big splash!!

well, this year daddio is workin over shutdown & a vacation didn't look like it would happen.  but, low & behold, groupon had a great deal close to home that we were able to grab for a weekend trip with some of our bestest friends.  (i think gracie sometimes would really like to become a part of their family, we all love them so much)..

to big splash adventure we went after church on sunday.  it was the perfect time, as the place was clearing out so we had the waterpark to what seemed like just ourselves.

lots of fun splishing & a splashin

oh, the ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah!

the kiddos loved it!  especially getting to go on a vacation with friends!!going out to eat was even fun! but of course, benj didn't want to smile...

we see it in your eyes, buddy.

we had a round of mini-golf & some rides on video games (without any coins, but they didn't mind).

 i love this picture with the little sisters in control!!

& fun in the game area.  tickets a plenty, tickets galore!

all the kids can't wait to go back, it was one of the "best times ever!!"

mr. sweetie heart

my little beach bunny fell in love with a dead jelly fish on vacation.  she named him mr. sweetieheart. i learned something new there too.  these jellyfish on the beach didn't have tentacles, so they didn't sting (as least that's what the beach guy said)

see the heart she has drawn around him

we brought him back to the beachhouse for 1 day, until the smell was just a bit too fishy for mommy to take even outside.  then her & daddio had a burial for her pet jellyfish. 


onto my little mr. sweetieheart.... he found a gurlfriend first day out on the beach & an older one at that!  8 years old!   she gave him a couple of hugs & would always say hi to him when we were at the ocean. (i'm not supposed to talk about it though, of course!) she gave me a little shell with a hole in it to make a necklace.  what a sweetieheart!

pretty pictures of you

my miss gracie faye, i love to dress you up & take your picture.  i know soon you won't let me either.  i grabbed the opportunity at the beach one evening when we were flying the kite aunt donna got for ben & you were a trooper.  thank you, my beauty.

but sometimes you can be a sassy cat!

but i still & will always love you as far as the ocean is wide & all the way up to jesus - just like you tell me. 

& that's the end!



these are a few of his favorite things...

from vacation:

root beer.  they only get sodas on special occasions, so it is a real treat!!

monopoly.  really it is, despite that look there.  it was early in the morn & he was ready to play.

namaw was a major trooper & played a looong game with him!  she is the epitome of paitience.

riding the waves!!

taking random pictures on momma's camera...

playing- or tormenting big cousins & other family members!

flying a kite (& trying to get us with it!! - that's daddio behind that froggie kite)

his daddio & sissy (& momma of course)

hanging with his namaw & poppy & rest of the fam

that boy is a hard one to serious picture of!

life is a highway, i wanna ride it

all day long.  yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.  especially with a almost 4 & a 5 1/2 year old!!

what did we do in the van on the way to saint simons?  nintendo ds, movies, eating, eating, eating (mainly me),  some fussing, potty breaks, riddly riddly ree, read some books, made some potholders, teased each other, slept & said "are we there yet" a bazillion times.  ben's favorite thing to say!

chillin

eating - gets it from momma

cheese teeth

her elvis look with food in her teeth

they were so happy when we just stopped at the hotel after the first leg of our trip.  ben told poppy he "was happy just to be somewhere!"   it was so nice to break up the trip into 2 days.  gave us fun hotel time 4 sure!

vacation pictures part 1, in no particular order...

it's been hard to start a post on the vacation.  i wish it wouldn't have ended.  man, i love the beach & we had some fun.  & i took a ton of pictures, so lots to go through.  here are some of my favorite hundred or so... i hope to put them in order & add some captions soon, but it's 4 in the morn & i need some sleep.