now and then

My absolute favorite movie growing up aside from every Disney movie was "now & then". Whenever I watch it just think of when I was little. Aside just how hot Devon Sawa was a wormer, & if jello ballons would really work as fake boob. HA
 It happened to by my sisters favorite & my moms too, probably not by choice for my mom but more like she had to sit thru every.single.time we watched it.

My mom and I are very close. We hate each other & argue but forget about it & love each other hard. I can hear all you out there nodding your heads that you completely agree. Mother-Daughter relationships from teenage-dom to being a adult is tricky. & since I grew up with all sisters, arguments were never lacking.

My mom and I always felt closer than anyone else tho. We just got each other. My mom would do anything for me, & I am mean anything. I grew up with a mom that would do anything to see smiles on our faces. She danced silly, dressed up, would do impromptu picnics and tea parties! I even once talked to her into a dog, make that like 3 dogs, 2 cats & 3 goats and a handful of chickens. Anyway, I am getting off track.

I am sitting here in pain & sick on the couch and Now & Then came on. & when I used to think about my childhood every time I would watch this, it now reminds me of the summer after I graduated!

My mom, younger sister & I were traveling back from Louisville. We live in Indiana, & when we saw the sign for Shelbyville Indiana, my mom made a B line to the exit for us to see all the sights from our favorite movie! We were looking for the gaslight addition, the library & that awesome cafe. We drove for a good hour, before we found the cafe or so we thought! My mom went in & they had never even heard of the movie! First off, who the heck has never heard of this movie? Second, in a small town I think they would def know a movie was filmed there. That didn't stop my mom tho, she trudged into to more stores. Each had no clue what she was talking about. I was the only one with a smart phone then, a blackberry {what what} & had forgotten I could get on the internet. I searched for now & then. & I couldn't believe my eyes. In the movie they say they live in SHELBY Indiana, not shelbyville and on top of that wasn't even filmed there. It was filmed in Savannah Georgia! 

We all just sat in the car laughing our butts off. It is one of my favorite, among many memories of my mom. I never want to forget and can't wait to tell my girls the story one day.

 I don't look like anyone in family, & we often joke that I was switched at birth. But there is one thing I got from my mom, & that is her heart & her way of being a mom. She may completely drive me batty 98% of the time but to see me  or my sisters and now my girls  happy ,that women would go to the end of the earth or maybe just to Shelbyville, Indiana.

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To my Husband

To my Husband on our anniversary:

Sometimes I look at the years we have been married & think we have only been married such a short time, & others think it seems like ages.

We have been thru so so much in such a short time.

 I am a card person, & I normally spend hours, & I mean it in hallmark looking for the perfect card for us during that year. & usually I do. I mean I don't want to be biased but I am a pretty badass card picker-outer. But this year I knew I couldn't find one for what we had been thru this year. So I am writing you my own.

There are a few things I think my husband and well every husband needs to hear.

First, I appreciate you.

You have never once called in and went in to work just dreadfully sick and worked long hours & because of that turned around and came home to a less than pleasant overwhelmed wife. In the good, bad and ugly of our marriage to date, I have never doubted your ability to do all that you can to provide for our family. I appreciate every late night, early morning and no days off.

I love the parent you are.

You put on tiaras & paint your nails. You swing the girls for hours & don't completely think I am batty when I decide to put up a tent in the playroom. You love doing every activity {which is a lot} that I have planned for us. Ice cream, movie, the zoo & swimming all in one day, all on your one day off? You don't flinch. You get up, & your right there "in the moment" with our girls; put them to bed, go to bed late only to wake up early to get the work the next day. You never say no, well most the time. Even when you probably should.  I love that when we are out with just us, or other people. You talk about them. & really talk about them. Their personalities & the things they do. It makes my hear swell so so big.

For all the stuff You do, that I won't.

You've killed your share of bugs, changed a particularly poopy diaper that included up the back to neck disasters. You've been awaken by your fearful wife & a few times even without a grumble gone & checked down stairs for what is obviously a burglar coming to kill us, luckily there has yet to be one, but hey a wife can never be to sure. You've finish my projects when I get bored. & and ordered a embarrassing amount of pizza for me. All of that I am grateful for.

I still want you.

When most people start to fizzle out, I find myself wanting you more than the day we said I do. We have trudged thru a painful journey to parenthood, with hormones & downright crazy behavior as a side effect. Having two children very close in age, that has no doubt made my mommy middle & appearance less than appealing, &  I am sure made this feeling less than mutual. Always know that as the wise woman Shania Twain once said "your still the one".

Mostly, Thank you for being there  I know that you’re not perfect. You might read this and think of all the things you’re not, but in a fatherless culture,  and a society of broken marriages, you have stayed. When our marriage nearly ended, you fought to stay. When we got on the roller coaster ride of parenting, you dug in your heels. You are here and most days, even when we have no idea what we’re doing, you never leave. And that’s enough every day.

I love you so much.

Happy Anniversary.

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family pictures 2014

I was going to post just my favorites, but that proved to be entirely too difficult & way too long of post. So I decided to just a make little photo montage for friends and family that live away & cant see them since I am not on facebook!!

I am so in love with these photos, the last time we got pictures taken it was to announce we were pregnant, & even though I absolutely adore those photos, sometimes it stings to look back at them. These photos represent so much to me, a new beginning for us as a family this year, & what better way to represent it than with spring?!
Thanks again to Carrie for doing an amazing job with my crazy family & ill attituded toddlers! XO

Song: Lonestar- From My Front Porch Looking In

family pics 2014 from Tara Mumaw on Vimeo.

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Great Wolf Lodge: What is there to do?

Great Wolf posts continue! We had never been to GWL & aside from one friend we didn't know anyone that had been there either! I racked Staceys brain with lots of questions {HI Stacey!} but was really going into the dark on what all there was to do!! So here is a quick guide to what all there is to do at the lodge we stayed at in Traverse City, MI!

1. The Waterpark

I mean obviously. The day of your stay, you can get into the park at 1. Your room may or may not be ready so pack a separate bag of all you swimming stuff to take the locker room incase your isnt ready!

My first questions was what exactly are my kids gonna be able to do at the waterpark being younger. & was it going to be safe. Due to their height they got a little braclet upon going into the waterpark to show that they couldn't ride the big slides, I think there was 2 of those but other than that, they could do anything.

There is a section of the park that is intended for smaller children, & the best part is the lifeguard do an amazing job keeping it small children, like not letting the big kids go down the slides & run & splash the smaller ones! I think the whole pool maybe went up to calf or so? It was wonderful!

On to safety, they have TONS of life jackets & puddle jumpers for you to use. Then, the lifeguards.. They.are.amazing. At first I wasn't sure what they were doing, they nod and walk back & fourth turning around checking "blind spots" it pretty amazing! And everywhere you look there is a lifeguard. I felt like the girls were more than safe.

2. Scoops Spa

This was SO much fun! The girls just got their feet done. & boy did they love it.

They got to pick out their own polish & each "flavor" for their foot scrub & water bomb. Each was either strawberry, chocolate or vanilla! They also got a crown, nail polish to take home & a voucher for ice cream!

If you have girls, I highly recommend this! 

3. Ten Paw Bowling Alley

 This is a great after dinner, before story time activity to kill time! The lanes are short, have bumpers and have the perfect sized ball for little hands! Gosh, Kennedy could have spent all day here! Both girls thought it was so cool to do it by their selves and were actually knocking down pins! ;)

 4. Bear Paw

 I mean everyone had a sweet tooth, & on vacation you wanna indulge! Bear Paw has everything that is sweet and chocolate!

The girls cashed in their ice cream vouchers & mommy & daddy got some to. Because well, when you go in & smell the smell of fresh waffle cones being made; you HAVE to get ice cream...right?

4. Camp Critter {restaurant}

The rain forest cafe was a huge hit with my girls, so when we saw the restaurant we knew they would die. Of course they did. Again just something that makes your stay even more fun! Although I don't how they managed to eat everything on their plate with finding something new every 5 seconds! On top of that, normally with restaurant in resort the food is dull and bland. The food was amazing, so good. Service was horrible, but the food made up for it..kind of.

There is also Hungry  as a Wolf Pizza. Do yourself a favor & get this for dinner or lunch at least once. It is SO good, & only $11 for a large! You can just call it in & pick up, take it back to your room or eat in the lobby by the fire!

Image via Great Wolf Lodge

5. Cookies and Milk

You can add this on when you book online or at the desk when you arrive! It is a extra $7 and money well spent! Having the character come to your door with cookies and milk after storytime is the most exciting thing ever your kid. Trust me. and? The cookies are amazing. Like I may have ate 2.

6. Themed suites

This isn't really something to do, but I wanted to add it. If your budget allows, defiantly look into a themed suite! We gave the girls the choice before the "wolf den" and "kids camp" they choose the camp even though I wanted them to get the den! They had SO much fun, just a extension of the experience! There is a TV and little table in the little "room" and it give a separator for kids that don't fall alseep well with people, or if mom and dad need some privacy!

7. Clock Tower/Lobby

Aside from storytime at night, clock tower show & the wolf walk in the morning, the lobby is the great place to hang out. We went and just by the fire while the girls colored a few times. They also had some games & puzzles behind the desk to play, so ask if your lodge has any for a relaxing activity.

7. Cub Club

Its like a preschool but not. So many acitivtes to do! Places to sit & read, to play and make things! My girls choose to make a pillow case, which they still sleep with and love to this day. There is LOTS of options though, shrits, bags, pottery! Lots of stuff to do!

8. Dunkin Donuts

Doesn't need much explanation. But lets bless the person that thought to put this in the resort. If you think that your kids are exhausted by the end of the day but that is nothing compared to what mom and dad feel! I could probably fall asleep standing up! And if you are coffee drinker get the GWL cup, that gets your free refilled for free during your stay!

I hope this list helps you plan your trip, or give your the nudge to book your trip! There is SO much more to do than the water park! So many memories to be made!

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