Weekend Getaway

It's not that this family lacks getting away- I feel like this could be a title for every weekend- but we got away and it wasn't a common visit to family or going to a Cyclone event, so it warrants the title of a weekend getaway. This family of 4 headed to Minneapolis with our friends, the Johnke's, to the Waterpark of America. On the short 90min drive up to the cities I said, "we need to come do stuff in the cities more often." I had to eat those words when we were stuck in traffic for almost an hour by going from the Mall of America to our hotel- THAT WE COULD SEE IN PLAIN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME! Talk about frustrating. Thankfully Luke was a happy boy just chilling in his car seat for that long not moving. Could have been worse..... then we GET to the hotel and there was not ONE parking spot left in the whole lot. I told Brad to just park in the reserve spots to at least drop off our baggage they really won't tow you(keep in mind it was about -13 degrees without windchill)and then enters the tow truck. Needless to say every family cooped up in this horrible season we call winter had the same idea this weekend- getaway to the Waterpark of America!
Once we finally got settled in the room (and warmed up) we got to put on swimming suits?!?! We got down the waterpark and all was better (a bit chilly and crowded) but that didn't stop this water slide loving gal!
Jaci and I took Ethan and Colin on basically the wildest slide they had first. Start big or go home I guess. Luke LOVED the water and even went down some kiddy slides with me! Since it was so packed (with some sketchy folk) I didn't have my phone (aka what dubs as my camera) much as I didn't want to get it stolen or wet. Here are the few pictures we did snap....

ROLLS! The rashguard shirt that goes with these trunks almost had to be removed by cutting it off of him. This body doesn't do tight shirts! He just let it all hang out (like many other older men here this weekend)haha

Jaci and baby Ali

We took several laps round this water toy. See the orange and blue runners in the back, Luke loved walking along those and watching the kids come shooting out!

Here he is actually staring at another kid and saying, "hey this is mine, back off or I will eat you"

Brad, Neil, Ethan, and Colin on the Eagle Nest (the big ride we took the boys on first!)

The boys minus Luke

Daddy's and sleeping babies. They look thrilled don't they?!?!

Dad with a baby blanket on his head. I would have been embarrassed except that was normal compared to other things/outfits we witnessed! I really wished we would have at least snapped one photo with someone in the background to prove the sketchiness of the crowd! Brad thought at least 98% of the people had tattoos larger than his hand somewhere on their bodies! On the way home he talked about opening a tattoo removal clinic to make some money.

Someone else in the family loves water slides, too! This kid went on 3 enclosed tube rides ALL BY HIMSELF. One started on the 10th floor!!

The Johnke's

I guess Ethan wanted to do the pursed lip pose that is popular these days! ha

My water baby!

A great time was had on our mini getaway!!