One CRAZY Weekend!!!

Once upon a time. . . (oh, around 4'th of July weekend), we got really crazy and decided to see what would happen if we completely destroyed all nap and bedtime schedules for three days and took the kids with us to have all kinds of FUN.

And you know what? It turned out much better than I thought it would! We actually did have an enjoyable, memorable weekend!

I had tickets to go here on July 3'rd:

The Gorge ampitheater! Despite being in the middle of the state of Washington, close to absolutely nothing, it's by far the coolest amphitheater I have ever been to in my life. You just can't beat the stunning scenery in the background, and I love being able to spread a blanket out on the lawn and just relax and hear some awesome music. I scored an amazing deal on cheap tickets to Lilith Fair that I was so thrilled about, but because of some last-minute scheduling changes I ended up with nobody who could go with me.

So. . . I told Stephen we're packing up the kids and our whole family is going to Lilith Fair!
It wasn't what you'd call a relaxing day, but the kids actually did great at the concert and we all had a really good time! AMAZING luck! Sometimes miracles do happen! :)

Kirsten was really excited to go to a concert, and she totally loved the music! We rocked out to Sheryl Crow, Colbie Caillat, and Sugarland!

She definitely got into the groove!

Natalie was pretty well-behaved for the most part. As long as we kept lots of toys and snacks out all over the blanket and gave her a bunch of attention, she was happy!

Kirsten was all OVER the place, climbing on us, playing with balloons, and being tickled. It was one big party to her!
(I think this should be Stephen's new profile pic on Facebook. Isn't that such a great daddy/daughter shot?)

It truly was a gorgeous day! Sunny and warm, with a beautiful sunset. It was a 2-hour drive each way, but the girls napped in the car for a lot of the way there and as soon as it started getting dark we put their pajamas on.

And there I am. . . pregnant lady with a baby! (And a toddler, too).

I was worried about how the girls would do as their bedtime rolled around, because Sarah McLachlan (my favorite!) was performing last and I knew I wanted to stay until the very end of the concert. And you know what? It worked out great! Stephen stood up and held Natalie toward the end, and she actually stayed awake until about 5 minutes after we strapped her into her carseat (at 11 pm) and drove home.

My very favorite moments of the whole concert happened towards the very end. We watched the gorgeous sunset, and then mellowed out together while Sarah McLachlan took the stage and sang her beautiful songs. I knew every single song she sang, and Kirsten cuddled up with her blankie and laid down with her head in my lap. She was awake the entire time, but was content to snuggle with me under the stars and listen to the music. It was so peaceful. I loved it!

We got home at 1 in the morning, got the kids to their beds, and finally hit the hay ourselves. It was a wonderful and exhausting day!

Of course, what better way to follow a day like that than taking the kids out late to see 4'th of July fireworks??? (It stays light for so long here, they don't even start fireworks shows until 10 pm or later!)

We almost didn't go, because the day was drippy and rainy, but I really thought Kirsten would love the fireworks so we headed over to the Bellevue Family 4'th with a live orchestra accompanying the fireworks in the park.

Luck was on our side that weekend! The rain stopped before the fireworks, the kids were happy munching on kettle corn while we waited for everything to start, and the fireworks were awesome! Kirsten loved them, and even Natalie wasn't scared!

It was really cute too. . . for the whole drive home after the fireworks, people were shooting their own fireworks off to the right and left, and Kirsten had such a blast pointing out all the fireworks. Then when we got home, she could still see some from her bedroom window and she just plastered herself to the window, not wanting to miss any of them. For the next few nights in a row, she asked to see fireworks again. :)

What I learned over that crazy weekend. . .
Sometimes it pays off in a good way to be adventurous with your young kids. It could turn out awful, but it could also turn out REALLY fun and you could create some great memories. So when in doubt. . . take your kids out!

Our crazy weekend wasn't actually over, because Stephen had the day off work the next day and we blew the nap and bedtime schedules again when we took the kids to the Northwest Trek Animal Park for the day. But I'll save that for another post. :)