This summer we took our fourth family vacation. We went to Myrtle Beach, SC. This was our third time there. :) We enjoyed 10 days of fun in the sun! It was so nice to spend quality time as a family where there was no work, no rushing around, and no schedule. The kids were so excited to go before we left. It was all they would talk about.
We took the kids to their first water park, Wild Water and Wheels. They went down some pretty big water slides. I was always the first to go down, then the kids, then Jason. On my way down the first water slide, I was thinking, "Oh no! The kids are going to freak out!!" I waited for them at the bottom of the slide hoping they would make it down safely. Their response after they went on it..."That was awesome!" I had such a sigh of relief! We didn't get any pictures of us being at the waterpark except for the ones where we ate lunch out at the picnic table area, so that's kind of a bummer.
Alligator Adventure was pretty fun too. We got to see alot of animals/reptiles, including albino alligators and an alligator that was born without a tail. We got to watch an alligator feeding too. This park was at Barefoot Landing, which is full of entertainment just like Broadway at the Beach.
Every day we would hit the pool/beach and then go out at night to either Barefoot Landing or Broadway at the Beach. A few nights we just stayed by the condo and walked down to the pier where they have an arcade, a small restaurant, and live entertainment (dj, kareoke, etc). The kids were so happy to win a bunch of toys at the arcade. They came home with trick bubble gum, ice cream cone popper things, whoopie cushions, bubbles and candy. :)
Brady rode the mechanical bull for the first time, and he was having fun at first but then grew terrified. :( It was funny to watch though. :) Jason zip lined at Broadway at the Beach, and when he got done with that, we went for a pretty fun boat ride. Anabelle loved that! (She still talks about it.) We also went to Wonderworks one day. It's a musuem with lots of interactive exhibits.
One night after eating an early dinner at Margaritaville and then watching the Dangerous Brian show at Broadway at the Beach, we took Belle to the ER because she was complaining that her left ear hurt. She ended up having a middle and outer ear infection. :( After hitting the third CVS (the 24 hour one - only one where the pharmacy was still open), we were able to get her medicine.
On Monday morning (the day before we left), I took a walk on the beach while everyone was still sleeping to watch the sunrise, and I saw dolphins swimming out in the ocean. Later that day when we were at the beach, there were little schools of fish swimming in the ocean. I took Anabelle to see them, and then I took Brady out to see them. As I was showing them to Brady, a large fish about 3-4 ft long swam right by us. I am PRETTY SURE that it was a shark! It looked just like one. I grabbed Brady so fast and got the hell outta there! That freaked me out. I always heard that you should be careful in the ocean when you see schools of fish swimming because that usually means a bigger fish is behind them waiting to feed. I was glad I was in the ocean earlier on the boogie board because after seeing that I didn't go much further in the ocean. I was out pretty far in the ocean earlier that day too. ugh! Then, a few hours later as I was watching Jason out in the ocean on the boogie board, I saw a small stingray swim right by me. Never be fooled by shallow water....the ocean life still comes up! :)
Here's a little slideshow that I put together of our vacation...ending in the kids going back to school pic since we got back the same week that they started back to school. My big 1st and 2nd graders now! :)
(P.S. Santa is actually already done shopping this year for them...yeah!)
Jason celebrated the big 34....
I celebrated the big 33...
This is Brady, aka Indiana Jones, during the parade at his school
Belle, aka a dead cheerleader, at her school parade. This is the second year in a row she wanted to be this...I caved this year and let her be it.
Indiana Jones and the dead cheerleader ready to get some serious candy! 
Our jack-o-lanterns
Cleaning out the pumpkins
At the pumpkin farm
They love to get their faces painted there...
She broke her right arm falling of the monkey bars at Brady's soccer game on Saturday. After spending the whole day at the zoo on Sunday, we took her to the ER on our way home because she kept favoring her right arm all day and Jason noticed it was a little swollen. Diagnosis at ER was a buckle fracture and we were to follow up with a doctor the next day...and cast it was! She ended getting it off on October 28th....just in time for Halloween! :)
Picture Day...2nd grade
Picture Day...1st Grade
