We chose to use my parent's timeshare at Massanutten Resort near Harrisonburg, VA this year. We had a really great place with two, two-bedroom condos on top of each other, with a stairwell connecting them. The playground in our backyard was a bonus. The water park, adventure parks (zip lines, etc), and go karts were obviously not toddler friendly. There is definitely a lot to do there for older kids. Nevertheless, we found enough activities for the toddlers to keep them busy both on and off the resort. Here's a glimpse at our time spent at the resort.
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| The pillow from the bed provided easy entertainment before and after meals |
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| I felt like we were watching American Gladiators |
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| Uncle J took a beating from the kids. Don't worry, Braylen was not injured during the match |
We tried to see the animals at the Petting Farm, but due to the rainy conditions, the animals and stalls were too muddy for visitors. Evie and Luke got to see the "horsies" though. As we were walking to the car, a horse came up to the fence to greet us. Evie burst into tears and came running to me afraid. Maybe it was a blessing the place was closed and we didn't spend the money to traumatize our daughter.
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| When we told Evie she had to hold Mommy or Daddy's hand in the parking lot, she demanded Uncle Matt's hand. Last year she ran to MeMa crying every time Uncle Matt came near her. She told me his name when we looked at their family picture months prior to vacation. I had a feeling her heart was softening up to him :) |
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| Nice shot of the horses' rears |
Evie and Luke had fun on the playgrounds- no pictures taken though. The indoor and outdoor pool brought out giggles and smiles from Evie. Braylen enjoyed cruising around the pool in his float equip with a sun shade.
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| We got a lot of compliments on our rafts. So glad we brought them- way less stress when you know your kids won't drown in the baby pool! |
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| Kicked out of the pool for adult swim |
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| Love these towels! |
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| The big cousin on the Hollencamp side. We are pretty sure Braylen will be the biggest cousin next summer. |
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| A beautiful day with these cuties |
One of the highlights for me was MeMa's willingness to stay at the condo with my napping or sleeping children so I could get out with just adults. Jason, Jen, Matt, and I hit up trivia night at the Water Park one night. I didn't know many answers, but it felt good to talk about something other than kiddie things. Jason and I played a round of miniature golf; Jason won, of course. In addition to "dates", we also could give Evie our undivided attention on some morning excursions while Braylen stayed at the condo. I actually felt like I was on vacation!
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| MeMa took good care of Braylen for us |
MeMa also saved the day by bringing bubbles and paintbrushes.
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| Making bubbles for her brother |
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| Peacefully painting together |
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| Luke wiping off his brow sweat while Evie refills his water. |
For only seeing Aunt Jen, Uncle Matt, and cousin Luke a few times a year, Evie warmed up very quickly to them. For the most part, Luke and her played nicely together. They are both pint size (~ 6 months age difference) and blond, making them a cute pair. They made us smile with their sweet little voices and silly antics. Braylen was trying really hard to crawl on vacation. Next year he will be in the mix with Luke and Evie and Luke's little brother or sister will be taking the morning naps. It's so much fun to see our family grow each year.
2 comments:
Mer - so glad you enjoyed your vacation. In three years, all of us will be able to go and experience more of the resort as the kids get older. Your commentary is hilarious! I just love the blog and look forward to your posts.
I read something recently about how people without kids take vacations and people with kids take trips. A vacation and a trip sound like synonyms, but anyone with kids knows that they are NOT. Glad to see you got a little bit of both this time!
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