This was our 2nd time going to GAFE!!!! GAFE is the Guatemalan Adoptive Families Event and is held every other year in Parsippanny, NJ! We went to the last one in 07 and we were thrilled that we were able to fit it into our schedule for 09!
This year we were also able to enjoy this weekend with friends! Our Friend P and her son D were also able to go with us!
We left Thursday morning about 6ish.... 4 toddler boys... 4, 4, almost 4, and 3.5 and 3 parents for an 8-10 hour van trip! Yes... it was as fun as it sounds! *laughs*
We made great time through Ohio...but.. seriously... can I get through OH without rain??? We had horrible rain all the way through...which makes the drive seems a lot longer then it is...
Just about out of OH is when the boys began to wake up...and began to get a little restless...so, we stopped for breakfast at one of the Turnpike stops! Yea McD's!!! *laughs*
We let them stay free for a while...then had to pile back into the van.... the time between the breakfast stop and the next stop wasnt very long....but we soon made it into PA!
The boys were super excited about being in PA.... as they thought it would only be a few minutes till NJ... yea... they were very wrong.... we tried our best to keep them entertained through kids music... and through snacks...but... eventually the kids were tired of sitting...and us adults had had way more than enough of the kids music and such.... so, we made a lunch stop and let them run around a while... and we tried to get the songs out of our heads!!!!
A little while longer...and yes... we were in Jersey!
Soon we arrived at our hotel. The hotel the event is held in is called the Sheraton Parsippany... it was built to look like a castle....and it really does look like a castle! Click the link so see pics of it!
The kids were super excited to be able to get out of the van... and to be able to sleep in the castle for a few nights! They were also excited to have two swimming pools at their disposal!
After checking in, unloading the van, and hardly settling in, we headed off to the pool for some energy release!
The kids found the outside pool too cold (wimps)...so we headed indoors... and they had a great time. I was soo proud of F.. who has been a little shy around water, this time he took right to it and even began to swim around and such! We even got him to float on his back!
After swimming for a while, it was getting quite late and we decided that we better grab some dinner... Off to Chili's we went!
Didnt have such a great expierence there though.... the waitress brought out the adult's food...but didnt bring out the food for my kids... and she didnt say anything about it... so, my kids are already way overly tired...and now they sit for 15 mins without their food.... finally got ahold of the manager...who didnt think it was such a big deal...and 10 mins later they finally got their food... unfortunatly it was too late... and they were more tired than hungry....
We did make it back to the hotel...and only after a few minutes, all the kids were asleep! Good thing too since Friday was going to prove to be a long and exhausing but fun day!
K just relaxin...
E having fun in the pool!
F swimming on his own!
This year we were also able to enjoy this weekend with friends! Our Friend P and her son D were also able to go with us!
We left Thursday morning about 6ish.... 4 toddler boys... 4, 4, almost 4, and 3.5 and 3 parents for an 8-10 hour van trip! Yes... it was as fun as it sounds! *laughs*
We made great time through Ohio...but.. seriously... can I get through OH without rain??? We had horrible rain all the way through...which makes the drive seems a lot longer then it is...
Just about out of OH is when the boys began to wake up...and began to get a little restless...so, we stopped for breakfast at one of the Turnpike stops! Yea McD's!!! *laughs*
We let them stay free for a while...then had to pile back into the van.... the time between the breakfast stop and the next stop wasnt very long....but we soon made it into PA!
The boys were super excited about being in PA.... as they thought it would only be a few minutes till NJ... yea... they were very wrong.... we tried our best to keep them entertained through kids music... and through snacks...but... eventually the kids were tired of sitting...and us adults had had way more than enough of the kids music and such.... so, we made a lunch stop and let them run around a while... and we tried to get the songs out of our heads!!!!
A little while longer...and yes... we were in Jersey!
Soon we arrived at our hotel. The hotel the event is held in is called the Sheraton Parsippany... it was built to look like a castle....and it really does look like a castle! Click the link so see pics of it!
The kids were super excited to be able to get out of the van... and to be able to sleep in the castle for a few nights! They were also excited to have two swimming pools at their disposal!
After checking in, unloading the van, and hardly settling in, we headed off to the pool for some energy release!
The kids found the outside pool too cold (wimps)...so we headed indoors... and they had a great time. I was soo proud of F.. who has been a little shy around water, this time he took right to it and even began to swim around and such! We even got him to float on his back!
After swimming for a while, it was getting quite late and we decided that we better grab some dinner... Off to Chili's we went!
Didnt have such a great expierence there though.... the waitress brought out the adult's food...but didnt bring out the food for my kids... and she didnt say anything about it... so, my kids are already way overly tired...and now they sit for 15 mins without their food.... finally got ahold of the manager...who didnt think it was such a big deal...and 10 mins later they finally got their food... unfortunatly it was too late... and they were more tired than hungry....
We did make it back to the hotel...and only after a few minutes, all the kids were asleep! Good thing too since Friday was going to prove to be a long and exhausing but fun day!
F and D trying out the beds!
K just relaxin...
E and D testing out the bed!
E having fun in the pool!
F swimming on his own!
F during dinner.... sound asleep... on a chair....
