Timber Ridge Lodge = Family Fun Weekend

This past weekend, Eric, Asher & I joined the rest of my family in Lake Geneva for our fun-filled family weekend at Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark.  Last year we started the tradition of skipping Christmas gift giving amongst the family and instead using the money we would have spent to enjoy a weekend away together.  This was the second year of this new tradition, and although we did go to another hotel/waterpark, this year we tried a different one.  Last year we went to the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan (see my Blue Harbor Resort post from last year), but this year Mom & Dad offered to drive a bit further so that the rest of us could stay a little closer to home.

The weekend started on Friday night after work.  Eric and I loaded up the van, set up a sitter for Emma for the weekend and took Asher to Lake Geneva.  The highway to get there was closed for part of the way due to flooding, which meant that we had to take a detour and travel quite a ways out of our way.  It took MUCH longer to get there than it should have, but eventually we did get there.  For the 9 of us (Aaron, Erika, Micah, Caleb, Mom, Dad, Eric, Asher & I), we had two suites.  Aaron and Erika's family stayed in one suite, while the rest of us shared the other.  It worked out quite well because Mom and Dad generously allowed us to have the bedroom, so that we had somewhere out of the way for Asher's crib and they shared the pull-out couch in the living area.  That evening, we mostly just hung out in the room, enjoyed some dinner in the suite's kitchenette (thanks for making all of the grub Mom!), and then tried to get some rest before our fun day on Saturday.  I say "tried", because Asher was not very interested in sleeping.  After much work, we did finally get him to go to sleep two and a half hours after his bedtime...only to wake up with him a few more times during the night.  When morning came (once the waterpark opened at 9am) it was time to go play.  We walked into the waterpark and put Asher down in the zero-entry pool.  He was thrilled and immediately began to crawl, and crawl and crawl...I'm pretty sure that if we hadn't grabbed him, he would have kept going until the water was over his head!  Anyway, since the pictures tell most of the story from this point on, I will stay (mostly) quiet and let you enjoy the visuals:

Asher entering the pool and stopping to check out the geyser

Video: Asher entering the pool

heading toward deeper waters...

gotcha!  (keeping Asher's head above water)

playing with Daddy

Asher & Daddy on the kiddie slide. 

Asher LOVED it!!

Video: Asher on the slide

...just a swingin'...

Video: Asher on the swing

Me and my little man. 

After enjoying the waterpark to its fullest for about an hour and a half, Asher was already ready for a morning nap.

He was exhausted, but not exhausted enough to not protest his packNplay...so we all took a 2 hour nap together in bed.

When he woke up, he was raring to go again. ;)

When we got up from our nap, we thought we'd find everyone else hanging out in the living room, but we found this instead.

Once we had some lunch, we headed back to the water

Video: Asher the Splasher

Caleb enjoying the swing.

snuggling with Momma

Video: Sliding with Mommy

The kid's area.

Micah swimming.

My favorite guys!

After Asher had been down the kiddie slide dozens of times, we decided he could try the bigger slide.

He still LOVED it!!

By early evening, we were ready to call it quits for the day and head back to our room for some down time and dinner.

Sleepy Baby.

You would think that the kids would be all fast asleep, but aparently they still had some energy to burn, so we let them run (or crawl) up and down the hall for a while.

Asher & Caleb with Aunt Judy and cousin Maddie (who joined us for the afternoon)

Aunt Judy, Asher, Micah, Caleb, Maddie & Elle.

A freaky picture of Caleb...looks like an alien!

As the kids played in the hall, the adults sat (exhausted) by the doors and supervised.

Asher & Maddie.

Video: Asher & Maddie

Aunt Judy & Asher (This was the first time they met)

On Saturday night, we thought Asher would sleep hard-core through the night, but we were not so lucky.  We woke up three times with him and had a very difficult time getting him back to sleep each time.  To be honest, I think that is the most frustrated I have been as a Mom so far, because I too was totally exhausted.  Thus, Asher got to enjoy some time in the "big kid bed" with Mommy and Daddy again (keeping in mind that we WILL NOT allow this to become a habit!).  I now think I understand his poor sleeping during the weekend though, as he cut THREE teeth this week!

On Sunday morning, we packed up our stuff and then went back to the waterpark for one last time.

Micah & Aaron.

Not sure what this face is about.

LOVES splashing Mommy! :)

Micah

Mom & Caleb

Asher & I on the slide.

Swimming with Daddy.

Video: Swimming

This face looks nothing like him?

Erika, Caleb & Aaron.

Micah, Mom & Asher enjoying the "deep" end

I will also say it was nice to have the Grandparents around for the weekend.  On top of enjoying their company, it also gave us someone to watch Asher for a bit while Eric and I enjoyed some baby-free time in the hot tub and the big waterslides!  Thanks Mom & Dad! :)

Me and my little guy.

Cousins! Asher & Caleb

Hi Mom!

Family picture.

Daddy & Asher back at the room.

Before we left, Asher discovered the tupperware in the Kitchenette.  He crawled inside the cabinet, and then freaked out because he couldn't figure out how to get out! :)

The waterpark.

The waterpark.

Papa & Micah

The whole family!

Once we had loaded up the cars and checked out of the hotel, we all headed over to Sprechers for lunch.  Caleb and Asher were asleep in the cars basically before we left the hotel parking lot, and stayed that way for the beginning of our lunch.  I was slightly jealous, as I too desperately wanted a nap!

Daddies and their sleepy boys.

Mom, Micah & Dad

Asher with his Sprecher hat.

Our little birdies.  :)

Finally, before leaving Lake Geneva, we took a short walk down the lakefront's public walk to check out a house that my firm did and enjoy some of the (finally) Spring-like weather.

Aaron & Eric.

Micah & Mom

The Arrowhead Residence by Genesis Architecture LLC.

For more pictures of Arrowhead: http://www.houzz.com/projects/65416/Arrowhead-Residence

Mom & Micah

Asher & Eric

Finally, it was time to head home.  We had a great time with the family, but had to go our separate ways.  Asher slept the entire way home, while Eric and I stopped at McDonald's for a shake and Coke.  When we did get home, we bribed Asher by letting him sleep with us in bed (one last time, I swear!), so that we could take a little nap too.  It was a really great weekend and I can't wait for whatever we do next year! :)