2011 is Going Down as the Year of Being...

SPOILED!

It all started in June when Grandma Mary and Grandpa Ron watched the boys for 3 nights so Craig and I could have a little get-away.  We went to Branson and had a blast, seeing shows, eating, ziplining, cruising, and sleeping 12 hours straight, to name a few!  And while we were having fun in MO, the boys had a ton of fun too, playing with their grandparents, aunt, uncles, and cousins.  A win- win for everyone!

A few pictures from Branson...

My audition for "The Legend of Kung Fu"... Denied!

I actually won the hula-hoop contest, albeit the competition was NOT fierce what-so-ever! Still, free wine for me :-).

Strollin' down the river...

 Then in August Rick and Elaine watched the boys for 3 nights so we could take our annual "anniversary trip".  This on top of letting us stay with them a week in FL (We have the best cousins ever!).  This year Craig and I decided to do a Marriage Encounter that was sponsored through our church.  Even though it was much different than our traditional "fun", it was exactly what we needed...  Alone time to be with each other and God!  And while we were reconnecting in peace and quiet (something that does not exist in our house at the present moment), the boys had so much fun playing games, going on adventures, and being loved.
(No pictures from the retreat... a great experience, but not picture-able!  We did spend a night in downtown Milwaukee and had some fun, but I guess I left the camera at home, oops!)

And for the grand finale, Craig and I actually got on a plane (first time w/o the boys) and went to Eric and Heather's wedding in Duck Key, FL.  Since the location was determined in January, we knew that we were going to be there for the big day (not only were we getting a new sister, but a beautiful niece as well!).  We just didn't know how we would make it happen.  Little did we know at the time that the C family and the W family would really step up, each offering to watch the boys so we could attend all the wedding festivities and not be rushed.  Seriously, our family and friends are amazing people!!!  Can you imagine volunteering to watch 3 three year olds so their parents could vacation in Florida?!?  What these families gave us was priceless and will forever be remembered!!!  And the best part, the entire time we were gone I never once was worried about the boys.  They were excited to spend so much time with Auntie Kate (and family!) and Aunt Kelly (and family!) and had so much fun! 

And now a few pictures from our trip to Eric and Heather's wedding...

We took our sweet time heading down to Duck Key and stopped at Jimmy Johnson's restaurant in Key Largo (JJ is my favorite Survivor, ever!).  Not a bad way to start the vacation!

And to continue with the "vacation mode", I had some "happy drinks" at noon with the family.  These people know how to vacation, and I was more than happy to try to fit in! 

A vacation wouldn't be a vacation without a little hula-hoop contest!
(For the record, both of my nieces would have shown me up in my Branson contest!)

THE MAIN EVENT... 

Eric watching Heather walk down the aisle.  His expression was priceless!

A beautiful family united! 
Congratulations Eric, Heather, Abi and Anna!

Time to celebrate!!!

Uncle Wally and I were told "no assigned seats" at the reception, so we decided to have some fun and make ourselves comfortable at the head table.  Actually we didn't touch anything, unlike the resort wedding planner who balled us out for sitting there, all while taking a huge handful of candy out of Eric and Heather's private candy dish.  Uncle Wally and I had fun with her comments and actions the rest of the night :-).

What the head table was supposed to look like.

My hottie and I in paradise!

An extra special wedding/ vacation with the "S" family and my husband that I will always treasure and remember!  

It is truly amazing how these little get-aways does a body, mind, and marriage good, and we will forever be grateful to those who love us so much to give our family the best presents ever...  Time and love! 

And I should probably mention that the loved ones who watched the boys during our get-aways actually thanked us for the opportunity to care for the boys.  We even recieved a "Thank you for letting us watch *the adorables*." present from the W family.  Simply amazing!

Auntie Kate and Isabelle helped the boys make our adorable "Thank You!" patter.  A present that we will always treasure!

Like the title of this post states, 2011 will go down in our history books as the year of being able to travel (aka spoiled rotten!).  We will forever be grateful to those who made each trip possible!