Family Getaway.

Early last Spring, Hannah and Josh earned free tickets to Silverwood by completing a reading incentive program at school. The goal was to read 600 minutes in (I believe) 30 days, to record it in their reading log, and turn it in at the end of the 30 days. If they reach their goal, they earn a ticket. They were both pumped about the prospect of free tickets to Silverwood (So was I. They are both adult price now, so they saved us 80 dollars!) Josh doesn't necessarily love reading, but he was so excited to do this, and even more excited when he reached his goal, and I was so proud of him for all of his hard work.

Since we were going to Spokane for Jake's appointment, on Tuesday, we decided that we should just stay overnight and make it a fun getaway for the family. The kids really love staying in hotels. Maybe it's because they've only done it twice, and it's still a novelty to them. Maybe it's because there's a pool. Maybe it's the yummy Continental Breakfast that begs to be devoured in the morning. Whatever it is, they love it!

We ate dinner here on Tuesday night. Neither Spencer or I had ever been to Chili's, so when we saw it on the way to our hotel, it was quickly decided that we would be eating there! It was delicious. I wondered if the kids would like it, and was pleasantly surprised to find that their kid menu was perfect! There were quite a few options for the kids to choose from, and each one got something that they loved. Spencer and I both enjoyed our meals. My only complaint is that I didn't order another half rack of ribs. Those babies were good! Am I pregnant or what?

After dinner, we wandered around Barnes & Noble while the kids each chose a new book. I could spend hours and hours perusing the shelves of B & N. Love that place.

As you can guess, we spent all of Wednesday at Silverwood. We all had a great time, and I am happy to announce that I no longer am sporting a Farmer Tan! I'm all evened out now...Woo-hoo! We also ran into 7 different families that we know from our little corner of the woods. It was fun to see so many familiar faces in an unfamiliar place.

I'm pretty excited because this year all three kids will have the opportunity to earn free tickets, but what's even better is that Spencer can get in free too! The park has "Toyota Tuesday" every week where the driver of a Toyota simply has to pick up a voucher at any Toyota dealership near the park on a Tuesday, and they will get in free of charge. Sweet! So we'll just be paying for little old me. Gotta love that!

After the stress of Tuesday's doctor appointment, some fun was very much in order. I'm so glad we were able to get away and just be together. The kids had a blast, and so did we. This is one summer tradition that we will definitely be keeping!