Baker Stay-cation 2012

Greg and I thought it would be nice to get away for a few days during the week of Easter. Unfortunately, Greg got really sick during the time we wanted to get away, and had we gone, it would have made for a really bummer vacation.

Greg eventually healed the next week, but that particular week was not a good one to get away. Not abandoning the idea of vacation altogether, we decided to have a vacation at home, our own "stay-cation."

So this passed Tuesday, a friend from church offered to take us snowmobiling in the mountains. While the guys got the machines in order on the trailer, I took a picture of the dogs...our own resident wolves (two malamutes and one husky).

Because of the warm spring weather, we unloaded the machines at the highest point and then rode the snowmobiles on the partially snow-covered roads. And let me add, maneuvering a snowmobile on the pavement is not easy!!

Once we made it to snow, the machine was much easier to handle. Around lunch, Kearny took us to a great lunch spot where it was warm enough to shed our parkas and snowpants. After lunch, we went to a large, open field where we found out just what our machines could do. In fact, when Greg and I raced, I got my machine up to 70 mph! And the best part is that I beat my husband! I suppose I should add that my machine was a bit more powerful than his!

The weather was so perfect after returning from our snowy adventure, we decided to tackle a few yard projects. One major motivation to do this was that the weather forecast for Thursday and Friday was thunderstorms and snow. Therefore, Tuesday afternoon consisted of disposing of the monster pile of dead tree from our front yard into the trailer and then to the dump pile, collecting large pine cones off the front yard and storing for winter wood stove burning, rake up the dead grass where the sandbags were, and move several wheelbarrow-full loads of dirt to the front of the basement windows. Paton was outside with us during those several hours and was a trooper...even after a few knee-scraping falls and being covered with ants at one point. Thankfully, I didn't have to make dinner since Greg got us pizza that night!

Wednesday was my husband's and my date day. We had about three hours where the kids were with the babysitters and we could go into town on a date. First we went to Starbucks and enjoyed some free coffee-thanks to two coupons. Then we went to Applebees for lunch-thanks to a gift card from a church member! Once we returned home, that afternoon was spend with more dirt moving, raking dead grass from the front yard, and boulder-removal from the back yard, and then our church's Awana ministry that evening.

Thursday was our "chilling-at-home" day. We moved the crib that Paton had been sleeping in to Charlotte's room and then assembled Paton's big boy toddler bed. Below is the before and after in Paton's room. The transition wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. He had a few tears when he couldn't find his bed, but then was super excited about his new special bed.

The forecast was correct, as you can see below. This was my view this morning...3 inches of snow! Plus it rained all day yesterday without even one break! So I'm really thankful we tackled the yard projects earlier in the week.

Though not quite the way we had planned, our stay-cation was the relaxing family time we had been needing. And now back to reality!