Monday, September 19, 2016

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.   

Saturday, September 17, 2016

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!!!

Monday, September 12, 2016

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!

Sunday, September 11, 2016

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!