Gettysburg Wedding

We finished off our vacation with a trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  One of my cousins, Katie was getting married.  This was quite an excursion for our little ones, they faced a five hour car ride on thursday, two nights in a hotel and an eight and a half hour car ride home on Saturday.  Despite numerous stops, disrupted sleep in the hotel and very late bedtimes we enjoyed ourselves!  I can be a schedule/bed time/nap time nazi, so it was really outside my comfort level to put the kids to bed so late to go to the wedding.  But we all survived, and even had a great time! 

Funny story #1

On the way to Gettysburg the kids were sick and tired of being in the car.  We were all getting a little crazy and Carter started yelling about boogers growing in his nose.  Mike started laughing and said "We're not growing boogers!"  Ava then started yelling "Booger Farm!  Booger Farm!"  

Funny Story #2

On the way home from the wedding everyone was a little delirious.  Carter declared that he was born here, at this hotel.  He was born in Gettysburg.  Ava looked at Mike and very earnestly said "I born at Burger King."  

Now onto some pictures:

Our Family in front of the beautiful golf course

Yes, Carter is shooting a spider man web.

My sister with her lovely family:  Marcus, Margie, Julean, Brendan and Riley

Uncle Patrick and Ava

Hmm, was this before or after you used Ava to steal chicken fingers from the little kids buffet?

Aunt Margie and Carter dancing

Ava was our little dancing queen.  She had a ball!

The next day there was a picnic at a local park in Gettysburg.  Here are some of my younger cousins and my cousins kids. 

I also got to talk to one of my cousins, Becca.  She has a hilarious, heartfelt blog with six intelligent, beautiful little girls.  It was so nice to talk to her in person!  Plus, she has been where we are right now, with three little kids spaced closed together. 

Here is my Mom with most of her brothers and sisters (10 out of the 11)

Carol, Kevin, Mary Beth, Rachel, Bill, Jeanne, Michael, Margaret, Patty, Jimmy

We had such a great time seeing all these family members that we never get to see.

After the picnic on Saturday we made the best decisions EVER!  We were facing an 8.5 hour drive, the kids had been up late the night before, it was nap time so let's go sightseeing, right?

 

 

We did make it to the visitor's center for a short excursion.  But it was quickly cut short with cries of "My legs are tired.   I'm thirsty, I'm thirsty, I'm THIRSTY!" from Carter.  From Ava it was one big cry of "MOMMY, AHHHH!  THIRSTY!  AHHHH!"

We finally made it on the road and had to stop 5 TIMES in about a two hour period.  Finally everyone fell asleep and we made it home around 12:30 at night.  It was a long day, but we made it through.

We definetely want to return to Gettysburg when the kids are older.  Mike and I were actually giddy with excitement pulling up to the visitor's center, but the kids quickly squelched those feelings.  Oh well, we will be back.