On Island Time for Thanksgiving

Well, before the business of the holidays set in around our house we took advantage of a little "Island Time" and escaped with Cary's office on a Western Caribbean cruise. We went the week of Thanksgiving while my parents took over caring for the girls. Our journey began on the Sunday before Thanksgiving at 5:00am when we all met at the Carter's home to pack all the luggage into two vehicles. Sweet Suzanne had coffee and zucchini bread ready for everyone:) We were all so excited that it did not seem to matter that it was so early. The drive to Dallas was so much fun because we were all laughing and having such a great time visiting with one another. Once we got to Dallas we checked in at DFW and boarded a plane destined for New Orleans. I am happy to say that the flight was very smooth and all of our luggage arrived on time . We boarded a big bus and headed for the port with a lot of smiles on our faces. Getting on to the ship was the most time consuming but it seemed to go fairly fast considering we were on a ship that would hold almost 2000 passengers. All of the crew was so nice and welcoming on the Norwegian Spirit.

As always we boarded in time for the safety drill. Aren't we cute? (You can see my newly highlighted hair. It is the first time in my life I have ever had highlights.)

On our first day at sea we all just relaxed and enjoyed the sailing. Except for one of us who was working hard at earning the title of Mr. Sexy Legs. With a little extra help from Mrs. Guatemala he took home the title. We were all so easily entertained by this that the jokes lasted the rest of the cruise.

On Tuesday we arrived at our first port which was Honduras. I have heard that there is a nice vacationers side of the island but we were on the third world country side of the island. It really was heartbreaking to see such small children walking around barefoot in the rain trying to earn some money by holding an umbrella or offering tours of the island.

Our group lead us to this shop. I thought the name was so funny.

On Wednesday we ported in Guatemala. On this island they had built a nice tourist facility with all kinds of homemade crafts. It really was interesting to see the many talents of the people there. They even had some live entertainment for us to enjoy and evidently they are home to one of the largest jade mines. There were a lot of beautiful jade pieces. I did not find anything I had to have but all the other ladies managed to find something to bring home.

Thursday we ported in Belize and Cary went with Phil on a repelling and zip line excursion. I decided to try something a little calmer and went with Karen and Doug on a snorkeling and beach excursion. I enjoyed doing a little jewelry looking at all the great shops followed by lounging on the beach. The weather and the scenery were both beautiful. We both had a successful day!

Our last port was Cozumel and we were so busy shopping that I did not take a single picture. Cary and I spent the morning looking for a few things on my list for the girls. At noon we met up with the rest of our friends for lunch at a great Mexican restaurant. Then we were off for more shopping. I found a lot of jewelry that I would have loved to have taken home but alas they were not willing to bargain as much as I would have liked. However, after we boarded the boat I went shopping in the lobby and found the bracelet I had my eye on for a lot cheaper that it had been in port. Yeah!

We spent the last day at sea relaxing. I was going to work on a little tan until we walked onto the deck and felt the cool temperature and rain. Suzanne, Karen, and I then decided to go play Bingo for something fun to do. We did not win but that did not keep us away from the jewelry counter:) We even managed to eat at the midnight chocolate buffet. I do not know how they carve so many things out of chocolate. There were roosters, lighthouses, castles, roses, and dragons to name a few.

All the food on the ship was delicious especially the creme brule and the lobster. I walked four of the days we were on the ship for exercise but still managed to gain a few pounds. This post would not be complete without our favorite Supervisor in the dining room Daniella and her biggest fan, Larry.

I have to say that we all had a wonderful week together and I enjoyed getting to know everyone much better. Thank you Phil & Mendy, Larry & Carolyn, and Doug & Karen for being so much fun! Most of all thank you to David and Suzanne for making the trip possible and full of such wonderful memories. Cary's office really is like having another family which is something to truly be treasured. We are so blessed!!

Thank you also to my sweet parents and grandfather for taking such great care of the girls while we were away and for the early Christmas treat to spend on the cruise:) We were ready to see these two precious faces by the time we got home on Sunday night. Our trip home was a little longer than expected due to snow falling all around us and a wreck on the highway but we all made it home safely which was an answered prayer. What a great gift to come home to snow!!

Notice anything different?

This sweet face just makes me smile and giggle a little too.

Halloween Night

I had to post one more Halloween picture when I saw this one from Halloween Night. It brought tears to my eyes to see how Campbell is looking at Kaylee. Pictures do speak volumes at times. I am so in love with these two girls!!

Happy Halloween Times 2!!

Well I feel like we have really experienced Halloween this year. We kicked off the holiday on Saturday night at the Wylie Fall Festival. The event is a big fundraiser for Kaylee's school so it was great to see so many people come out to support the event. I had baked all day Friday for the kindergarten cake walk so I was glad to just enjoy the festival with my sweet family. This is the only picture I had time to take so we must have been having fun, right? The girls loved participating in all the booth activities. Kaylee's favorites were popping the balloons with darts, cake walk, and the sports themed booths. (anything from hockey, to batting, to basketball) She loved them all! Campbell was happy with participating in the sucker tree and the duck pond. I lost count of how many times we repeated those booths for her. It was nice to just have some family time together. The girls were pleased because they both took home big bags of candy.

Last night we participated in Trunk or Treat at our church. My sweet friend Melissa came over with her two children to eat dinner and then we went to the festivities together since both our husbands were unable to make it. In the first picture you have a Cheetah/Leopard, a Cheetah Girl, and a ghost.

In this picture is precious Ella who was too busy to be in the first picture. I thought all the children we saw were precious!

This was my favorite picture of my up and coming Cheetah Girl!

Followed by the cutest baby Cheetah around!!

Both girls had a good time Trunk or Treating with their friends. Here was the scene by the end of the night. I think we are heading out for more fun tonight. Hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!!

ACU Homecoming!!

Now that it has been almost two weeks I thought it would be a good time to record our Homecoming Weekend Happenings! Well our good friends Mark, Honey, Trinity, and Trenton came to stay with us and enjoy all the festivities. We had a lot to cram in since it was a reunion year for both Honey and I. The fun began on Friday night for the kids because we went to the Homecoming Carnival which is always a pleaser for the children. Don't the girls look thrilled:) They really were so excited to be with each other. Kaylee had been looking forward to it all week. I had to show off Honey's handy work with the T-shirts. She is so talented and sweet that she brought each of my girls these cute shirts she made. Of course, Campbell was too busy to pose for a picture.

On Saturday morning we went to the Siggie breakfast and caught up with some dear friends. It was so good to see the precious girls that I pledged with so long ago and hear about their sweet families. I feel like we have all aged pretty well too:) There is just something about sisterhood that leaves you with a common bond even if it has been ten years since you caught up with each other. I love these girls!!

After breakfast we were off to the parade on campus. The girls always enjoy this activity and this year was no exception. Here they are in their annual cheerleader picture. Campbell loved being in her stroller over the weekend. She had been asking to ride in it for a month but we had not had the opportunity so she took advantage of all the stroller time she could this weekend. Once the parade was over we went to Homecoming chapel and heard a wonderful talk by Mitch Wilburn. He is such a motivational speaker and worker for the Lord. It was truly a blessing to be there and the girls sat like little ladies throughout the whole service.

On Saturday night Cary and I went to my Reunion Dinner. It was so much fun to be able to catch up with so many friends. This picture is of me and my precious friend Angie, we do not get to talk very often so we were so excited to be able to talk in person for one night. I am so glad that we went!!

Campbell's favorite part of the weekend was getting to play with Trenton. I do believe he is still her favorite boy. From the time they arrived to the time they left these two giggled and chased each other. As you can see in the picture Campbell is laughing about something but who knows what because they would just look at each other and start laughing. I loved watching them! We had the best time being with our dear friends and just enjoying some time on The Hill. We cannot wait for the next time our friends come knocking.

Campbell's Open House

Well it has been a long time since I have blogged about my baby so I( thought I would try to write about all the things she has been up to lately. We went to Open House at her MDO on Monday night and once she decided to participate in the craft and get out of my arms this is the best picture I could get for a while. Can you tell she likes to concentrate like her sister? She was very intent on her doodling. Of course, in true Campbell fashion she would have nothing to do with getting a picture with Mrs. Lauren and Mrs. Leslie.

Her new favorite phrase as of about two weeks ago is "I don't want to" and she says it in such a sweet voice with a big smile on her face. I am in so much trouble! Her precious teachers say that she is a big talker, especially to her favorite boy Jaxton. They always report that she is good in class and listens well. I am so glad that she is in such a wonderful class with such great Christian women teaching her.


Here is the picture I worked for about 15 minutes to get. It captures her personality perfectly!!



A few things about Campbell:

*She loves to cuddle and when I leave her in a classroom I always have to pass her off to someone she can love on before I leave.

*Her favorite things right now are yellow school buses, puzzles, pushing her baby in the baby stroller, putting a diaper on her baby, laughing randomly with her friends, brushing hair, cleaning up, stickers, and coloring.

*Each night before bed she tells me the exact book she wants to read. We read it once and then she bows her head, puts her hands together, and starts praying for everyone and everything she can think of.

*She does not like for her clothes to be wet or dirty.

*She can count to 10 but we are still working on identifying colors.

*Her favorite things to say are; "I don't want to", "Kaylee get it", "hold me", "I am ready to go", "Those are cute_________ "(fill-in-the-blank with shoes, clothes, jewelry), "________at work" (we go through the list of everyone in the family who is at work), "___________coming back?" (again fill in with everyone in the family), "I love you", "There is ___________Mommy!" (she knows which Mommies belong to which friends) , I am sure there are more but those are the phrases I hear most often.

*She has a temper which is usually reserved for the house but occasionally creeps out in public. I have never seen a child go from happy to screaming so quickly. This does not happen very often but when it does boy, watch out. Usually the fit occurs because she does not like the clothing choice I have picked out. ( The first thing listed more than makes up for these moments though.)

*She loves to go. She does not care where as long as she can go with whoever is leaving the house.

*She adores Kaylee and gets so much joy out of being with her after the school day is over.

*She loves to be wherever Mommy is no matter what I may be doing. One of her favorite chores is putting clothes in the washing machine. I love my little shadow.

We just love this little bundle of joy! We pray that as the year goes on she will continue to show us the fun in the simple things in life.

An Elementary Open House

Well I think I am about two weeks past due for an update so here goes...

I am going to start with Kaylee. Here are three of my favorite people before we left for Kaylee's Open House. Kaylee could not wait to show us all her work and her sweet friends. When we walked in the door we found her seat along with this cute little girl in it.

What you cannot see in the picture is that Kaylee had colored the girl's outfit to look just like the outfit she had worn that day with flowers on the pants and all. I just love to watch her draw and see how her little mind sees things. Too cute!! Along with the person were some papers she had colored and written on. We knew exactly what everything was on each page. It was fun to get to see some of the friends that we hear about all the time.

I am going to end this post with a few thing Kaylee has been doing lately:

*As you can see in this picture she lost another tooth and we now have a top tooth that is loose too. I am thinking that all she is going to want for Christmas are her four front teeth!

*She has been loving her Musical Theatre class that she takes once a week. I think it helps that two of her sweet friends are in there with her.

*She thinks her teacher Mrs. O is the best but she informed me the other day that her real name was Kelly. I have been trying to explain that her real name is Mrs. O too. That might have sunk in a little today.

*Each day she cannot wait to see her sister in the car and tell her "hello" first before anything else. She also asks Campbell about school then gets a little frustrated when Campbell does not share as much information as she did.

*She loves everything about school including Music, PE, Library, and buying lunch in the cafeteria. The whole experience is wonderful to her and I am so thankful.

*I do not know who is more excited at the end of the school day when she gets in the car me, Campbell. or Kaylee.

*She was given the Good Citizen Award for her class this 6 Weeks and we are so proud of her. She was excited about the candy and pencil.

*On her first report card it said that she could count to fourteen, when I asked her why only fourteen she said that she was too busy to count any further and needed to go back to her seat and finish her work.

* The school is having a Fall Festival and they need baked goods for the cake walk. I had already sent a form in saying I would send some things. Kaylee got in the car one day last week listing all of the things they needed me to bake. Evidently Kaylee took it to heart when they said they needed lots of goodies. I explained that they were just giving examples and did not expect me to bake everything they listed.

*We are having such a wonderful year and I pray that it continues.

I will blog about my other daughter tomorrow.

One Down, How Many to Go?

Well today is an exciting day at our house!! Kaylee got in the car after school today and said I have something very important to show you. This is not unusual because every note sent home by the teacher is important to my sweet girl. I said okay and she handed me a Ziploc bag with a little red treasure chest in it. On the outside the teacher had written, "Kaylee lost her first tooth today after lunch!". I could not believe it. We knew the tooth was loose but I had no idea it was that close to coming out. My big girl really is growing up! One tooth down, how many more to go? I have to admit I was a little sad for a moment that I had missed the fun. I would have loved to see her face when the tooth fell out at lunch. What a special day! I suppose we will have to see what the tooth fairy leaves her tonight:) She could not wait to take a picture of her missing tooth. After I showed the picture to her she said, "Well I am still cute." Yes, you certainly are my sweet princess:-)

An Eventful Birthday!

This past weekend we went to Waco to celebrate a big Birthday for my Dad. I will not say how old he was but you could try to count the candles on the cake.

Note picture of my Dad being silly and warning his hand by the fire:) Of course the girls enjoyed his birthday because that meant cake and ice cream. I can only hope I look as good as my Dad when I am his age which of course is not a day over 45:) I love you Dad!!

I should have known when I woke Campbell up Saturday morning and there were red bumps on a lot of her body that we were in for a real treat. At first I thought it was just a rash since there had been no other symptoms. So we gave her Benadryll and were on our way. As the day progressed the red bumps got worse especially on her face. We decided to get a sweet nurse's input. She said take her to the minor emergency clinic so off we went. Note to anyone going to Waco there is no minor emergency clinic open in Waco after 6:00pm. Luckily one of my Mom's sweet friends has a daughter who is a nurse and she told us to go to Providence because their emergency room had minor emergency care. We did not have to wait too long just long enough to see a gunshot victim come in on a stretcher and the person involved in the shooting follow a few minutes later in handcuffs with at least 5 police officers around him. Of course that sparked a lot of questions from my 5 year old which I would have rather not answered but I think she understood enough. Campbell was just having fun walking from Nana to the fish tank and back again for about an hour. Once we saw the doctor he diagnosed her with Roseola which I thought was interesting since she never ran a high fever at all. The sweet doctor told me to keep giving her the Benadryll and I walked out wondering how much I just paid for that advice. Oh well, at least I would be able to sleep better knowing this too shall pass. I am afraid we did not get to do all the celebrating we had intended but we all survived.

My two girls love their cake!!

This-N-That

So much to do, so little time. That is how I feel lately.

I am really excited because some of my girlfriends from church have started a prayer group and I am loving it! I really feel like I am going to be forming some close friendships, you know the kind where you can pick up the phone whether you are happy or sad and call them even if it is in the middle of the night. Since we moved to Abilene I feel that that has been something lacking in my life. (Don't worry girls I will call before midnight.) My cup runneth over with those special friendships when we were in Dallas so I would have to say that is something my heart has been longing for here. I will always have a special friendship with my Dallas girlfriends because we have been through so much but I finally feel ready and feel like the adventure has started here.

The next thing I am looking forward to is Ladies Class. I loved going to Ladies Class in Dallas because I got to know so many wonderful ladies at PC whom I might never have met other wise.
I was not able to attend Ladies Class last year because it was on the day I worked. Well I went for the first time yesterday and had a wonderful time. There was so much experience, knowledge, and love for the Lord in that room yesterday that I cannot wait for next week.

Then there is the F.A.L.L. Ladies Day at church where I am on the food committee with some really sweet people. I have gotten to know people in the other committees and have had a great time so far. I just love walking into church and actually knowing people outside of my age group.I really feel that the day is going to truly be special.

Last but not least I am a MOPS table leader this year so I am busy with all the beginning of the year stuff for that right now. MOPS is a great way to meet other moms in the community and minister to them. This year's theme is "The Home Factor" and I think it is going to be an amazing year.

So those of you who have been wondering why I have not blogged that is what I have been up to. Maybe things will even out a little more after I finish registering my Dittos stuff.

Kaylee's Kindergarten Korner

Here are a few funny Kaylee stories from the past week...

* On Tuesday I got a rundown of Kaylee's daily schedule verbatim. She did not miss a thing including her "coffee break". She was quick to assure me that the students got water because they were kids:)

*On Wednesday Kaylee and Cary were walking to the car to leave for school when she asked, "Is it raining?" Cary said, "No Kaylee, why ?" with a puzzled expression because there was not a cloud in the sky. Kaylee said, "Well I think that it is raining." Cary said, "Kaylee it is not raining." Kaylee said in a very animated tone, "Well it is doing something because my legs are getting wet!" When Cary inspected further he found that her backpack was leaking because the lid on her bottled water was not closed all the way. She was right, something was going on.

*Also on Wednesday she had a substitute. I asked if Mrs. O was sick. Kaylee said, "I think she just needed a break from us." (Out of the mouths of babes.) She also got into the car that day with a long scrape on her leg. She told me that someone pushed her down. When I asked her who she replied, "I am just going to wait and tell Nana because she will come to my school and take care of it." I had to chuckle a little. After more prodding I found out that the child had been sent to the principal for pushing her down along with other things that had happened that day. Kaylee said, "I kept waiting for the principal to call me to her office to tell her what happened but she never did." I assured her that the principal got the truth out of the other student and the teacher so she did not need to worry.

I just love that we get to have such fun talks about her school day. It is one of the highlights of my day to hear all the things that have gone on. I pray that she always confides in us. Thanks for keeping me laughing Kaylee.

Campbell's First Day in the 2"s

Well today was Campbell's first day of school for the year. As you can see from the picture she was all smiles. I decided to take her through the drive-thru for some doughnuts on the way to school so she was very excited. Her favorite things to get are a sausage roll and doughnut holes. We talked the whole 10 minutes to school about Ms. Leslie and Ms. Lauren and her getting to see her nap mat. (She has been very concerned about her nap mat since we dropped it off at Meet the Teacher last week.) Campbell had Ms. Lauren last year so I figured that things should go pretty smoothly. I am most excited about Ms. Leslie because we have been friends for a while and she is such a sweetheart so I know that Campbell is going to love seeing her each day. We are so blessed that the Lord placed her with the perfect teachers for her. Once we got out of the car at school she wanted me to carry her backpack because it was too heavy. I thought that was funny since she has carried it around each day for over a week with the same amount of items in it. Oh well:) Once we got to the classroom she was hiding her face in my shoulder and being bashful which is normal for Campbell to do in a new situation. I passed her off to Ms. Lauren after a quick picture and left. There were no tears which was nice. I then was child- free for 5 hours! It was so nice to have breakfast with several of my sweet friends, run some errands, and then eat lunch with another dear friend. It is amazing how good you feel after a little adult conversation. When I went to pick Campbell up her teachers said that she had a good day. She only took a 20 minute nap which is a far cry from the 3+ hours she usually sleeps at home but I expected that. They also said that she would periodically ask if I was coming and when the class went to play outside she said "Mommy's car". Each time they were sweet to reassure her that I was coming back even though I am sure that they got tired of the question. Deep down I was glad that she asked about me:) I am so glad that she had such a good day with her friends.

Thank you Lord for the blessing that Campbell is to us each day. Please help her to have a wonderful year and adjust to sleeping on her nap mat. Thank you for Ms. Leslie and Ms. Lauren having such willing hearts to share their love and gifts with my baby. Amen.

One down, a few hundred more to go...

In the words of Dora, "We did it! We did it! We did it, ya!" Kaylee was so excited when she got in the car and so was Campbell. My sweet girl said that she had a great day with a huge smile on her face, and that was before the trip to Cold Stone for an "after the first day" treat. I have to say that she look so adorable lined up against the wall waiting for me to drive up to get her. I wish that I could bottle up the smile on her face when she saw us and keep it forever. It made my heart smile.

Top 10 Things said by Kaylee about the First Day of Kindergarten:

1. "My favorite thing about the day was my teacher, I love her so much!! She is really nice:)"

2. "The music teacher said that I am a good singer."

3. "There are tickets for lunch if you want something hot and my teacher even showed us how to go through the line."

4. " A little boy sitting beside me at lunch was crying because he missed his Mom. I told him to think of happy times with his Mom. Then he stopped crying and smiled."

5. "Mom, you have homework every night because there is a folder you have to sign everyday. My teacher said I am suppose to tell you that."

6. "I met five new friends, but I cannot tell you their names. They were really nice though. I thought I would work on names after I get use to the school."

7. "I did not get my clip moved and did not get sent to the Principal's office." (said with much pride) If you know Kaylee at all you know that she is a strict rule follower so I would never think for a moment that she would be sent to the principal. I think she is just really unsure of the Principal's job.

8. "My friend 'R' had the same kind of backpack and lunchbox as me only in a different color. His Mom must shop at the same online store as you."

9. "Most everyone in class listened except for one child...I am sure they will do better tomorrow."

10. "I got to read a book to my teacher and she said we were all good readers. I also rested very quietly at nap time and the teacher was proud of us."

Thank you Lord for a great first day! It is such a comfort to know that Kaylee is so happy. May the rest of the year be as blessed as the first day.

First Day of Kindergarten

Here is my precious little kindergartner. Well the day started early for us. We were all four up, dressed, and out the door by 6:45am. Our tradition is that the first day of school you get to pick where you want to go for breakfast...well Kaylee picked IHOP. Who could blame her:) All she could talk about was the smiley face pancake and that is what she got. We had a fun breakfast as a family before the real excitement began.

We arrived at school in plenty of time for the first day picture with the teacher. (I really like Mrs. O she is so sweet.) Kaylee would not even talk to her the other night because she was too shy so I thought it showed some progress when she actually took a picture with her. She was all smiles in her classroom. We put the backpack, lunchbox, and nap mat in her locker right away which was very exciting for Kaylee. After making her suffer through about ten more pictures and attempting to get one of her and Campbell we left the classroom. I felt that little tug at my heart to stay but knew that it was time to go. I felt better after one last kiss and hug.

This is Campbell at about 7:55am...I wish I had a picture from about a minute later. As we were leaving the room and I was about to tear up Campbell started screaming and crying for Kaylee. When I say this I mean full on fit pitching mode when everyone turns to look at you screaming. We even had one of our sweet friends pass us in the hallway and ask if she was okay. Let me just say that was the longest hallway ever and I am so glad that my sweet husband and I got to experience it together. By the time we got to the car she was better but then the question of "Where did Kaylee go?" started and has continue through a lot of the day. She was more than happy to take a nap a little after noon because I told her when she wakes up it will be time to get Kaylee. I am so glad that my girls love each other and that Kaylee was so happy in her classroom. I will post about the day from her perspective once I get the low down.

Dear Friends thanks for all of the sweet prayers for Kaylee and the rest of us during this new time in our lives. They have been a great comfort...keep them coming:)

Meet the Teacher

Well Thursday night was just the beginning of a whole new chapter of our lives...we went to Meet the Teacher for our firstborn. I think walking in her school and then the classroom made all of it seem more real to me. The school looks so much bigger to me being on the other side of the teacher's desk. The classroom was full of so many fun things I remember having from teaching. We had fun touring the room and discussing the different things. Kaylee was most excited to see that she has a locker with her name on it. I enjoyed watching her eyes light up as she saw something new in the room or a friend walk through the door. Her teacher seems very nice and full of energy which is good with all those kindergartners.

At least that night we got to take her home for a little longer before the adventure really begins. Monday is going to come way too soon. I am very excited for Kaylee but a little sad for me. I am not sure who is going to be more lost Campbell or me? I do not think that Campbell understands that we are going to leave Kaylee there without her getting to go to class too. It should make for an interesting morning anyway. I know that Kaylee is going to have a blast because she is so ready for this, even though I may not be. Would I ever be totally ready? Probably not. I cannot wait to see how the new chapter in her life unfolds. We have moved once before so she has had to make new friends in a new place, that part should be easy. It is just all the other things I worry about. I keep reminding myself that she will be covered in prayer and watched over by Our Father, what could be better than that!

Thank you Lord for our precious daughter, may you guide her ways through the coming years and always protect her from those trying to tear her down. Help her to lean on you during trying times and be thankful to you during times of joy. May she never feel alone because you are there with her. Bless her daily with the knowledge, strength, and friendships which will build her up. Most of all give us the ability to let her go a little and watch her fly. ~Amen.

San Antonio Vacation Part Two

On our third day in San Antonio we decided to take it easy. We had a good breakfast at the hotel and then decided to go to the Alamo. The girls did not understand much at this age but we enjoyed remembering the events once again. We finally got a picture of both girls looking at the camera and smiling which was no small feat. Campbell did manage to fall off a step and skin her leg pretty good so she definitely remembered the Alamo.

The next stop was back to the Riverwalk for a good lunch at my parent's favorite restaurant. The food was good and the girls were entertained by the boats and ducks floating by. I loved this picture of Campbell holding Papa's hand. They are like two peas in a pod most of the time. My parents left after lunch and we returned to the hotel for a much needed nap. Then we went back to Sea World to see the remaining shows and let the girls play in the playland area. When we left the park we headed to Joe's Crab Shack which was a perfect way to end the day.

The next morning we woke up and headed back home. We did make a stop in Fredricksburg for lunch and a little shopping. It was a great way to break up the trip. We were glad to be home even though we had a wonderful time. I can honestly say our first family vacation was a success and we are looking forward to another one soon. Thanks again to Papa and Nana for taking us, helping so much with the girls, and making memories we will have forever.

San Antonio Vacation Part One

Well I am finally going to take the time to blog about our wonderful vacation that my parents took us on in July. We decided to try our first family vacation.

We packed up and left for San Antonio. The ride there was great! It is amazing how helpful a portable DVD player can be in the car. What did I ever do on all those trips when I was little? Once arriving at our hotel we decided to go to the Riverwalk.





Our first stop was the Rainforest Cafe. Kaylee and Campbell were both very excited and amazed at all the animated animals as well as the live fish that were inside the restaurant. Our food was delicious and the girls managed to eat despite all the fun going on. They also loved the huge Icee cups they got with a little surprise inside. I think next time we go I am going to just order an appetizer and the chocolate volcano. The dessert was truly delicious!




Next on the agenda was to ride one of the tour boats at the Riverwalk. You cannot go to the Riverwalk and not ride one of the boats. I thought that Kaylee would love this but she was not impressed. Our first clue was when she asked why the man kept telling us all those facts. I thought that was too funny. We did see several weddings taking place on the Riverwalk since it was 07-07-07. There were also several ducklings to be seen which Campbell loved. By the time we left it was bedtime for one little trooper who had not had a nap all day so we headed back to the hotel. Kaylee went swimming with my parents and of course slept in their room while the rest of us showered and went to bed for some rest before heading out the next morning.






Bright and early the next morning we were looking at the Sea World arch. Kaylee was so excited about the Coral Reef breakfast with the fish. I did not have high expectations for the food but it was delicious. There was a good variety of food for everyone. Both my girls were happy to see the french toast and eggs on the table. It was fun to watch the sharks and other fish swimming while we were eating.







After everyone was done eating we went outside to the dolphin tank to feed the dolphins before the park opened to everyone else. I have to say that this was a lot of fun. Campbell even managed to participate in the fun. I was a little unsure as to whether either child would hold a dead fish or touch a dolphin but they did. Kaylee loved seeing them up close and being able to really observe them.





After the yummy breakfast we hit the ground running to try to get to as many shows as possible. It is just amazing to me how people can teach these animals so many amazing things. Kaylee's two favorite shows were Viva and Believe. I have to say they were my favorites too.











Here is the famous Shamu!!!






Here are my two girls!! Kaylee enjoyed everything and really took it all in. Thee was a smile plastered on her face for most of the day. During the ski show after being splashed and not liking it at all Campbell decided it was time for a nap. She managed to sleep for about an hour and a half while moving from one show to another and all. This is my child who is a light sleeper and is not one to transfer once asleep. Can you guess how tired she was from this picture?




We ended the evening by enjoying a wonderful Dinner with Shamu. It was good to see the whales from the show up close and watch some of their amazing trainers in action. Campbell was not very impressed when the whale jumped out of the water and onto the platform. She preferred to keep a safe distance from the action. I highly recommend the Dinner with Shamu...it is definitely worth it to see the looks on your children's faces.




The first day at the park was super! It was not too hot or crowded. We were thankful that the car was very close to the gate though because we all had some tired feet:) Both girls left with smiles on their faces and souvenirs in their hands thanks to Papa and Nana.

Avalanche Ranch

I suppose I will pick up where I left off once again. About ten minutes after we arrived home from Dallas Kaylee and I were off to VBS (that is not the titile they used this year but I will always call it VBS) at our church. This year they chose the theme of Avalanche Ranch. The coordinators really did a great job!! There were even real goats, horses, sheep, and donkeys in the classroom that we normally meet in on Sunday mornings. Kaylee loved her two sweet group leaders. They were a lot of fun and seemed to really love being with their group. It just makes my heart smile when I see teens helping out with activities like this one.

Kaylee's favorite things about VBS were:

1. Getting to be with her friends for 4 nights in a row.

2. Feeding the goats and other animals.

3. Watching clips of Veggie Tales movies while eating popcorn.

4. Making fun craftsand playing games.

5. Wearing her cute VBS shirt and cowgirl boots. (Yes, I had to wash the shirt each day so she could wear it again.)

6. Learing more about the Bible.

Here is my precious Cowgirl!! I thought after this picture I might have a future at Olan Mills:) I loved being able to spend part of each evening with you sweet girl.