Jamesey's 3rd Birthday

Waking up the birthday boy

Opening some presents

Sitting in the stable while Mommy tries to assemble

Hannah must think that it is a life-sized playhouse

Taking pictures for his fire station party invitation

 

Getting to see a real horsie up close at Mary Lyle's party

Riding with Kate Allen

Sweet friends

Sitting in the chair with Mary Lyle as friends sang

Pure happiness

James had a fun 3rd birthday weekend!  We woke him up to tell him it was his birthday and we got a sweet video of him being so happy.  We got Connie's for breakfast and went to the baseball fields for a tournament.  Mimi and Grandy brought James and Hannah back early from the tournament to have a little party at their house for him.  They strung lights in their living room, ate dinner and dessert, and let James open his presents from them.
James asked for a "Thomas the Train choo-choo", "pay-doughs" (play dough), and a "Minja Turtle toy and pillow".  Nana and Granddaddy gave him a Thomas the Train play set and play dough.  Mimi and Grandy gave him the Ninja Turtle talking Mikey toy and the Raphael pillow buddy that he sleeps with.  Mommy and Daddy surprised him with a nice stable play set.  The boys and Hannah gave him some horses for his stable.  Mommy put the stable together while James and Hannah tried to climb in it like it was a playhouse.  The day after his birthday, James went to help Mary Lyle celebrate her birthday, and he got to ride on a horse-drawn carriage...over and over and over again.  I thought he was never going to get off.  He was so happy to see the horsies.  Joy was radiating from his face.  We will celebrate his party with friends at the fire station on October 8.   

Connor's 6th Birthday Celebration with Friends

Rivers, Connor, and Grayson

Since we left for the Bahamas the day after Connor turned six, we had a delayed celebration at our house.  Connor wanted to invite two of his buddies, Rivers and Grayson, over after school on Friday. We took the boys bowling while James and Hannah napped at Mimi and Grandy's.  Then Mimi and Grandy joined us for grilled cheeseburger sliders, chips, and a light saber cookie cake with ice cream.  The boys had fun playing together in the playroom.  We gave them each their own light saber, Star Wars character masks, and drink bottle.  I also picked up some Pop Rocks candy to give them as favors.  Unfortunately after Grayson and Rivers were picked up, James snuck away from the family to go get into the extra Pop Rocks. We were all playing downstairs with Connor's presents at the time. James had Pop Rocks all over his socks, on the kitchen floor, and in his hair.  It was a simple and WILDLY fun birthday party!  Connor had a great time.  I can't believe he's already six!!!

Oxford Baseball Tournament

We got back from the Bahamas at 10:00 pm Saturday night.  We played baseball on Sunday in Oxford.  The boys made it to the championship game, and we came in second place to the other 8U Sandlot Legends team.  They got some pretty cool trophies!

First Trip to Atlantis

Hannah's first plane ride

Jolly James excited to be on his first plane ride

Three brothers ready for takeoff

Exploring Atlantis

The kids inside The Dig

Posing while a stingray swims by

A view of Royal Towers

Connor, James, and Weston under James's "Flying Horsies"

Dinner at Anthony's Grill

Hannah's a happy girl

Hanging out by yachts in Marina Village

Enjoying strawberry daiquiris by the beach

Weston and Connor having fun together in the pool

Daddy and Hannah-doll

James feeding sharks with the other Sea Squirts

 

After emptying his bucket

Feeding stingrays

Examining a starfish

Catching Weston on the Lazy River

Watching Mimi float by

Trainer Ryan holding baby sea turtles

Daddy holding baby Hannah for a nap

Boys in the pool together

 

Will on the Leap of Faith slide through the shark tank

Weston after his first water slide

Waiting on burgers and shakes at Village Burger Shack

Hannah at Dolphin Cay with Mommy

My Littles and me at the Cove

Daddy and James on the beach

Hannah eating lunch in the cave

Connor, Hannah, Weston, and Mommy

Family picture at the Cove

 

Mimi and Grandy with the kids

Brave Weston after sliding down the Leap of Faith

James up close to a shark

Hannah's nap with Grandy

Dinner at Carmine's

James with his Grandy

Shaking maracas with the music

Connor and James joined the band

Boys outside Ben and Jerry's

James trying to get that big cherry

 

Mommy and the Littles

Lounging by the pool while James gets a nap

My Bigs and me at Margaritaville

Grandy, Mimi, and Connor

Me and my Connor-boy

Me and Will after dinner

Dolphins doing tricks for Weston and Connor

Connor petting Cassie the sea lion

High-fiving a dolphin

Weston getting the dolphin to high-five

Weston kissing the dolphin

Connor with the dolphin he claims was named "Snoogly"

The boys with Cassie

Cassie patting Weston on the back as he pretended to cough

Connor in a shark's jaw

Weston with the shark's jaw

We were greeted at Atlantis with the words, "Welcome to Paradise!"  Atlantis is on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.  It truly felt like we were in paradise.  The grounds were beautiful, even more beautiful than I expected, and the activities were endless.  Hannah decided that she would take her first steps across the room on Bahamian soil.  I guess she just wanted those first steps to be extra memorable (like when James took his first steps at Disneyworld). 
We spent most of our days lounging by one of the many Atlantis pools, especially the Splashers pool for kids at Royal Towers, and riding some water slides.  I can't believe Weston went down the Leap of Faith that goes through the shark tank!  One afternoon, Mimi, Will, and the Bigs participated in a scavenger hunt and won some Atlantis water bottles.  Weston and Connor also loved playing Bingo with Mimi and Grandy for prizes.  They won lots of prizes, too.
James got to feed some sharks, stingrays, and sea turtles with the Sea Squirts program.  Weston and Connor became Jr. Trainers for a Day, working with dolphins and sea lions. All three boys were given Atlantis swim shirts for their participation in the program.  They were nice souvenirs from our trip. 
Hannah got in the pool with Mommy and Daddy every day, but she took some afternoon naps on all of us as we lounged on chairs by the pool.  We got some time just with the Littles while Weston and Connor were at Dolphin Cay.  We got alone time with the Bigs in the Harborside pool while James and Hannah napped in the room.  It was a very fun, yet relaxing family vacation.  Will said, "Between Disney and Atlantis, where else do we really need to go?"  I know we will want to go again soon!