday night. On Friday we met up with my great uncle, Loren (Bud to family) Thompson. He is the oldest living (the third oldest of 12) of his siblings at the ripe age of 88 (going on 89). We had seen him on my last trip to Texas several years ago. He has since moved and is living at a retirement facility where his daughter works. It was a very nice place and just a stone's throw from the church he attends! We swam a little more on Saturday and then headed up toward home by way of Bixby, home of the other Hutchins clan! After an evening with our fellow clansmen (and woman) we went to church, ate lunch and headed home! It was a fast, full, fun trip! The trip of the F's! So here is a recap of all of that in pictures!

First here are a few pictures from before the trip:

 Freddy's last week. He didn't believe me when I told him the custard was all gone!

Let the brainwashing begin! We have tried this at home each night before bath. Most of the time he will potty in his diaper before getting in the bath! Hasn't worked for sitting him on there WITHOUT the diaper though! 

Grandmom is all too familiar with this scene! Daddy set the little table up for Jesstine and her friend, Sydney the night we had our friends over for dinner. We decided to move it after this discovery!

Dumpty enjoyed our shopping excursion with Grandmom. She is giving you a sneak peek at part of Jesstine's Easter ensemble!

On the way to Texas! They each had something fun to do and a great movie to watch (thanks to Grandmom)!

HI MOMMY!!! (In the Chickfila play place in Moore with Cousin Lexi by his side).

Jesstine never did fall asleep on the car rides, but Emmitt did! This was the last leg of the trip down to the hotel.

(Our room was the one furthest to the right (larger windows only), just under the window with the balcony).

Jesstine didn't know we were taking her to the Great Wolf Lodge. We made it seem like we needed her help to find a place to stay. She didn't seem so excited in the car, but it hit her when we walked in to find our room!

We didn't get a chance to do story time on our last trip to the Great Wolf Lodge (in Kansas City), but we did this time! As you can see, Emmitt got a bit squirmy, so I walked him around a little and then took him to the room. I missed Jesstine getting her picture taken with Violet though!

This is what MAY have made this better than the other one we went to! This is where Jesstine and Emmitt would have spent all of their time! This was a large kiddie area with jet skis that shot water, four slides, a bunch of other areas to shoot/dump water on people, fountains and all kinds of neat things! It was shallow so Emmitt could navigate fairly easily!

Jesstine in the green and blue striped suit with pink shoes, walking up to the water slides.

(sorry it's blurry, but she is about halfway down)

AGAIN AGAIN!

Jet ski!

Center section where you could dump or shoot water on/at people.

It also had a slide. (you can kind of see Jesstine going down it; sorry it is blurry again! I was taking the pictures with my phone and paranoid of the water getting my phone wet!)

Emmitt loved this owl and pointed at it every time we walked by!

The tower (which I never got to see the inside of). The bucket on top dumped water periodically just like the one in KC.

The lazy river was once again, not so lazy and it was FREEZING!

The big slides. Jesstine was BARELY tall enough (42 inches) to ride the big yellow one. The only other she could ride on this tower was the orange one way at the back. She ended up liking it better. It was much more tame and it went outside longer!

Blurry picture of the lobby!

Kid area view from the lobby.

Wave pool at the back. You could tell the waves were beginning by the wolf howls. Much like the old days at Barnacle Bill's Fantasy where they played "Wipe out" as a warning that the waves were coming!

This is Uncle Bud's daughter, Connie. She and Jesstine had a good time! Jesstine just cuddled right up to her! It was SO sweet! I got a picture to share with my mom!

This is my grandmother with her parents and siblings in birth order (with the exception of the youngest who is in the right hand corner and a brother who died of dust pneumonia). Next to my great aunt, Helen, in the right corner is her Daddy, Jacob-who had seven names-, Duane, Audrey and then Uncle Bud (Loren), I am unsure who is who of the next two, but they are Kenneth and Leonard, then Dwight, Nelda-my grandmother, Dean, Keith and my great grandmother, Grace.

Our last day at the park.

I had a surprise waiting for the kids when they got in the car as we left the hotel. I had purchased each of them a stuffed wolf pup. I had Stephen put them on the bar on the backs of our chairs so that they would see them as soon as they sat in their seats.

Jesstine named her pup Rose.

Emmitt's pup is named Woolsey.

I looked back later to find Jesstine cradling Rose like a baby! When we got home, Jesstine went straight to her room and got out all of her toys and lined them all up. She wouldn't show them Rose until they were all lined up and could meet her all at once. Then she introduced them to sweet little Rose! 

Here is one of many jam sessions with these two. Emmitt was in HEAVEN playing with the big kids!

And of course we had to watch our alma mater kick some Gonzaga bootay in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

All in all it was a wonderful trip full of little sleep! Emmitt had a lot more trouble going to sleep than he has in the past and what sleep he did get was usually in the van as we were going from one place to the next. It was a peaceful trip back to the land of snow...er...Kansas! (It snowed while we were gone...in the first few days of spring!)

Peace Out!

In Him,
The Hutchins Family