Vacation 2013!

                         Our vacation 2013 began on Saturday May 18th...back to our favorite spot...
                                                         A week at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina!
For the last 3 years we have gone we have taken someone with us...Which is always a lot of fun!! The first year Jay's mom and dad came along, the second year my mom, dad and grandma joined us...and this year a family from our church joined!! The Hubbard Family (Marlin (we call Chief), Amy, Matthew, Jordan and Kacy)! We had one more blast!!! It was an awesome vacation!

We all stayed in our  favorite resort..."Harbor Lights"! Jay had reserved our Villa back in January so that we could all stay together! It slept 8 people, which was perfect!

After unloading our belongings, we drove up the North Myrtle Beach to eat at my favorite restaurant! The Empire Fire Mongolian Grill! After eating, it also became Amy's Favorite as well!

In the last three months Jay met his goal by losing 60 pounds before going on vacation...And we celebrated with his requested "A Rose Garden Cake"!!! Jay told Sis. Heather Smith he wanted lots of icing.. and she done a very tasty job on it!!! I have never seen so much icing on a cake in my life! 

He was informed before we left by several...Don't get down there and have a sugar high! Well, I think he came pretty close to one with his very first bite! He also had Ice Cream to go along with his cake and Diet Pepsi! I couldn't understand that...why not have a regular cola?

On Sunday after a Morning Devotion together, we all headed out the see the alligators at the Alligator Adventure.

The kids!

My silly husband! Sometimes I wonder!

We had lots of fun seeing all those creatures! I was jumpy the rest of the day!

We got to do and see so much while we were there!

During our stay we took the kids to Wonder Works on the board walk (while it was raining outside)! I think we were there a little over 4hrs! And still didn't do all the exhibits. 

 We walked the Board Walk (between the rain storms) with waffle cones in our hands, Shopped, The Hubbard boys rode the Zip Line...and our kids always enjoying spending time at Kiddie Zone!

Later in the week we took a road trip down to Charleston, SC. Jay is big into history and so is Chief and his boys. It must be a guy thing! We first toured Fort Moultrie (in the rain)! While walking, girls were not too far ahead us, and they start screaming SNAKE!

  We made the guys go check things out, and sure enough!...A live snake right beside the side walk! We are still not sure what kind of snake it was, but it was scary!

After leaving the fort we head over to Patriots Point and toured the USS Yorktown, USS Laffey and the USS Clamagore! It took us all day to see everything, especially in the rain.

Benjamin loved it!

The kids on a top bunk in the Sick Bay Area.

There was so much walking to tour it all. I chose to set out on the deck over the water and watch another storm roll in! But, it was worth it...We got to see a free Dolphin Show just feet away! Pretty amazing! LaDessa thinks the storm may have scared them a bit, and they were trying to find cover! 

The day came when we finally got to go the Beach!! If you have noticed it has rained the whole vacation! So we only got to go to the beach one time!

Huntington Beach!

The men built a sand castle and they done a great job on it!

What a difference one year makes!

While the kids and I were walking down the beach splashing the water, a lady is walking toward us very fast.. She comes to me and says, "mam, you may want to be on the lookout with being in the water, because we just saw a huge shark not far from shore". I told her I greatly appreciated her coming to inform us...and I hurried my kids out of the water! Minutes after, there it was! A big shark! I couldn't believe it! LaDessa was amazed! Needless to say, It was a while before I got back in the water!

We stayed until we were all burnt and until the tide came in and consumed the castle!

Not to long after leaving the beach, in rolled another rain storm! Got out, just in time!

Any free time we had while it was not raining, we spent quality time in the pool! I don't even remember how many times we were in the pool! What kid doesn't like water though!

 

We all got along just fine as long as we let the men eat and they let the women shop!

 Some of our Dinner Meals were... of course the Empire Fire Mongolian Grill, Angelo's Italian Buffet,  Fiesta Del Burro Loco, Golden Corral, Brazilian Steakhouse, Osaka Buffet and Five Guys! And here and there in between!

Our week shopping spots were...Hamricks, 501 Tanger Outlet, 17 Tanger outlet, Cato, the Malls, Book Stores and anywhere else that we saw with deals! And we found lots of deals!

 

This vacation post was very hard.....I had so many pictures to choose from, and I knew I had to cut it short! 

It was truly an awesome vacation!!! But how many can relate to me when I say,

There Is No Place Like Home?   

 

LCA Graduation!

It is so amazing watching kids grow! Everyday brings new experiences!
  When I held LaDessa in my arms rocking her, feeding her, diapering her and so on, just the thought of her growing up would be more than I could take! But I now have to face the fact that she truly is growing up. I have had such mixed emotions this month! I have had to stop and remind myself, "she isn't graduating from high school"...yet...its only kindergarten! But those thoughts of down the road are still there in the back of my mind.. and I can't seem to erase them.

There were five students in LaDessa's class! I have known Sister Bowman for many years, and we count it a blessing to have had her as LaDessa's first teacher! What a change we have seen in LaDessa... It has been a wonderful year! We love and will miss Mrs. Bowman greatly!

The five of them (in there own words).. "we are ready to get this night over with, and no more pictures"!

I would have posted a picture with LaDessa receiving her diploma, but my mom has those pictures on her camera, and I have yet to get them.    

After the graduation, the class parents put together a Kindergarten Graduation Party! They had lots of fun being together one more time and playing there favorite games in the gym!

One of the mothers done a fabulous job decorating the cake! The kids could not get over it!

And they all wanted to eat Mrs. Bowman! She actually took it well...she decided it was very sweet of them! Ha!

The kids had a wonderful time, and did not want to depart from each other!

And after saying good-bye to the classmates, LaDessa said good-bye to her Kindergarten Classroom with an empty locker and lots of tears!

Wow, how fast this year has gone!

We Are So Excited!!!!

I have so much to post about in the next few days, but I will start with the most exciting one first!!
   I went to the doctor on May 16th.....Thankfully all was well with mommy and the baby!.....But before I left, I begged the doctor for an ultrasound! I knew I needed to be at least 18wks, because my office doesn't like doing them before, but I was going to be 18wks in the next few days...I told him we were going on vacation that Saturday and we would like to shop in the right department...And so he gave in!!

It did not take her long to find the gender! So far, none of my kids know how to be modest in the womb! HA!

She told us that she couldn't be 100% sure, but she is 99% sure.. and we have no worries about buying pink!!

LaDessa is overjoyed that she will have a girl to play baby dolls with instead of always having to play cars with a boy! Benjamin was finally happy to say "mommy get me a baby sissy"! I am sure he will regret those words in the coming years when they both gang up on him!

For Daddy and Mommy, it really didn't matter to us....but I will say I thought we were getting a boy, comparing this pregnancy with the last one... now that we know we are getting a girl, we are sooo excited and can hardly wait for her arrival!!! 

 

 

  

I can hardly believe it!

It is so hard to believe LaDessa's Kindergarten year is almost over.
  Last Friday night (May 3rd) was our Church Graduation, and LaDessa was, of course part of the graduation! Here are some snap shots!

LaDessa looking very nervous with some of the Graduates!

This is so hard for me to believe!

Receiving her reading award!

Receiving her Kindergarten Certificate by Bro. John!

After the Graduation Ceremony with all the graduates, except two.

After the Ceremony, everyone gathered at the church fellowship hall for a celebration! Each graduate had there own table display! This was LaDessa's display, with bright colors, just what she ask for! I thought it was very girly and the perfect fit for a kindergarten graduate! Gotta love it!

This is the face she put on almost the entire evening. She said in her own words.. 

"Mommy, I'm just nervous"....What could I say!  

One proud family!

I want to give a big thanks to Sarah.. she covered for me with all the snap shots...for some reason, Jay and I both left the camera at home, along with our cell phones. That never happens to us! I am so glad I had Sarah to cover that area! Thanks Again Sarah!!!
   I will have pictures of  LaDessa's "School" Awards Day and Graduation Night, and lots more, Later!!
                                                         Until Then, Have a Great Week!