Slade and I went to Naples, Florida this past weekend. It was a business trip for him that spouses are invited to. All expenses paid vacation for us. It was quite lovely.

We also had some great spa treatments and one afternoon took an airboat trip into the Everglades. We saw a few gators and the boat riding was a blast. This is a pic from my phone as we head out on the boat.



Here is Slade on the beach on our last day. We laid out in the sun and read the paper, we really gave into laying around and doing nothing!



Sunset from the hotel room.



It was a great trip and we hope that we will be invited back yet again. Last year the trip was to the Biltmore in Phoenix. Who knows where it will be next year.

Luckily the amazing Erika stayed with the kids while we were gone. She and Zane made pepper jelly out of the banana peppers left on his plant. She had a great time getting to know them more.

Frost Please!

You wouldn't think I'd be asking for that, yet I am. A frost will kill all the crap that is causing seasonal allergies in my house.

The kids have been sick this past week. Well, actually Zane is the only one who isn't. We feel like it has been FOREVER since they have been ill. It is from seasonal allergies. I didn't quite realize this until Graham came home Wednesday from his 6-week residency at the Land School - and has the same nasty cough and congestion as Cody & Sebastian. Halloween week is also a nervous week for me. It is a time when someone has been quite ill for most of our parenting years. This year Sebastian has the worst case.

On Tuesday I kept him home for a nasty sounding cough. You know, the kind that sounds like it is going to infect all those around. He stayed home Wednesday, and Thursday. Thursday mid-afternoon it got worse and I called to make an apointment with the Doc. Friday first thing we were set to go in. But then with 30 more minutes of the Doc's office being open I decided to take him there (they are one walkable block away). They were none too happy to see us showing up without an appointment, I apologized right away and just said "Sorry, I'd rather bring him here then to the ER later." Luckily the Doc agreed, unfortunately Sebastian is now on steriods. His cough is much better though! And the steriods make him starving and full of energy. He is speeding around the house. Lucky for us some friends asked if they could bring Seby & Zane home after church this morning. So they have him speeding around their house and eating all their food! I guess I should of warned her. Ops.

Today Cody is taking a turn with his cough/asthma. Unfortunately he is on all the highest doses of preventative meds. But, he is hanging in there with taking nebs. Hopefully we will keep him out of the Doc's office this week.

Well now it is Monday and I still haven't finished this post. It turns out that Cody's asthma was in obvious needs of steriods and I took him off to the ER Sunday afternoon to get some. Maybe this will be the year that they ALL get it. Zane woke up this morning saying "everytime I cough my heart hurts." - which means his chest. Oh lucky me. As long as we get them all well enough for me to feel comfortable to leave with Slade on Thursday to a trip to Naples, Florida. Those steriods work so fast I'm sure all will be fine.

Well I might get my wish for frost. Our lake house is getting snow as I type and we might get a dusting this evening. Bring it on!