Family vacation

Finally, it only took me 9 days to upload pics and blog about them. And me and the boys jetted up to Kansas city the very next weekend for 5 days, so I think I deserve, at minimum, a bozo button, if not a bottle of bubbly and a strawberry salad from Panera. Just kidding. Kind of. And now I shall stop patting myself on the back and talk about the vacation.

My more awesome than awesome parents did something more awesome than usual. They stayed married for 40 years. In a row. To each other. Kind of a big deal. My sisters and I were starting to whisper about throwing a party. Maybe a lake affair? Maybe a little dancing. And then they informed us that they didn't want a party. They wanted to celebrate their anniversary by taking their offspring and THEIR offspring down to Orange Beach, Alabama for an entire week vacation.

Oh holy moly was this a big gift. I mean, it is a huge present to give anybody a trip, but to Rob and I, it was HUGE. Since we decided to start shooting out babies every year and a half, we have taken one road trip to Missouri for a family reunion and one trip to Kansas to see my extended family for Easter. It was something we knew we were going to do without when I quit my full time or even part time job. I would have been happy with a little lake vacation, but Oh. My. Gosh. THE OCEAN!!!!!!

So, we headed down to Orange Beach and met up with my parents, my two sisters, my niece, and my nephew and enjoyed the luxuries of a gigantic 4 bedroom condo with a porch that overlooked the ocean, a water slide, a lazy river, a swimming pool, and a big ocean.

Our awesome condo, can you see our room? Its on the 11th floor on the right.

The kids were in their beach-wear within minutes of entering the condo. They didn't really understand the unpacking the car process or the need for it. Krystal-Ry loved his Buzz and Woody floatie that Harpert gave him in the goody bag.

Max's first shot of the ocean. I feel I captured his excitement well, right?

The walk to the ocean. Rylan still with his arm floaties AND Buzz and Woody floatie

Anthony took a small time out from body boarding to try to teach Max to crawl.

It helped, he's a full time scooter now

And, Tam and I got up early to walk a few days and she helped me carry my 20lb tiny baby around. You really get a good workout carrying Max while trying not to sink into the sand.

Clay and Angie at the Shrimp Basket

Same Shrimp Basket, Rylan with his cousin's mermaid. Totally normal. Don't I look like I'm taking a picture with Justin Bieber or something? Or in my case it would have been New Kids On The Block. Guess I'm just happy to be on vacay.

My best friend, Brigid always takes a pic by the pool or beach and posts it on facebook and its everything I can do not to tell her to suck it. Here's my gangly feet (pre toe injury, see below) next to the pool. So what if its the kiddie pool.

Me and my pal Max. He was so Zen by the ocean.

For the most part, so was this guy

Rylan and Zoe trying to catch a Blue Angel air show

Swimming "poo" cutie

Family trip down the lazy river

Max ate ALOT of that sand

Proof

I tell you, it was his Zen place

Girls night out. We went and had some drinks and yummy seafood nachos, got a tiny bit tipsy and tried to go see the movie Bridesmaids. But, we were late, so we shopped and went to yet another restaurant and had another yummy meal.

On Thursday of that week, the older boys plus Mom and Angie went to a fishing charter. Tammy and I decided to take my two plus Zoe "on an adventure." For Tammy and I, an adventure involves learning how Krispie Kreme doughnuts are made, then going to Target. Here is Zoe making a silly face,

This was her first silly face and it looks like the doughnuts gave her a facial paralysis of some sort, still love this pic.

Krispie Kreme cutie

He likes frosting and sprinkles, no thanks on the doughnut.

Rob and our happy baby chillin on the beach

Tammy and mom cooking us some of the fish they caught. Each family took one night to cook a big meal to minimize how much we had to eat out. My night was Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and brownies that stick directly to your thighs. Angie made Shrimp Tacos, cheese dip and ice cream with Magic Shell, and Mom and Dad made Panko Crusted Red Snapper and Strawberry Ice Cream Sundaes. Yeah, we ate like kings. And queens. And princes, and princesses.

Our sand artist. He was feeling especially two this day and refused to put on a bathing suit, saying noooooooo when I asked if he wanted to swim. He then headed straight for the water fully dressed when we got down there. That would be why his pants are drooping.

We still got a sweet walk in to collect shells

On our last day, we had a 9th birthday party for Anthony. Cake and ice cream followed by a trip for all to an arcade/go cart/laser tag place. Fun times for all.

And then it was time to be sad and go home. This was a fantabulous trip. Had so much fun and wish I could bottle the joy I felt when my boys saw the ocean for the first time.

We weren't able to completly get away stress free, unfortunantly. Rylan was going through a major, major, like worse than ever before case of the twos. "NO" was his favorite word. So much that he made it a two syllable word. There was alot of toy stealing, pushing on brother and such. I hate the twos. It just looks like its so hard on him, the inner turmoil he's got going on in his head. Also, on the way to Alabama, Max got an ear infection. Stuff was oozing from his new ear tube ears. He was super sad about it. Then Rylan had night terrors from being in a new place and shouted out about 25 times a night for the first 2 or 3 nights. Then Rylan was about to be not so nice to his cousin and I went running to stop him and kicked an ottoman with my foot and promtly broke my toe. OUCH! Then Rylan's asthma flared up and the poor kid coughed all night a few nights. On the way home Rob developed a terrible sinus infetion. We returned soooo exhausted.

We stayed in for the whole week, nursing a still sick Max, a wheezy Rylan and a limping mom. No playdates, no shopping, nothing. Lots of hard core parenting to stop the current two-isms. Then the boys and I jetted up to Kansas City for my cousin's wedding. Rob stayed to do something silly like work for a living. Besides Max continuing problems with this current awful ear infection, we had a great time, with a seriously attitude improved (and nightime sleeping) Rylan who loved a wedding dance and Max who charmed everyone with his smiles and passed out in the middle of the reception.

We are home for quite a while now. I miss the ocean. I miss having my family just a room away. But I love my house. And the normalcy that helps children sleep better. And I even missed our dang cocker spaniel.