Sink Family of Four - Fall Vacay

Do you remember back in the summer when we went on a vacation trip?  It consisted with a lot of crying and clinginess from Ella, our family of four being split up, babies sleeping in our room, oh... and in laws?  Well, I decided by the time we left the OBX that we needed a make-up vacation, and it needed to be just the four of us.  Everyone needed to be healthy, the girls needed to sleep in their own room, and we just needed to regroup - us four.  I started looking, and we booked a nice place in Massanutten in the Fall.  I'm so happy that I thought outside the box - there's more to vacations than just the beach in the summer.  After researching, Massanutten was a great option - playgrounds, indoor pools, and a cool pumpkin patch nearby - perfect for our family with two tiny tots to please!

We planned to arrive on Wednesday evening, and come home on a Sunday, with having an extra day on Monday for Columbus Day.  A few days before we were due to leave, Sydney decided it was a great time to get a stomach bug.  I mean, seriously Syd!?!?  We are trying to have a fun and healthy vacation... could you just lock it up??  The good news is, it was very minimal, she magically didn't share any germs with Ella, and we were off on our trip!

And let me tell you... it was amazing.  Everything I dreamed it would be, and more!  The girls had so much fun.  They slept great, napped at the same time, and went to bed early.  I loved that we were able to devote all of our attention to them - we weren't trying to spend time with them, fix meals, and get items marked off our to-do lists.  Our place was huge... so spacious for the girls to run around, the bath tub was so big it required the girls to wear floats, and we had a great view.  I mean, so great all-around.

We were going to leave at bed time, but decided to leave early and arrive by dinner time.  It was perfect - we all ate dinner and unloaded the van.  When we got into our place, the girls literally ran around laughing and making happy noises.  It was awesome.  Daddy quickly got to work making the girls giggle - he pulled them around on blankets!

:) :)

Everyone slept great, and we woke up to a beautiful day and fabulous view.

Breakfast time: happy sharing tots!

First stop: the playground.

my whole heart

Ella's face is happy, Sydney's face is hilarious



swings: a tiny toddler's joy!

#doubleswing

Sink twins take on the Skee Ball

Look at us! Eating bananas like real people

After a good nap and a snack, we headed to the coolest pumpkin patch.

Momma bear and her girls in the corn-pit

team work: milking the cow

Momma and Ella getting ready to go down the 60ft underground slide



The After

Daddy & Sydney's turn!

Double-Dad-Duty

hanging out on the human hamster wheel

two cute girls hanging out on the hay bale

obsessed with the goat

We took a hay ride out to pick pumpkins



Ella is giving the pumpkin kisses

Sydney might be small, but girlfriend is strong



<3 <3 <3 <3

E&S on the hayride holding their prized pumpkins

Daddy is so good at teaching the girls manners

a tire swing, literally

First ever carousel ride

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

these pumpkins are more our size

That pumpkin patch was seriously awesome... so many fun things for little kiddos to do.  We're already talking about coming back :)

After we came back from our fun-filled day outside, Ella and Sydney seriously needed a bath.  We put them in the HUGE bath tub and quickly realize that they needed floats.  SO.MUCH.FUN!  They were in heaven.  They were obsessed with the bubbles and playing with each other.  Look at this picture of PURE JOY on both of their faces - I love that you can see Syd's huge grin in the mirror. 

my favorite

you might not be able to tell, but these two were laughing HYSTERICALLY at each other

casual Thursday night in the bathroom

when Daddy does airplane and they both want to fly... he's a Super-Dad, literally.

I bought the girls some new toys and books to play with for our trip.  The best $10 I've spent at Walmart: a new tea set!  And who better to have tea with than Daddy?

We had a rainy day, so we visited a pool on the resort

And skinny babies = cold babies

So we headed back for lunch and naps and literally just vegged out for the rest of the day.

oh, and hung out in laundry baskets.  BFFs <3

Another new book: the Cheerios Playbook.  You put Cheerios on the spaces on each page... so we've trained the girls to wait until all the Cheerios are on the page before they can eat them.

"wait.... wait.... wait.... GO!"

And to finish out our lazy day - ice cream for dessert!

And for the last day... we hemmed and hawed, but decided to go ahead and try out the water park.  It was awesome, and definitely money well-spent.  They had a great area for littles, we went around the lazy river half a dozen times, and since our petites get cold so quickly, they lovvvvvved the "family hot tub" aka a large warm pool with jets.  Their faces would light up as soon as their toes hit the warm water!  We don't have many pictures because... well, two toddlers at a water park.

Sydney LOVED that little slide

Ella liked it.. didn't love it.

but Ella really loved the little swings

Getting warmed up and ready to head back for a nap

Sydney is perfecting the duck face selfie (she's really practicing her fish face)

"What does a fish do?"

just swinging the afternoon away

warming up, exhausted little ladies!

such a fun day!

After another good swim in the big bath tub and a good night's rest, we headed home!  I had a grand plan to stop by and do some apple picking/eat lunch and donuts on the way home.  I mean, in theory it was a good plan, until we had some remnants of Hurricane Matthew, and the wind was blowing so hard on the top of Carter Mountain that the girls literally couldn't even walk in.  So we grabbed them a snack of French fries, donuts, and apple cider and they ate it in the front seat of the car! Ha!

Massanutten 2016 = success!
I can't tell you enough how much I loved our little family vacation.  It's so important to do something with just your little family, just like it is to do something as husband and wife, instead of mama and dada.  As much as we love all of the grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles... but at the center of it all, we have to keep the four of us on top.  We're already talking about our next trip <3 <3

This is Home

We make - at minimum - one fall trip per year to visit God's country, Blacksburg!  A very, very kind coworker gives us bomb-ass tickets and a Lot 1 parking pass.  We love to visit "Uncle Mop", and my old coworkers from Undergraduate Admissions.

We decided to leave Thursday evening at bedtime because the girls sleep awesome in the car.  And just when you think you have it all figured out... they throw you a curve ball.  Ella cried/whined/fussed for approximately 2 hours.  When we arrived at the MacInnis Motel, they both woke up.  We still had to set up pack 'n plays and get them settled.  To say that night was a train wreck is just an understatement.  But alas, we were in SW VA!  My second home.

skeletons watching Minions WAY  past their bedtime!

We wanted to spend a full day with Matthew and enjoy the gorgeous campus.  We let the girls run around, took him to lunch, and just spent it outside.  This Hokie girl was happy :)

E&S and the Drillfield <3

Momma and her pretty girls

We visited a few friends in Undergraduate Admissions and ran up and down the halls.. clearly trying to make a good impression to get accepted!

The #doublesinks and the Hokie Bird

After lunch, we strolled around town... the girls napped in the stroller, we went to the bookstore, drank Starbucks, and went back to the Drillfield.

Ella, Sydney, the Drillfield, and Burruss

Since it was Homecoming weekend, they had a Pass and Review of the Corps on the Drillfield.  We unintentionally sat as close as possible to Skipper, the ceremonial cannon of the Corps.  Since we couldn't get close, we snapped a picture of the girls, Skipper in the background, and the Cadet that was protecting the cannon.  And I'll tell you what... Skipper is LOUD.  And we discovered the girls were unphased.  {that means next year: fireworks on the 4th of July!}

And we have the very best uncle in all the world.  He loves our girls fiercely, and we're all just so lucky.


Holding Sydney upside-down

hugging Uncle Mop

Brothers holding Sisters

<3

watching the Corps

After we were done hanging out on campus, we headed back to have dinner with all of the MacInnis family, and even got to hang out with Camden.  Camden's momma, April, is 35 weeks pregnant with little brother, Tomas.

So here's where things get interesting, and we are reminded that we have the VERY BEST support system - near and far.  In the early morning hours of game day, April went into labor.  Nobody was expecting it... and we had a little bit of a problem since Kim & Brian were watching the girls all day so we could go to the game.  Well, that problem was very temporary because we have such a great "village"... we have so many people who love us and drop what they're doing to help us, 3 1/2 HOURS AWAY!  We called Kelly (who jokingly said earlier in the week to call if out babysitter falls through... who knew!?), and she brought her boys over and they loved on the girls all day long.

So crisis averted, we were on our way to see the Hokies play!  Had to pick up Matthew first

Adopted Hokie, Alum Hokie, Current Hokie

I received the best pictures all day... with confirmation of how much our girls are loved and how much fun they had

Grayson loving on Ella (Luke and Sydney were off being crazy together)

flip cup

we found Kim!

Hokie lady friends... is it obvious I missed the Orange Effect boat!?

love this view of everyone coming into the game from our box seats

love having a break from reality with this guy

.... and he apparently played way too much flip cup

Meanwhile... the #doublesinks we having so much fun

sums it up perfectly.

We had such a great weekend away.  Loved being back "home" in Blacksburg, visiting Uncle Mop, cheering on the Hokies.  We absolutely love our "accommodations" - we are treated so well by the MacInnis'.  The girls have a blast playing with all of Camden's toys, we have a great space in the basement, and the company is simply the best.  Can't wait to get back there <3

putting on our shoes, ready to head back home

A year and a half

So, much to my dismay, time hasn't slowed down any.  Like at all.  And if anything, it's sped up.  So, world, throw me a bone and chill a bit.

The girls are officially a year and a half years young.  And I'm telling you... this is fun.  I love, love, love this age.  I love that they both walk - and to me, it's way easier.  Picking them both up, setting them down, being outside... all-around I just prefer them both walking.  They laugh and interact  They are like trick ponies... and have so many new stunts.

Animal noises:
cow, dog, cat, monkey, dinosaur, lion, snake, sheep

Words:
Mama, Dada, Nana, Papa, Abby, Jacob, Ella, Sydney, hair bow (booooow), purple, outside, inside, uh-oh, bye bye, yah! (they always respond affirmatively... want to get a bath? yah! want to go slide? yah!), go, bath (ba), water (wa-wa)

Body parts:
They can point to... nose, head/hair, mouth, eyes, belly button

They also give the best kisses!  "Mmmm-ah!!". 

Their favorite things:
-MINIONS.  Holy hell, they love those little yellow guys.  You have no idea.. "mi-mi" means Minions.  They love Bob, Kevin, and Stuart.  If they're being too fussy or we need to get a few things done, the Minions come to the rescue.  And to document this obsession... coming soon: Halloween 2016
-Dancing.  When daddy cuts on the record player or a good tune, Sydney especially, will just get down.  They shake their cute little bodies back and forth, and let the music take them away.
-Sticks.  A little bit obsessed.  Ella really is the instigator, but they walk outside and have stick-radar.  They pick them up and carry them around like they're little friends.  We have a collection of sticks next to the door where we make them say "bye-bye" and throw the stick down when it's time to go in.  Not to be missed... those "bye-bye stick" moments often come with some tantrums.
-Books.  They will grab a book, sit in your lap, and "read"... repeat!
-Swinging, sliding, and just being outside.  We take walks, find sticks, water flowers, and visit Daisy.
-Eating pouches, chocolate milk, and goldfish crackers
-Sydney religiously takes off her right shoe in the car every.single.time
-Favorite person: da-da.  All day long.  He can comfort them, make them laugh, and style a mean pony tail

So here are our stats from our well-check:

Ella Grace
20 lbs 3 oz
31" tall

Sydney Ann
17 lbs 3 oz
30.75" tall

coloring on the table at our check-up

And just for giggles... here's Sydney's growth chart.  Both girls are in this special place on the chart called "less than 3 %".  You'd think Ella was "big" compared to Sydney.  Well the thing is, Ella is small, and Sydney is just a freak of nature.  Ella is hovering right on the "curve" and Sydney has just created her own!  But I love, love, love having little ladies.  I think they are so cute, we get more use out of their clothes, and they are the perfect snuggling size!  I'm not a very big person myself, so my lap could only handle so much! :)

Sydney's weight: <3%, height is 22%
Ella's weight: <3%, height is 27%

After you've had shots and a check-up, the best thing is to go grocery shopping, get balloons, and eat pouches

Oh yeah... and if you're wondering WHY Sydney is so small.. it's not for malnutrition.  This girl can EAT.  And she's so cute doing it... shoving, with MUCH FORCE and enthusiasm, food into her mouth.  That night at dinner, I caught her stealing Ella's mashed potatoes off her plate, hahahah.

"Oh, I'd like a second helping... off your plate, Ella" -Syd

And she has a HUGE mouth

"Ella, where's your belly button??"

Sydney was walking UP the slide when Ella was sliding DOWN the slide... and they both hugged and laughed and laughed

the two cutest girls in all the land <3 <3

And this morning, I documented the STICK OBSESSION!

 So here we are... 18 months old.  I'm going to blink and they'll be 18, just watch.

Oh, darlings, don't you ever grow up, just stay this little.