Vacation - the Summary!

I just returned from a vacation with the boys. It began in Cincinnati at the ordination of my sister-in-law, Julia. It was a beautiful ceremony that seemed to take me back to my spiritual roots and the legacy of the church I am so proud of growing up in and which continues to be such an important part of my life.

How, you ask, was I able to get two teenagers and two 11 year olds to sit through a two hour ordination? That’s easy—you bribe them with a week of amusement parks. Following the ordination my whole family met at Kings Island for the day. It was a nice time of being together. The boys and I stayed at Kings Island for another day and then, if that wasn’t enough, were off to Sandusky, Ohio to Cedar Point. Here is where the adventure began…

I “Pricelined” a hotel in Sandusky. We arrived late Sunday night and as we pulled into the parking lot I had a feeling this might not be good. Boy was I right. I checked-in anyway and headed to the room. It was a dump—and there was NO security. Anyone could get into the facility at anytime. Here I was a single mom with four kids with me and the possibility of having to stay in an insecure hotel. I immediately got a sick feeling in my stomach. I loaded everyone back into the car and started calling local hotels—with little luck. I finally got through to a Hampton Inn about 6 miles away that had a family suite available. Though VERY pricey, I decided peace of mind had NO price and we checked out of “America’s Best” and headed to a suite at the Hampton. The room was great – two king-size beds and one queen-size. I guess everything works out for the best because we were very comfortable with our lodging arrangements. I chalk this one up to one of those experiences I wish I never had to do alone, but dealt with it as I could.

Cedar Point was a blast. Each of my kids brought a friend with them on this trip, so I was the odd one out. I found that a little difficult, but didn’t let it stop me from spending time with the kids. Two days at Kings Island, two days at Cedar Point equals 38 hours of amusement park frenzy and one worn out mom who is glad to be....HOME.

This I know for sure...