Monday, April 20, 2009

A rainy day with my babies






Today has been a nice, calm, cozy, rainy day. My sister brought Daniel over this afternoon so she could go dress shopping for his baptism on Saturday! So I had 2 babies and 5 "big kids" here for the afternoon. Most of the kids were napping, so it's not as bad as it sounds! :) I put Lauren (my precious little daycare baby) and Daniel (my sweet, handsome nephew) on a blanket together. It is so fun to watch their little legs kick and their little arms waving around. Lauren is one month older than Daniel. Look how cute they are!
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Friday, April 17, 2009

Ahhhh, vacation!!!

We spent tons of time doing this-- standing in the hall outside our rooms trying to decide what to do, where to go, etc.
Bryan and Amy's bf Doug.
A gorgeous view of the sunset from our balcony.
Tom and Ken.
Tom and Ken looking hot on dress-up night.
SOME of our drinks during our "power hour." Because we booked so many rooms on the ship, NCL gave us an hour of all the drinks we could drink!
Aunt Sharon and Kate supporting pink.
Mike and Nikki Witt... well almost!
Amy and Doug looking so gorgeous on black and white night.
Uncle Bud enjoying the yummy food from the grill-out on the poolside.
Amy and Doug on dress-up night.
Amy and Doug on one of our excursions.
We are going to submit this for a poster ad for Bud Light.
Amy's great hat.
Wow, I took a lot of pictures of Amy and Doug!
Our new friend Kristi, Amy, and I at the rich guy's party.
Bryan and Kate
NikWitt.
This is at the top of a huge mountain in St. Lucia. Awesome view!
Sitting in the Stardust Theater waiting for a show!
The most beautifully landscaped airport ever in Antigua.
The youngest couples on dress up night.
Yup, he's drinking a Coors Light in the Shower!
bryan and the Jewel
Having fun on another excursion.
Here we are in a cave in the Dominican Republic. It was freaky!
Enjoying the view from our balcony.
On the balcony right outside our room.
Black and White night.
Looking down on the pool deck.
Eating dinner on B&W night at Cagney's Steakhouse. MY FAVORITE!
Just about to board the ship!
A view from our balcony suite in Miami.
A view of our hotel pool and the ocean in Miami.
The beginning of the trip at the GRR airport. (I don't know how to get these pics in order!!!)


Well, the vacation that I have been counting down for for the past 8 months or so has come and gone! It was beyond wonderful! Here are some highlights:
1. When we got to Miami, our hotel had no more rooms available. So we got sent to a 5 star ocean front hotel where we got three giant suites. We found out later they cost about $479 a night! It was awesome! Not to mention we stayed there completely free!
2. The cruise was so much fun! The shows were great, the food was the BEST, and the company was a blast.
3. The weather was gorgeous. It did rain when we were in Barbados, but we actually needed a break from the sun. At times it was TOO hot... even for me to lay out!!
4. One night on the ship we got invited up to a rich guy's HUGE suite. He had a big party with appetizers and an OPEN bar! It was crazy! I met a teenager girl who was staying there, and she gave us a tour of the entire place. We stayed there the whole night and drank the rich guy's alcohol for free. It was probably the high light of my trip! I thought I was so cool with my balcony room. Ha! I didn't even know rooms that fancy existed on the trip! Even the dancers from the shows and some of the singers were partying there too. I felt like a superstar!
5. Bryan and I got to spend quality time together. it was nice to get dressed up together and go out for nice dinners and not have to worry about babysitters!
6. I did get a bit homesick. But that's okay because it helps me realize how much I love my kids and it makes the time with them now more enjoyable. i don't think they even realized we were gone!
7. Special thanks to my sister, my mom, and my mother in law. I am so blessed to have so much family around to love and take care of my kids. What would I do without you!

So, I'm glad to be home, but I am sad that it's over. SO many good times and great memories were shared!! Now the plans begin for our next vacation! :)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Toothless!



Travis and Aaron both lost their first tooth last week! Now they look super cute when they smile-- they love showing off their missing tooth!