Plugging Back In

The Christmas craziness is over! Have you recovered? I'm exhausted! It's hard being mom this time of year, but these smiles on Christmas morning make it all worth it.




And, reactions like these are priceless!



After stressing over the holidays, we decided to take an impromptu trip and unplug so we chose a remote location in Arkansas. Note to self, there's no unplugging when dealing with my boys. They have two modes-on and unconscious. It was still nice to get away from the responsibilities of home.

And the view of the Ozarks was all worth it.




The first night we stayed at a lodge in a state park. It reminded me so much of the Wilderness Lodge at Disney World, but with a view of the mountains.




My boys appreciated the indoor pool more than the view.



Then, we took a scenic drive through the Ouachita National Forest to another state park outside of Hot Springs. This time we rented a cabin that sat right on the lake for a bit of hiking and fishing. I really just wanted to read and sit by the lake, but we kept busier than we thought.








My little guy enjoyed the view of the lake from the screened porch...for about 30 seconds.



I have no idea why he only has on one sock. I'm not sure why he does a lot of things!

And my middle son helped dad start the grill...for about 30 seconds. He came back when it was time for smores, of course.




The hike to the waterfall at the park was a highlight of the trip. The path was a bit more treacherous than I thought it would be, but we made it and had a lot of fun on the way. My little guy took his Minecraft sword to kill any bears that might attack us. We obviously only had to worry about dad having too much fun with the kid sword.



I can't say I'm recharged and ready to tackle any new projects, but I am happy to be home and slowly get back up to speed. How was your Christmas? Are you getting ready for New Year's Eve?

We'll be spending ours here in the backyard-swimming in the hot tub, grilling, and making s'mores.



We may or may not stay awake until midnight. Exciting, right? Have a great New Year's!