we had a photographer come out and take this picture of the boys to use for our banner and we make tees with the picture on the back too... i love how rough and tough they look! This is just my iphone version... hers will be so much better! :)
Lots of lake fun to be had today... my parents and KK came to the lake for the weekend too... we all had a great time boat riding, tubing, skiing, swimming, and of course eating!!!!
Granddaddy and his bestest buddy!!!!
We rode out to peanut point and got some boiled peanuts!!!
all the kiddos love those!
then we went and found a beach and anchored out and swam and played in the sand...
we all enjoyed just floating around in the water...
jack jack showing off his skiing skills...
AND GUESS WHO SKIED FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!
BRYLEE-GIRL!!!!
check out the smile on her face!!!!!!
she has been wanting to learn to ski since Jackson learned so Granddaddy got in the water with her and worked with her and she got up.... she was SO EXCITED!!!!! We are so proud of you baby girl!!!! YOU DID IT!!!!!!!
Saturday Brylee, Zac, Katie and I did a lot of swimming and playing in the lake until all the others arrived!
Brylee loved swimming and turning flips in the water.
Zac was having a grand ole time splashing the girls in his little boat
Katie and Brylee were all about swimming with their goggles and mask...
those things were popular items this weekend!
After lunch JP came down with my parents after baseball and then Daddy came a little later in the evening!
We headed out on the boat and our first stop was the rope swing!
all four cousins riding the tube...
I am so proud of my nephew Zac... he has a very reserved personality and is not one to take risk. But this year he has come a long way... he rode the tube, jumped off the rope swing, and is jumping in the lake and swimming all around the lake. I remember a time not too many years ago he would not even get off the boat much less swim, tube or rope swing! Good Job Zac a Roo!!!
Brylee and I headed to the lake Friday afternoon... she was so excited to see her cousins and get ready for a super fun weekend at the lake. Granny and Pap Pap got Daddy and Uncle Donnie's bunk beds out of storage from when they where little boys, cleaned them up, and set them up for the crazy cousins to sleep on! They all thought they bunk beds were so cool!
We could NOT be more excited that it is SUMMER time!!!!!! I am so glad there is no homework and I am very thankful for a much more laid back schedule. We welcome the change with open arms!
Here are our annual 1st and last day of school pictures take in the same place every year! :)
Jackson's 1st and last day of third grade!!!!
Brylee's 1st and last day of first grade!!!!!
So what do you think???
Think they have changed??
And just for total fun... I made a collage of all their first and last day school pictures!!!! I can't believe how much they have changed!!! They look like such babies in the first picture and it was just 4 years ago... sweet babies!!!!! (i can not for the life of me find their last day of pictures for K for JP and K3 for BP on my hard drive... I sure hope I took them :( i hate missing one picture... i know we left for disney the day they finished school that year so maybe I forgot... boo hoo... anyway I used their pictures from their class parties that year... close enough but not in front of the front door!)
Jackson through the years... K through 3rd grade
and no JP did not wear the same shirt 2 years in a row... one was red and one was orange... I know yall all cared right??? ha! just to clear up any confusion!
Brylee through the years... K3-1st grade
do you think i have a slight obsession with blue smocked "back to school dresses"??? ha! :)
My babies are growning up right before my very eyes...
time really does fly by!!!
How am I old enough to have a 4th grader (and a 2nd grader)????
We are on the downhill slide to middle school?!?!?! I can't stand it!!!
Today was Jackson's 3rd grade celebration. They were to wear dressy casual clothes and they received a certificate. They also had a cookie and punch reception afterwards too!
My handsome little "frat boy" all ready for his celebration!!!
hate that is it blurry... ugh
Jackson getting his certificate
enjoying his snack...
my handsome little third grade "graduate"!!!
Jackson and his teacher...
bless her sweet heart she was crying in every picture...
so sweet.. she said she is going to miss her class!
We're back from family vacation in Disney World! We had a fabulous time but we are TIRED!!!! My dad (Granddaddy) had a conference in Orlando so we tagged along with him and got some good ole lovin' from Mickey, Minnie and the gang! We did not have a ton of planning time for this trip. We found out about it in March and had to make sure Brylee was cleared from all things appendix before we could officially make plans. This was kind of like our Spring Break a few weeks late! :)
We had originally planned on going to Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios and Sea World but then I got cold feet the night before we left and changed things all up! After talking to lots of people and doing internet research I decided Universal Studios and Sea World could wait and we would do Hollywood Studios and Epcot! And I am so glad we made the change!
I was worried that Brylee was not going to be tall enough for some of the rides at Universal. She would not be OK with Jackson being able to ride and her not. I have some ROLLER COASTER riding fools... they take after their mama!!! I also felt like we needed 2 days to do both parks but we only had one day to give and it was hard to pick which park to go to because there were good rides at both parks. I also felt like Universal was something we could do when they were older and sadly enough you really do "age out" of Disney as a kid. Jackson was really at that border line "age out" stage but I think because Brylee was still into all the characters and the whole "magic of Disney" it made him want to be apart too!
As for Seaworld, i am sorry but it just seems BORING to me! Honestly, I can't get past the name. I have never been and really don't know much about it but we are just not an animal loving family. We don't do aquariums and really could care less about the zoo. Everyone said it is so awesome and they love it and their kids loved it etc etc etc. I really tried to get excited about it but it was just not happening. I could not get excited about dolphin and whale shows... I am sure they are great but it was just not happening for us. Maybe one day we will spend the $300 to go check it out but for now I was not willing to take the gamble so we went with what we knew they would like a Disney Park!
This time we flew and OMG!!!!!!! I will NEVER drive again... I don't care if we have to eat beans and rice for 6 months before we go I will FLY.... PERIOD!!!!!! If I have any advice for anyone going it would be FLY... end of story! I have done both... driven 3 times... once without kids and twice (ages 2 & 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 and 6) with them and flown once (age 9 and 7 1/2) and flying is the ONLY way to GO!!!! I don't care if you have a 1 year old or a 9 year old... FLY! Even after checking bags, getting to the airport 2 hours early, going through security, getting a rental car, being delayed an hour coming back, and the 1 1/2 flight.... you still get there in less than 10 hours. And for us; we got a bang up deal on some flights and it was cheaper for us to fly!!!!! Hey do ya'll think you should fly when you go to Disney?!?!? Ha! :) You would think Southwest was giving me a kick back or something!
Need less to say we had a great time and after over 600 pictures later I have lots of editing and blogging to do! So stay tuned over the next few days... lots of blogging to catch up on!!!! :)
And there is only 1 week until SUMMER VACATION..... HOLLER!!!!! :)
The night we flew in Jackson and Brylee had an RA/GA recognition banquet at church. We knew it was going to cutting it close to even get there from our original flight time but when we were delayed when knew we were going to miss part of it. However, the kids still wanted to go even if we were late. Well, we missed the GA recognition but made it for the RA recognition.
Jackson receiving his patches and pin!
Brylee got her certificate, flower, and charm bracelet and charm after the service.
She was still excited to get it!
Brylee and her BFF Mattie
All my sweet GA girls... I hate I missed their recognition service but nothing you can do about delayed flights... i had fun teaching these silly little girls this year!
Today was out last day... we slept late and huge around the pool for most of the day... the kids enjoyed the lazy river, slide, and swimming pool.
Then we packed up, got dressed, ate a late lunch and headed to the airport for our flight home!
We flew home on the Shamu look a like plane... you can see the black part to the right of B's head... the kids thought that was way cool!
It was raining when we left orlando we the airport landing and take off were delayed so we were an hour late before we actually got up in the air... the kids absolutely LOVED flying... neither the take off or landing bothered them at all.
The pilot came on the intercom and told us he was going to take a short cut on the way home; I will say that is the first time I have ever heard of that on a flight... anyway it ended up being basically straight up 280... it was cool to fly over our area... the kids even saw their school... and target ha! :)
We made it home in great time.. still delayed about an hour but the flight was great!
We had a great trip... it was wonderful to not have to take strollers and the kids were big enough to ride ALL the rides but still young enough to love the characters and the magic of Disney!!!