A Weekend Away

According to Rebekah’s nursery (aka preschool) schedule, it was time “at the seaside.” So, we thought we’d hit the coast.

Just liked her little peg and her correctly-spelled name.

So, this weekend, we traveled as a family to attend our church’s young adults’ weekend away (aka retreat) in Arbroath. Josh is helping lead this group and even did talk there. I still love that he serves our church body while getting his PhD- a favorite thing of mine . We stayed in this really cool building- the Windmill Christian Centre. I would highly recommend it- beautifully ornate, spacious, and all connected, so no worries about having to get rained on or leaving the kids asleep in our room while we were down the hall.

So, yea, we did all 4 share a room. There were 7 twin-sized beds in our suite and also a bathroom. So, once again, you guessed it- Luke did in fact sleep in the bathroom. That’s the point of a pack n play- it can go anywhere, like a cold bathroom. Who cares if there’s 7 other spots he can go in the same room as us? We did use 2 white noise generators, and I had the privilege of explaining what white noise is to a British guy who was sure it was another “American thing.” All I can say is that even with 45 college students running around right outside our door and above us, all 4 of us slept extremely well- as in until 8am. I am glad we have the portable kind- perfect for this kind of trip. Funny side story- some people we just met stayed in our flat while were gone and they were waiting for their flat to be ready. The guy commented that with the “noise” thing his son slept really well. You laugh, but I will be a loud proponent of white noise for a long time. It saves us all unnecessary stress.

The kids loved climbing on all the beds. Remember there were 7. I thought it was very accommodating of our church to hook us up with such a large room that also had its own bathroom. Many of the rooms shared a hallway bathroom.

This was Rebekah’s spot. I slept across from her (where Luke is squatting) and Josh slept in the bed at the foot of my bed.

It actually went quite well. With the retreat all in that one building, we were able to put Luke down, then stagger Rebekah next, then ourselves after we sat in some sessions. We just checked on them and went to bed when the sessions were over.

Here is the view from the site. If you squint thru the hazy mist, you can see the coastline.

A farther away view of the retreat site.

The museum was just a quick walk away. Unfortunately, though free, it had stairs and thus proved too treacherous for our stroller.

But, watching the boats and water is always fun- especially if you have 2 French braids.

I just liked these rocks.

And these swans.

And these kids. One other couple with kids came, and this is their son, Zach, affectionately referred to (by me) Zach Attack.

Loved these colourful buildings.

These windows were outside our room at the retreat building.

Josh felt the intense desire to eat a “Smokie.” So we went here.

He was alone in this experience. The retreat food was delicious, though!!! We enjoyed every meal (spaghetti, chicken curry, coriander and carrot soup, etc.)

We also visited Abroath Abbey. And, yes by visited, I do mean walked around and took pictures, but did not actually enter.

So, it was a great weekend- it was fun to see the kids adjust so quickly. They were both adorable and very extroverted. I loved seeing them play with all the college students- I know I’m their mother, but they might be the cutest children in the world. Seriously.

We got back around lunch time today. We ate a great (our fave) fish n chips place, the Ashvale, and then headed home for naps at 1. Rebekah does “quiet time” in her room. I finally fell asleep when she quit making not so quiet racket. Josh and I awoke at almost 4. Luke was chirping and Rebekah was….asleep! She had put herself in bed and taken a much-needed nap. Sweet girl.

Big news- Luke actually walked up to me twice this weekend and said, “Poopy!” Then, he promptly disappeared. He did in fact have poopies those times. I was so proud of him for telling me. However, I’m not sure how long it will last since he hates having his nappy changed. He’s pretty sharp- at some point he’ll realize telling me inevitably leads me to changing it.

Related posts:

1. Great weekend
2. FAB weekend
3. My weekend
4. Our fun-filled weekend
5. Weekend adventures