Great Wolf Lodge

I will call this a review of Great Wolf Lodge, but I have to say, I am biased.  Everything worked out fabulously for my sister and I and the triplets.

We got to the lodge at about 11:30 and I went in with confirmation number in hand and by 11:40, I had our room number and we went back to the car to get all our stuff and get to our room.  We were on the 5th floor of the lodge.  I honestly didn't get enough pictures of the whole place - it really is a great weekend or weekday getaway!

We went on Wednesday and Thursday thinking that two midweek days would be less crowded and we were right!  At checkin we were given our two day bands for both water parks and the rope park.  The room was perfect for five people; two double beds and a pull out couch.  Microwave, refrigerator, coffee pot, and safe are standard and we used everything.  I had read reviews on line in advance and they were not good because the place had just opened a month ago, but it was not actually ready!   I knew the restaurants needed help, so we brought a ton of food and snacks for our meals.  Once we got to our room, we made lunch, got into our bathing suits and decided to check out the water parks.  There are two of them, so we went to the first one and it contained a kids play area, a lazy river, three slides (two were used with tubes and one was just a body tube), a regular pool with basketball hoops and leap frog area, the hot tub and outside kids play area.

The trips really enjoyed the area and had a lot of fun, but we knew we wanted to see the other park also.  So we walked across the hallway (literally) and we went  to the second park.  This park had the raft ride, a "toilet bowl" ride, a one man drop, a wave pool and another kid area with slides and water guns.  This one had a hamburger restaurant also that we did not use.

About every 10 minutes, the wolves would start howling and the wave pool would start  a wave session - sometime they were straight waves, sometimes they were Hawaiian big waves, sometimes, they were rolling waves and sometimes they were just crazy!   The trips loved the wave pool.  We literally had to drag them out to try the other areas.   They were all not tall enough for the toilet bowl ride, so we did the raft ride....I ended up going down backwards the whole time and got sick!  Not a fun way to end the afternoon, but oh well.....LOL!   My sister did the ride where you stand in a tube and the bottom drops out from under you and you go down the single rider tube - I could never do that!!

We spent more time at the wave pool and then decided to go back to the room to dry off, change and go to the rope park.  Bruno was able to do it alone, but I went with Cassidy - let me tell you, it was scary being two stories high and walking and holding on for dear life.

 Carla bought tickets for the arcade, bowling and mini golf.  So we spent the next three hours doing all these activities.....I didn't get pictures again!  There was just so much!!  The kids had a ball playing in the arcade - there are so many games.  All your tickets that you win at the games, goes back on your card and by the end of the two days, we had over 900 tickets, so the kids were able to get a couple of prizes each.  I bought a pizza for the room - it was relatively inexpensive and we went up stairs about 8:00 to eat.  At 8:15 is story time and they have an area in the lobby that comes alive with characters that are animatronic and also some real characters.  We met Wiley and Violet on this vacation.

After story time, it was time for bed.  We were exhausted!

I will continue with day two tomorrow!

When the Lord closes a door.....

.......somewhere He opens a window. (Maria Von Trapp - Sound of Music, 1965)

I got laid off yesterday.  That door has closed, and now I have to start looking for that open window.

But I'll find it.

The chickens have finally crossed the road

With a heavy heart, I am giving away my chickens, my coop, my feed, my bedding and fencing - Everything needed to raise hens.

After much thought, I have decided that after all these years, I am tired of getting up at dawn and cleaning coops.  I am passing the torch (and all the supplies/hens) to my brother-in-law Joe.  His triplets love chickens and they are at an age now where they can help.  Joe is getting some hens from a friend of his, plus my four hens and he will be all set to begin his little farm.  He also has almost an acre of land which backs up to property that can never be built, so the only thing he has to do is protect them from predators.  Since my fencing is about six feet high, he should be okay!

I was going to kill the hens for soup chickens and it would have been a nice addition to my freezer, but all four are still laying every day.   And if I ever need a chicken/egg fix, I just have to go about a mile away and can see them any time I want! 

It is a sad day! :(

Jaws

I just read that today marks the 39th anniversary of the movie JAWS. 

I remember going to see it in early July that year - and then we went on our annual two week vacation to Cape Cod, the last two weeks of July!

And I was scared to death! 

That fear is still with me, 39 years later......that music can make my heart skip a beat, 39 years later!  And I still look at the water and pay attention to my surroundings, EVERY TIME I go into salt water - 39 years later! 

And of course, I look forward to Shark Week, EVERY year! 

One movie with tremendous impact!

Did it effect you????

                                           We're gonna need a bigger boat!

Happy 20th Birthday

To my beautiful daughter!  Through the years..........

New Hampshire

I spent Sunday in New Hampshire for my niece's graduation party.  It was an absolutely beautiful day even though it was a long ride up and back.

It was nice to see friends and faces that I have not seen in years and years!!  I don't have any pictures but one of me and my brother-in-law Danny.  Since I don't get to spend any time with the this side of the family it was wonderful to enjoy the day and talk and laugh and remember old times!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there both living and deceased!!

Girls weekend in Saratoga

I wish I had more pictures of this wonderful time.  Suffice it to say, that six of us got together in Saratoga/Lake George for a wonderful relaxing weekend - I needed it!

Thank you Eva so much for hosting!

We did the Lake George tour, wine tasting, relaxing, soaking in the hot tub......all the stuff that I never get to do!

Baseball season

One of the trips started t-ball this year.  He was very good, hitting a "home-run" in every game!   They are so cute at this age!

The other trip played soccer and I didn't get to any of his games.  My niece trip did dance!

Dominic's 25th

My middle child turned 25 this year - where does the time go??

His girlfriend through a party for both him and her best friend who also turned 25 (within days of each other).

It was a lot of fun!

 The above picture shows rainbow jello shots in orange slices and strawberries...My future daughter-in-law is very creative.

Memorial Day

Yes, I'm behind again....oh well.  I always end up catching up....

Memorial Day was fantastic weather-wise!  A Beautiful day for the parade and family and picnics/parties.

Our Richard was in the parade in a fire truck (where he just loves to be!!).

I sat with my family (hubby came later, so I have no pictures) and friends on the church lawn.

Our local cheerleaders were national champions again this past year.  My sister-in-law is there coach, so they were all on a float!

Then we went to my sisters for a picnic and her daughter's graduation from college!  She does an egg toss and the kids got carried away with a cake-in-your-face fight!