Sea World!

A few weeks ago, we decided to plan a last minute family vacation.  Since our summer schedule was already so busy, we had to piggy back this little vaca onto one that had already been planned, my annual family reunion.  Since we would be driving down 35 anyway to New Braunfels for the reunion, we decided to take a little detour and go to San Antonio first to spend a couple of days at Sea World!

We had SO much fun.  While it was really a short trip, just two days, it was jam packed with smiles and making wonderful memories as a family.  I can't wait for all the other vacations we will take together as a family in the future.  The kids did so well and were very flexible with their schedules.  Cory and I were so tickled with them when we first arrived at our hotel around 10:00 Monday night.  Just like you would expect a 4 year old to be, Christopher was wide awake and filled with excitement and energy at the thought of being in the hotel.  Miss Lucy was right there with him, as they bounced around on the bed and giggled late into the night - so cute!

Our time at Sea World was wonderful.  We fed and pet the dolphins, rode the Log Ride (all 4 of us), played in the water, and of course saw Shamu.  Christopher loved everything we did.  Lucy did too, except for the fake Shamu and fake Dolphin characters that were walking around the front gate, they brought on tears of terror.  Unlike the real dolphins, that she actively tried to reach out and pet several times.

Our friends, the Braatens, were down there too staying in our same hotel.  We met up with them at Sea World the first day, and enjoyed great pool time, dinner, and s'mores by the fire that night.  

It was a wonderful start to our week filled with family fun!

Best Buds

Christopher and Drew are such good friends.  Sometimes Meghan and I even think they act a little more like brothers - wrestling and picking at each other one minute, only to be laughing and having fun the next.  It has really been fun to watch them develop this friendship over the past couple of years, and now see that it is truly genuine, not just something we force because we live close by and Meghan and I enjoy the mommy company.  These boys truly like each other.  We hadn't even been back in Frisco from our little family vacation for 24 hours before Christopher was asking to go to Drew's house.  When we arrived there this afternoon, I heard Drew tell Christopher, "I missed you."  Seriously, how cute is that?

Anyway, the Dubes are heading up to the East Coast for the rest of the summer and we sure will miss them.  We were really bummed when we realized that Drew would not be here for Christopher's birthday party this year.  So Meghan and I decided to get the boys together for a little early celebration.  We had planned to go to the pool and then for ice cream, but rain was a spoiler.  We ended up at the Wiggly Play Center for some playtime, and then hot dogs and ice cream from Double Dips.  Meghan and Drew were so sweet and even got Christopher a birthday present - which Meghan told me was entirely Drew's idea, even down to when they went shopping (1:00 in the afternoon, which is usually nap time)!  

We are so thankful to have them in our lives and will always think of Drew as Christopher's first "real" friend!

 Getting ready to sing "Happy Birthday"

Drew helps blow out the candles!

Christopher's very own lawn mower from Drew.

And just for fun - a couple more pictures of these silly boys!

In January 2008 celebrating Drew's 2nd birthday!

June 2009, celebrating Christopher's 4th birthday

Lucy's First Swim

We hit the pool on Sunday evening with our good friends the Dubes.  This was Lucy's first official time in the pool.  (I think I held her in there last summer for a few minutes here and there to cool her off but that doesn't really count.)  Cory was golfing so he didn't go with us, and I told him when he got home that we might have a little dare devil on our hands!  Of course it is a bit early to tell for sure but our little girl had a BALL in the water.  I started her out in her little boat float.  She just kicked and splashed with the biggest grin on her face the entire time.  Until she caught glimpse of her brother and Drew swimming out into the water to Jeff (Drew's daddy)!  I could just see the wheels turning in her little head as she started to maneuver her way out of the float to try and swim herself.  She was the same way in the baby pool, wanted nothing to do with me and trying with all her might to keep up with the big boys.  It was SO cute and SO different from Christopher's first pool experience.  I can't wait to see how the rest of the summer unfolds!

Sittin' by the pool!

The boys!