Vacation, Day 4

I didn't get too many pictures today...too hot to dig the camera out of the bag!!! Well, we all slept in again, I headed to the gym and when I got back the kids were finally up and we got ready to head to the pool at the clubhouse. We stayed there most of the day. We had Hayden's favorite...popcorn shrimp for lunch (we had both been looking forward to it but somehow I only ended up with 1 shrimp b/c Hayden ate it all!!!!). It was soooo hot you just about couldn't stand to be out. Brian said he saw where it is a record heat down here but should start cooling off a bit towards the end of the week, of course! Anyway, after getting our fill of the pool, we went back to the room for a rest. Then Hailey and Brian went to play tennis with the dads and kids while Hayden and I headed for the beach to fly kites. Well, I flew the kite while he hunted for shells! Then we went back to the clubhouse pool to wait for everyone else. Hayden and I played some ping pong and then everyone else got there. We ordered pizzas (and shrimp again for Hayden) and ate pools side for dinner. The kids swam and didn't have to worry about the sun or sunscreen while we listed to the band. It was a nice relaxing evening.

Look at that blonde hair!
A view of the clubhouse and clubhouse pool from my chair.

Everytime Hayden hit or swung at the ping pong ball, his mouth came open, it was too too cute!

Vacation Day 3

On Sunday morning, all of us slept in until about 10:00 a.m.!!!! Well, all of us except Brian. He went to play golf with Rudy and Todd for Father's day (our gift to him). They played all morning and afternoon and got back to the resort around 4:00. The kids and I had already been to the beach and were swimming at the pool when he got there. We swam for a bit more before going up to get ready to go out.

Hayden, Hailey, and Kyndall (Todd & Jessica's oldest)
A shot of our tower from our pool. Beautiful!!!!!

Hailey voted to go to her favorite restaurant (mine too), The Hangout. It is so much fun! We got there and the kids had just started playing in the sand pit and tunnel when our table as ready. This place is great. They have a band that plays and then a dj plays fun music and you get up from your seat and dance in the middle of the restaurant. They also called up the dads since it was fathers day and then picked 8 dads for a dance off to "who let the dogs out". All our guys were in the dance off. Of course, I got pics and video!!!!! Hehe!!!! They did great! Happy Father's day to our hubbies and our dad's too!

Gettin their groove on!

Rudy and his cuties dancin'.

Todd and two of his (Trinity & Kash)

A group shot

Vacation Day 2

So, we headed out from Mississippi after eating donuts with the Banuelos' around 10:00 a.m. We made pretty good time, stopping only once at Wendy's for lunch. We decided we would take the ferry route b/c we had never done that before. As we get closer we see a sign that says it runs every 1 1/2 hours. We start getting a little worried b/c it would be a really long way to go all the way back where we were and then go the other way. We pull in to the fenced in area and our car is in the marked spot with a number 49 and Rudy's is #50. Rudy walks up to the front to find that it is a 1-3 hour wait and that the ferry only takes 18 cars at a time. Now it feels like about 110 outside and we have to turn the car off and roll down windows since it will be such a long wait. I was already getting cranky!!!! We counted on being the 3rd group to get to go. Natalie and I walked the kids up to the water and found a shady spot. We watched one group leave and when they started loading the second group, we were able to get on!!!! Yay!!! We only had to wait about 1 hour and 10 minutes! Then it was a 30 minute boat ride. It was pretty cool! Hayden was a bit apprehensive wondering if the sharks could get us.

Hayden, Hailey, Kennedy, and Taylor

After checking in, we headed down to the beach for a bit and then to the Grill on site for our favorite....sharkbait pizza and chicken strips!!! Yummy!!!! While we were eating, we got a big surprise....Todd called and said they would be at the resort in 1 1/2 hours!!!! They had not planned on getting there until Tuesday night, so we were all excited. We met them at Wal-Mart. We went to buy groceries for our rooms. It was unbelieveable!!!! I've never seen a Wal-Mart that busy at 11:00 at night. The lines to check out were all the way back to the merchandise!!! We saw 3 people we knew, too!!!! We didn't get back "home" until after midnight!!!!

Gulf Shores Bound!!!

Well, I have several other "activities" to post since my last one (Kris Allen) but because I want to keep up with our vacation, I will got back later and add those.

Brian ended up taking today off too, so we left home around 12:00 and went down to visit his Nanny before we left. She has been diagnosed will Alzheimers and has really gone down hill rather quickly. Sadly, they have given her approximately 6-8 weeks. We visited with her and left around 2:00 for Gulf Shores.

We stopped in Clinton, Mississippi to stay the night. We will have approximately 3 1/2 hours to drive tomorrow. One of the other families going with us from Texas (Rudy, Natalie, Kennedy, and Taylor) met us at the hotel. We will all stay the night here and continue on to Gulf Shores in the morning.

We got here about 6:30 and got a bite to eat before the kids were ready to jump into the pool. We are all really excited about getting to the beach and enjoying all the fun activities we like to do there. I will try to post each day and put pictures up, too! All for now, night night!

Kris Allen Concert in Downtown Conway

Well, as most of you know....we LOVE American Idol. We look forward to watching it every year. And, since one of the finalists is from Conway....it was that much more exciting to watch!!!! So, when we heard he would be coming home to do his hometown visit and concert, of course, we have to go, right? So, I left work early and my mom and I checked the kids out early. The concert was supposed to start at the end of the parade at 5:30. We got out to the concert area at about 12:30 to wait and get a good spot. But on the way there, we were stopped at the light by our house and what do you know, but here comes the limo carrying Kris Allen!!!! we were right behind it and super excited!!!! We followed it all the way to Stoby's restaurant where he was let out with his family to eat. I'm stopped at the stop light practically hanging out the window taking pictures....about scared my mom to death!!!!

Here he is being rushed into the restaurant...

So after we left the stoplight in front of Stoby's, we headed downtown to get our spot. It was a long hot wait, but the kids did really great. We got right up in front right next to the barracades with only about 2 little kids in front of Hailey then my mom, Hayden and I lined up behind her. Funny thing...you were so squished in this little bitty spot for soooo long and there was no way to get out. Of course, since we were there at 12:30, Hayden had to used the restroom. What to do???? Hmmmm??? Thank goodness for my sonic cup and the nice little grandmas who made a circle around him to hide him peeing in a cup....TWICE!!!! There were no other options. It was really funny.
Waiting to get to move up to the barracades to geta spot.Once we got in our spot, we had to wait until 6:30 for the concert. Hayden would periodically sit down at my feet and play with two little hot wheel cars and a string he found on the ground....pretty good to be able to entertain himself for soooo long. I was really proud of him.

Here the sound guys are testing out the equipment. You can see how close we are.

Kris Allen's brother (who is the gymnastics coach where Hailey was taking gymnastics....pretty cool, huh?)

Here comes Kris!!!

Awwww, tooo tooo cute!!!

Afterwards, Hayden was soooo tired, as we all were. He had some ice cream after dinner and passed out on the couch!!!! Bless his heart!!!