mini- cation.

Jake and I wanted to take the kiddos somewhere.
{anywhere}
just for fun.
So we decided to surprise them and leave late at night.
I packed all their stuff without them knowing, and we put them to sleep as usual on Thursday.
After church meetings were finished for the night, we woke up kiddos and put them in the car.
WOW, they were confused!
{hilarious!}

p.o. -ed

After a quick drive up to Payson, they were happily tucked in at the comfort inn.

{all 4 big kids were in 1 queen size bed}

luckily they are all small enough to lay the opposite way.

After a restful- ish night and a morning of indoor hotel pool swimming, we headed to the knotty pine cafe.

yes, i said knotty pine.

{oh, the jokes from girls camp trips}

it was delish.

We drove over to natural bridge state park and

 began our hike.

Everyone was amazingly tuff.

{the natural bridge}

So while eating breakfast at the knotty pine, we smelled them baking pies.

like fresh from the oven homeade pies.

So we got one.

a whole one.

{and after a stop to get forks from the maverik station}

we had an after hike "snack"

Crew thought he must be dreaming.

We sat around in the gorgeous weather and played

"race the sticks" in the creek.

Simple and soooo much fun!

Everyone had a fab time, but we were all so tired from a late night driving and a big day hiking.

Who says that trips with 5 kids have to be big productions?

{k, maybe i do.}

{but not this one...}