What I posted on Facebook: This was the post I never wanted to have to write, but unfortunately God
needed a farmer up in heaven more then he was needed on earth. I want
to thank those who reached out to me and the kids yesterday. We took the
day to spend it together having fun like
Josh Warpinski
would have wanted us to do. I had a buffalo burger like he would have
loved, the kids did tube slides and arcade games like josh loved. We had
a large cookie decorated like his favorite football team, the Packers.
We miss him so much and that doesn't fade, but we keep going to keep his
memories alive
So I didn't know what to expect for the one year, but i knew i needed to get away and not have to worry about the memories, i would just sit and sulk if we stayed home, matter of fact i would have had to work. I knew i couldn't deal with kids, people, and what not, so i made plans to get away to the hotel that was the site of our first real family vacation:
Josh was post herina surgery and we realized that we needed to get away for some family time. We took advantage of being off in the middle of the week and went for two days. We had been married for 4 years and this was the 2nd vacation we had taken.
We then returned two years later on spring break, life was crazy as we were attemping to figure out what would happen to the farm and us. But we needed that time away to just be a family and not worry about the rest of the world. So Great Wolf to the rescue. Little did we know this would be the last real family vacation we would get.
So i knew in my heart this was the location for us. (the other choice was Florida, but that didn't go as i had planned last year, so yah) The kids were so excited to go, and i'll admit i needed a break from everything too. There is something magical about hotel stays. Life there is so simple and the outside world seems to far away. It was nice to be able to block everything out.
We were lucky enough to go with Aunt Livy and her boyfiend, so i had another adult to help otu with the kids. This was handy in the waterpark area. It was also nice to catch up with them and have some one on one time with them.
The rest of the pictures are in random order, but it all happened up at the dells.
We got a group deal that allowed the kids to do so many fun things..one of them was the magic quest. Bella was so excited. Max went along but not as big of a fan. Thankfully at the end Livy and Jordan went with Bella so i could hang out with max.
We caught the clock tower show as much as we could. Discovering you can watch it in the morning was a great thing!
One night we ate a late supper so that we could enjoy the pool more, so it was supper to go while waiting for the clock tower show
So the kids got to make stuff animals and then go on a quest through out the hotel with the animal. The only bummer was none of our pictures that were suppose to be in my email worked. :(
Trying to recreate the hotel elevator picture from the years before.
In the arcade.. max loved this "game" the best
My sweet kiddos!
So we made it to knuckleheads(which is just across the parking lot from GWL. We had the trampoline park to ourselves for a whole hour! that was so tiring but we jumped and jumped!
attached to Knukleheads is Buffalo Phils which has a train deliver your food to you. the kids loved it.
Waiting for our room! wouldn't you know it, our room wasn't ready yet when we checked in. It was worth the wait though because it was not far from the elevators and on the top floor..so very little noise :)
Bella had fun explouring the tree house area with Aunt livy.
Max played in the new kiddie area. He liked that it didn't have a lot of splashing water and he didn't need his life jacket.
The kids learned to love the wave pool. so we spent a lot of time out there, jumping in the waves. Max said it was like the ocean.
The lazy river was nice, but we never got to be too lazy.
Breakfast one morning. Mini waffles with wolf paw prints. Miss the big ol waffles.
I got a cookie cake in honor of Josh. seemed fitting.. Green Bay Packers, sweet and sugary.
This just seemed to speak to me. I ended up with a magnet like this, but i want to get this print someday.
always gotta get a picture by the Bear Paw
Stuffing his Gray Wolf
Bingo time
We found a sign from Platteville. a sign from above i'm sure
Lunch at Cracker Barrel, which everyone else wanted to do too. we waited over an hour for food.
Love these shirts.. created by Sneakers and Steel Toes ( https://www.facebook.com/sneakersandsteeltoes/)
Still his and forever his
Our updated charm braclets. Mine is the castle from our honeymoon and Bella is her and daddy's birthstone
a sweet video about the circle in our window
The time away was nice, but it didn't seem to change anything. It just anotehr day without him and the missing him hasn't decreased. We no longer have the "first holidays" but there are still many first without him. It did give me time to reflect and realize things that i need to change moving foward. More time will be spent doing things with the kids and left spent on stuff. I found some of the limits of what i can do or am willing to do anymore. Some of these choices will be hard to do but i know i have his strength with me.
