Christmas in February

Well we aren't celebrating Christmas in February, but I am just now getting around to posting about it.  I know pathetic.  It is amazing how much of our time is eaten up ever since we moved back.  Anyways, we had a wonderful Christmas.  We literally moved back just in time to enjoy all the festivities with our families.  We managed to bring our tree from NC home with us (that is why it looks so sad in the picture below) so it gave a little Christmas spirit to the house.  We had a traditional Christmas morning with breakfast, the Christmas story, and presents.  We got the kids both Radio Flyer Big Wheels as their big gift from us.  They have been a real hit and they are both learning the ride them down the hill beside the house.  We were extremely happy to be able to spend Christmas with our families and GA friends.  As soon as Christmas was over we packed up the car (which wasn't really hard since we hadn't really unpacked anything yet anyway) and headed to Texas to visit Aaron's grandparents and extended family.  Our trip was long overdue since this was the first time any of them had met Naomi (I was 8 months pregnant with her on our last visit).  Everyone fell in love with her of course and we just as happy to see Levi again.  It was so good seeing everyone and we are already looking forward to visiting again.  

Good-bye Summer

A few weeks ago we went with Aaron's parents to Panama City during their fall break.  This kids absolutely LOVED it!  We spent the majority of the time at the beach and pool.  Levi & Naomi are both getting really good and swimming.  My kids definitely love the water.  The weather was wonderful.  High 80's and the water was even warm.  We  swam, flew kites, chased birds, built sand castles, caught crabs and fish, and even kayaked!  We are already looking forward to next summer and our next trip

Gulf Shores

A few weeks ago we went on vacation to Gulf Shores, AL.  We had never been before and were able to use a condo from a family friend.  We LOVED it!  The beach was so nice and the water was so clear!  We bought a canopy and set it up for our beach days.  It was wonderful and allowed us to spend lots of time at the beach without getting too hot in the sun.  The ocean was thriving with life.  We saw dolphins and tons of stingrays in the water.  It was really cool how they'd swim around you and you could see them.  I bet there were 15 or so at one time.  We even saw a shark!  Don't worry it was a small one, but it did chase us to the shore!  We guessed it was about 3 feet long and even though it may not have been extremely dangerous I'm pretty sure it would have dampened the vacation if it had gotten a hold of any of us.

There was lots to do in Gulf Shores.  We visited the local zoo also known as The Little Zoo that Could.  We were able to feed some of the animals which the kids loved.  Levi's favorite part was feeding this little deer.  He even asked if we could get him one when we got back home.  So far we haven't found any, but we are still looking :)  They had lots of animals and they were all close enough to see and enjoy.  The kids absolutely loved it!  Our favorites were the alligators, lions, and tigers.  We took the ferry one day across the bay and visited the estuary.  There were lots of fish to see and we enjoyed the ferry ride as well.

At night we did a little crab hunting on the beach.  We found lots of crabs and we all had a good laugh watching Aaron try to catch them so the kids could see them.  We also found tons of shells to bring back and even decided to put some in Levi's new sandbox that he got for his birthday.

We also had some wonderful food while we were there.  We ate some great seafood at Tacky Jack's and some good home-styled food at Lambert's.  Levi liked Lambert's because they throw rolls at you.

I think our kids favorite parts of the trip  were the SAND, the BALCONY, and the POOL!  They loved digging and pouring sand on each other, building sand castles and of course burying Poppy in the sand.  Levi even got brave and let us bury him a little.  The pool was Levi & Naomi's favorite spot as well.  Levi was getting really good at using his floaties and swimming without any assistance.  I think he'll be a great swimmer in the years to come.  Naomi absolutely loves the water.  She is definitely our water bug.  She would get in and immediately want to get out and walk to the side and jump in again.  I'm pretty sure they would have spent every second at the pool if we'd have let them.  The balcony was a big hit with both little ones.  I think we had the door open to the balcony the entire time we were there and they spent every moment we were in the condo on the balcony.  They loved watching the boats come in and out of the bay and of course they could see the pool from there as well!  We all had a terrific time and are already looking forward to going back!

Disney World

Disney World was so much fun. I think we all enjoyed ourselves more than we thought we would. Going with one toddler is enough, and adding a 9 month old made us think we were a little crazy, but everything went so well and we had such a great time.

Day 1: Hollywood Studios

We decided to go to Hollywood Studios for our first day. I think our favorite ride was the Rockin' Roller Coaster. It went 0 to 60mph in like 2 seconds and never slowed down. It was awesome! Believe it or not, Levi rode Tower of Terror. We tried talking him out of it, but he was persistent. When the ride was over, he told us "That was fun, but I never, ever, ever want to do that again." Our other favorite ride was the Toy Story Mania ride. Levi loves Toy Story, so this ride was definitely a high point for him. We were also able to meet Buzz, Woody, Mater, Lightning McQueen, and a few others, we saw a great car show, played in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground, and played in the rain.

Day 2: Magic Kingdom

This was our favorite park of the trip. There was so much for all of us to do that there was no way to do it all. We actually went back here for the last day because we enjoyed it so much. There is so much to mention I'm sure I'm going to leave something out. Levi's favorite things here were the Teacups, Dumbo, the Speedway, It's a Small World, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, the Jungle Cruise, and the People Mover. However, his absolutely favorite things was the Buzz Lightyear Ride. He is a little obsessed with Buzz right now and it is only worse now that we've been to Disney. He even wants to dress up as Buzz for Halloween...of course! His other favorite love were the trains. He kept referring to them as "his trains." Too cute. Us older kids loved Splash Mountain & Space Mountain, and let us be honest we loved all the kiddy rides too! Disney World is just too much fun no matter how old you are! Here are some of our favorite moments...

Day 3: Animal Kingdom

Our third day was spent at Animal Kingdom. None of us had ever been to this park, so we were all excited to see what was in store. The safari ride was probably one of the big highlights. We got to see so many awesome animals. I think our favorite ride was the Himalaya. At one point the roller coaster just stops and you realize you are about to go backwards...in the dark! It was so much fun! I think Levi's favorite part was all the animals. I'm pretty sure his favorites were the lions, tigers, gorillas, and the bird show.

Day 4: The Beach & Downtown Disney

This was our "off" day, but we didn't do too much relaxing. Since we knew we wouldn't make it to the beach this summer (and the beach is Aaron's favorite place to be) we decided to make the 1+ hour drive to spend a few hours at the beach. It was nice to get away for a few hours. Naomi ate sand and Levi build sand castles and fed the seagulls. When we got home that evening we went to Downtown Disney just to walk around and check it out. The highlight was the Lego store. I'm pretty sure Levi & Aaron could have spent a whole day there alone.

Day 5: Epcot

Epcot was the last park we visited. We had a wonderful day even though it rained quite a bit during the day and most of the evening. I think Levi loved almost every part of Epcot. The things I thought might bore he still found entertaining and interesting. The Seas and all the animals in the aquarium were a highlight for him. We all enjoyed the Tour of Countries. It was so interesting to walk around through the "mini" countries and look at the architecture and lifestyles of the people who live there. Levi's favorite ride here was the "Donald Duck" ride in Mexico. He called it that because it was a boat ride that followed Donald through Mexico. I'm pretty sure he rode it 4 or 5 times! At the end of the day we saw an awesome firework and laser show over the lagoon.

Other Stuff:

The trip was such a wonderful family time. Our last day there we went back to Magic Kingdom and did some of our favorite things. Levi loves trains so Magic Kingdom was a great place to visit twice because they had a train to ride and we were also able to ride the monorail into the park which Levi loved. Our first night in Florida I had an encounter with a raccoon while trying to get Naomi to sleep. Let's just say it was the middle of the night and I walked outside to calm her down. Luckily the pool was screened in because about 10 minutes after being outside a raccoon jumped up on the screen and scared the mess out of me! Aaron had to leave early Friday to return home for his license prep classes. We left the following day and went to my cousin Vanessa's wedding. The entire vacation was a huge blessing. Even though we had rain each day the crowds were minimal and we didn't have to wait in line for much of anything. I guess it goes without saying (more maybe I've already said it several times already), but we had a wonderful time.

This is where we'll be for the next week!

Disney World here we come!

Texas

Our trip to Texas was very enjoyable. We were able to spend lots of much needed quality time with family while also enjoy some of the sites of Forth Worth. Aaron's parents took Levi out a day early since we had the Dave Ramsey seminar. Aaron & I arrived Sunday night and the trip was quite nice with the exception of some horrible roads along the way. Mississippi really needs some interstate work for sure. Anyway, when we arrived on Sunday night enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner with Aunt Kitty and Uncle Terry. Monday and Tuesday we spent some down time with family. Wednesday we headed to the Forth Worth Zoo. Levi loves animals so he was in heaven at the zoo. We saw tons of animals, but his favorite were the lions, tigers, and the birds pictures in the top left. He also loved the train ride at the end of the day.

Thursday we went to Fossil Rim. It is a drive-thru animal safari place where the animals roam free and you can feed them from your car. We have been several times (almost every trip to Texas), but we enjoy it more and more every time. Levi thought it was so cool to be able to see the animals up close, and he really got a kick out of the animals putting their heads in the car. I think the giraffes were our favorite part.

Friday morning we got up super early and headed home. Levi rode home with us, and he did AMAZING! Actually, amazing doesn't even cover it. He was beyond amazing. He sat in the back seat, watched movies, sang songs, talked to us, and not once on the entire 15 hour drive did he complain. We were both blown away. I was so proud of him, so this is my moment of bragging - sorry. The trip was a great success. We were able to see lots of family that we miss very much. We are already missing them and looking forward to our next visit, especially since we'll have our new addition with us next time. Until then, I will say that it is nice to be home and in my own bed.

Lonestar

On Sunday we are leaving for Texas for a much overdue visit with family. We are all pretty excited since its been over a year since we've seen them. That being said we have a pretty full weekend coming up. Doctor's appointment, Braves game, Dave Ramsey conference, seeing cousins, and then hitting the road. I'm sure I'll be blogging about it all when I return, but until then know that I am blissfully busy until my next post.

Toes in the Sand

We spent the last few days at the Isle of Palms in South Carolina for our family vacation. We didn't want to go far since Levi has not been enjoying the car much lately. Isle of Palms is just outside of Charleston, so it a little more than 4 hours away. Levi did great in the car, and a huge thanks goes out to our friends P.J. and Mindy for letting us borrow their DVD player. It was a lifesaver for us so thanks guys!! Levi absolutely LOVED the beach. He loved playing in the sand and stomping his feet in the water. We had such a great time watching him play. When we got there Sunday we headed to the beach as soon as we got there to let Levi play in the water. He was so excited. Monday we spent the whole day at the beach. The weather was absolutely spectacular - not too hot or cold, and the water was perfect. That evening we went into Charleston for dinner at Hyman's, and then walked around the shops downtown. Tuesday we biked to the end of the island to investigate the tide pools. We found tons of starfish, sea cucumbers, a jellyfish or sea urchin thing. It was lots of fun, we then headed back out to the beach, but the weather was much cooler, so we mainly waded in the water and played in the sand. We even buried Levi in the sand and made him a 'merman'. He loved digging in the sand with his toys and finding shells on the beach. He also loved chasing all the seagulls. That night we took a few pictures on the beach before heading to dinner and then went to the pier for a little while. Wednesday after we checked out we had lunch at our favorite place - Chick-fil-A - and then went back to the pier for the afternoon. The pier is really nice. They have a war memorial, a big lawn for picnics and playing, a playground for the kiddos, and of course the pier itself that overlooks the shipping channel. We watched some ships come in and out of the harbor. We also saw a dolphin and a few stingrays off the pier. It was a really enjoyable afternoon. We had such a wonderful and relaxing time, and I'm pretty sure Levi is already looking forward to our next beach trip. Until next year...

Texas

We're Back! We have been in Texas for the last week visiting Aaron's family. This trip was special because most of the family has never seen Levi prior to this trip (except for pictures). We left Tuesday morning, and Levi did wonderful on his first plane ride. Everyone commented on how well he behaved on the plane. We spent our first evening relaxing and catching up with Phil & Delores at their home. Levi had lot of fun playing with their grandson, Clive, and all of Clive's cool toys. We then spent the next couple of days with Granny Bea & Pa. While there we were able to see Aaron's Aunt Nancy & Uncle Bobby and his cousin Chanda. One day we went to Fossil Rim, a drive-thru safari type place where they have all kinds of animals like zebra, giraffe, and rhinos. Levi loved seeing all the animals. We also saw the blue bonnets in bloom and had a few relaxing days just hanging out and catching up with family. Toward the end of our trip we drove down to Lake Whitney a couple of days and visited with Kitty & Terry and their family. We saw Grandad, who gave Levi his first haircut (I'll be posting a separate post about it soon). We spent our last full day visiting the zoo in Waco with Kitty, Shera, and Joe Joe. We had a great time seeing everyone, and hope to see you all again real soon. Enjoy the video below. It is of Levi feeding one of the deer at Fossil Rim.

Tampa Vacation

We spent this past week on vacation in Tampa, Florida. Aaron has always loved the ocean, and living in Rio only grew his love for the water; therefore almost every vacation we go on is to the beach. We dodged Hurricane Gustav, and had fabulous weather the whole time we were there. Aaron was glad the hurricane was nearby because it made the waves in the gulf nice and big. This was Levi's first vacation, and he loved the ocean! We put his feet in and then he sat with me with his feet in the water. When I took him out of the water he cried! Aaron loves the ocean, so he is happy Levi has a love for the water too. On Tuesday we went to Fort De Soto Park and Beach. We had a good time touring the fort and enjoying the beach until I twisted my knee. I was in the ocean and turned my back to a wave while I was walking out. It was stronger than I thought and it knocked me down twisting my knee. My knee swelled to the size of a grapefruit and that put a damper on the rest of our beach plans. On Wednesday we decided to go to the Tampa Zoo, since I couldn't walk or go to the beach. Aaron rented a wheelchair and pushed me around the whole zoo all while attending to Levi. It was quite an adventure to say the least.

Cabin Fever

This weekend we went to my parents cabin. We had a great time getting away. It was Levi's first trip away from home and he did wonderful. We arrived late Friday evening so we weren't able to do much but settle in. Saturday we cooked caramel cinnamon rolls for breakfast before heading to the waterfalls. We hiked to the falls, came home and cleaned up. We then headed into town for dinner and to do some exploring at the lake. The rest of the weekend we just hung out watched movies and played a game or two of cards.

A little peace and quiet

This weekend Aaron & I headed to my parents cabin. As many of you may know, Aaron started seminary this past fall, and one of the requirements for a class was for he and the spouse to spend 24 hours in prayer and fasting focusing on their future in ministry. We already feel lead to missions and evangelism, but we used this time to allow God to speak to us more specifically. The weekend was very relaxing. However, throughout the weekend we were able to find time to get out and enjoy the mountains. We stopped at Bass Pro on the way and bought some new jackets since the weather was getting a little cool. Saturday afternoon I worked a puzzle and that night we worked another puzzle. Aaron picked the second puzzle - a portrait of Cornwalis' surrender in the Revolutionary War. Just because he picked it doesn't mean he was going to help me finish it. He helped me get started, but quickly gave up and left the rest to me. I finished it, and was quite proud of myself since the whole puzzle was basically the same color. Sunday we traveled to Hayesville, NC for some wonderful french toast. When we returned, Aaron found some time to hike the mountain while I caught up on some sleep (I was unable to hike this time due to my ultimate frisbee injury). We got back home yesterday evening, relaxed and ready to go back.


The previous weekend I went to the cabin with my sisters and some friends. I'm also attaching a few of those pics for everyone to enjoy.

This is the friendly dog we came across that we named Booger Bear.

This is a picture of Samuel trying to attack Amy.

Us walking down the road.