Throughout our whole battle with fevers we have wondered if our house making us sick in some way. There are many sicknesses that can happen as a result of environmental factors, and the best way to see if they were an issue is to spend time away from home.
We were not really sure what the options would be for places to stay. Our families were not sure if we should come and stay with them. We needed a kitchen etc which made a hotel tricky and also questionable health wise. Thankfully our deal friends and the parents of K and J offered to let us stay at their cabin in the woods. It is a beautiful three bedroom three level log cabin in the middle of nowhere. After really thinking and praying about it, we decided to say yes and planned our time there. We drove up on a Tuesday and returned home late Saturday night.
Tuesday 8/25 - Day One
We packed through much of the morning. In the middle of the packing I had a phone call with the virtual rep for the district. She explained to me that M could do 100% virtual with an in-house option. Because they didn't know all the details yet, she said that the virtual kids would start school a week after the in person kids. Our family was totally fine with an extra week of summer vacation. We were on the road after an early lunch. We figured we would begin the journey the same way we used to head to my parent's home. Sadly there was much construction and we had two major detours. It took an extra hour to drive there than it did on the way home. Once we arrived, we were very impressed to see the beautiful log home and property.
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M: I really like this place.
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While I unpacked and made dinner the kids tried out the 4-wheeler and ATV. They fell in love with them. While they were riding I was also texting with my mom wondering if they could visit us. M came inside and I took his temp and it was 101.4. That helped us to know that my parents should not come.
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M: This is so awesome!
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T: I wish I could drive too!
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The face of a happy boy.
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We "needed" to pause dinner prep for a family ride.
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Someone is feeling jealous, any guesses?
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During the packing and unpacking process Brandon lifted a box incorrectly and really hurt his back. It caused him pain for a couple of weeks. M was extremely regulated after his time riding and offered to massage it.
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M: How is it feeling? Any better?
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It was rough getting the kids to bed and I ended up just going to sleep with them. The kids and I all tried to sleep in one room. T struggled to fall asleep so she ended up with Brandon.
Wednesday 8/26 - Day 2
I was up early (well before 6:00) to work on church stuff and then headed out for a walk. I was hoping to chat with my mom, but I had no cell service, so I just enjoyed the peaceful morning and listened and prayed. It was very refreshing.
Once everyone was up and going we took a family ATV ride over the ridge to see the property. The views were beautiful. It was so peaceful and quiet.
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Beautiful green rolling hills.
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He loved driving. He is super cautious and went about 2-3mph down the hill.
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After this ride we figured out a way for him to buckle while he drove. He didn't think he could buckle and reach the pedals, but he could.
The lovely thing about vacation is you can come inside for a morning nap and relax a bit. T found a perfect cozy nest chair. She never wanted to nap as a toddler and preschooler, but now it is the best thing ever!
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T: Now that I am past the normal nap age I suddenly love naps.
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T: I also love bugs. I wanted to show this one to S
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After lunch we went on a driving adventure to find a state park. We took all back roads. We thought we would drive through some larger town on the way, but we were truly in the middle of nowhere. We were watching the gas gauge dip lower and lower. Suddenly, we came upon a very small town with a gas station and were able to fill up. What a beautiful sight that was.
After filling up the tank it didn't take long to arrive at the state park. It is up high in the hills. There were switchbacks in the road and we could feel the elevation changes in our ears. Once we arrived at the park we checked out this great lookout area! Pictures can't capture how incredible these views are. I bet the fall colors will soon be mind blowing. The area reminded us so much of the Smoky Mountains. I am missing the Smokies!
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The view!
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I am not really sure how I would handle taking the kids to the Grand Canyon, because I was so scared they would lean back and tumble over the wall and drop off. Thankfully Brandon took the picture quickly.
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Ready to hike!
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After we took the above photo we noticed a special selfie stand where you could put your camera and take a group shot. We decided to go for it and took a shot. I tried zooming in, but then you see absolutely no view, so it is a bit of a distant shot.
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The rare family photo.
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About one second after the camera snapped the picture we felt a gust of wind and saw Brandon's phone fall to the ground. When he picked it up we discovered the screen cover was broken. Thankfully he purchased something with a lifetime warranty so he only had to pay a bit for shipping. The new cover arrived at our house before we did.
The phone after the fall.
We chose to do a 2.5 mile loop hike. We knew there would be many hills so it would be a more intense workout than the kids are used to, but we wanted them to rise to the challenge. After some early negativity they decided to act out "hiking stereotypes" as if they were making a Dude Perfect video. It turns out that really changed the atmosphere and allowed us to have a lot of enjoyable time on the hike. The kids were tired, thirsty, and hungry when we got back to the van, but we made it!
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Headed for adventure!
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Crazy rock formations.
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An avenue of trees.
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We finished the trail!!!!!
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When we arrived back at the cabin the kids decided to trap themselves between the two doors. How silly.
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T: We are in kid jail!!!
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It was the perfect night to roast hotdogs and have a camp fire.
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What a happy view!
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The sights and smells of summer.
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T: The smoke is getting in my face.
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M: I want a perfectly cooked hotdog with no black on it.
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T: We really wanted to take a night ride.
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T was able to drive on Brandon's lap.
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Thursday 8/27 - Day 3
We started the day with some "Shut the box" playing. The game was at the cabin and the kids became obsessed with it. Actually, Brandon and I thought it was quite fun as well.
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M: I really want to get this game!
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I spent several hours trying to research a lake that was nearby. The kids really wanted to swim. Sadly, there was nothing very close. I was finally able to find one about 30 minutes away. We decided to head out after lunch.
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The rolling hills are breathtaking.
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We found the lake and the world's smallest beach. We were a bit baffled by the lack of beach. It is the only lake for many many miles. It seems like people would want to use it. Oh well, it did the job for us.
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| M: I wasn't sure I wanted to go in. |
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Playing some frisbee.
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We surprised the kids with Culvers lemon ice on the way home.
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M: This is so good!
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T: I like mine with raspberries.
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We decided to pull over on the way home for a better rolling hills picture.
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Once we arrived at the cabin the kids had screen time, I emailed, and Brandon had relaxing reading time in a swing chair. I am so thankful for this relaxing time for him.
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A bit like Mexico... maybe?
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While Brandon was reading and I was working the kids were watching 7 Brides for 7 Brothers! I can't express with words how much I love that my kids love this musical! After the show and tacos we tried to get to bed a bit earlier.
Once the kids were asleep Brandon and I watched a storm roll in. The light show was impressive.
Friday 8/28 - Day 4
We all slept in and had a pretty late start to the day. We had Bible time and showers etc and then started playing a game around 11:00. I purchased the game Ticket to Ride for a special vacation treat. I have read about it for years and wanted to surprise the kids.
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M: It was a pretty fun game!
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We were almost finished with the game when we heard a knock at the door. The man who owns the property next door asked if we wanted a tour of the area in his ATV. We were planning on finishing the game, having lunch and packing up to go home. We didn't fell like we could say no, so we headed out for the tour. We rode in his ATV, so we wore masks the entire time. He took us all over the property. He had to stop twice to pull out his chainsaw and cut down trees in the path. He showed us his beautiful log cabin and lots of interesting things.
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We were given an injured Butterfly.
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When he brought us back to the cabin he stayed and chatted with Brandon for a long time. One of us was with him for 3 full hours! I tired to get the kids fed and begin the big cleaning and packing process. I was not in the best mood as I cleaned, but eventually everything looked like it did when we arrived.
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Adventures in Odyssey for the win! They listened while we packed and cleaned.
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T: This is Moni the monarch and I love him!
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We did take this butterfly home in a yogurt container and he lived with us for several days before he died.
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M: I sure am glad we went on this vacation!
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We followed a big storm the entire way home. It ended up being a blessing that your journey home was delayed. The kids chose Sound of Music for their movie and were able to watch the entire ride home. We didn't end up getting home until about 9:00pm. We tried to get the kids a bit of food and then we all headed to bed. It was nice to get away for a few days and to make some great family memories. It sure was a lot more work than being at home, but I know the kids had fun so I am thankful we made the trip. We are so blessed to have such dear friends who shared the cabin with us. We had fevers the entire time we were there, so we were able to come home knowing that our home environment was not making us sick. This was wonderful knowledge to have!
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