Staycation : Day 2

Got off on the road with a HUGE rain storm....headed to Gulf World.

Less than 5 minutes from the entrance it stopped raining and NEVER rained again!!

It was a beautiful day and the girls LOVED it.

 

Followed by the most wonderful steak at Long Horns!!

   

Staycation : Day 1

Monday took us to Big Kahuna's.  We had a great time as the weather held out for us all day.  We followed up with dinner at the Mellow Mushroom....and if you have never tried it.....I HIGHLY suggest trying the Hot Potato Pie....it was soooooo good.

We were delighted to have Stacy & Baby Presley join us

Taylor's favorite slide
   

The cutest girl in the world
     

Taylor whispering to Tori....I smell trouble

 

I am sooooo glad that today....Tori was back to herself and enjoying the water park

     

I think Sis. Stacy said Presley was tired....but I really think she was the one looking for a nap!!

     

And my ultimate favorite pizza joint....

     

Not sure how this happened...but Tori does NOT like pizza...and with no kids menu...I went with the only other option on the menu.....meatballs.....wasn't sure how that would go over???
    

But to my very pleasant surprise....they were wonder and Tori LOVED them....there were four huge ones....and she ate EVERY last bit of them
   

Memorial Day Weekend--Version 2

I loaned out my camera just after Memorial Day and forgot to download my pics first.  So all the previous ones posted were taken by Nana.  Sorry they are repeats for the most part...but they are too cute.

I love toe shots!! Especially when everything matches.

Again, our hotel grounds were just gorgeous and this day Taylor was more than happy to pose for some cute pics!!

I think she really liked all the flowers herself.

Ahhhh toes in the sand.

The beach was so pretty that morning.  Just wish I would have known we were on the beach so I could have spent some more quality photo time out there.

Awe....I'm lovin it!!

Face...not so cute...but...they were enjoying being in the sand.

BIG Kahunas

So for Memorial Day....we got to use our new season passes to Big Kahunas.  The girls were thrilled.  We went with Stacey, David & the kids.  Thanks to Uncle David and Aunt Stacey we actually got to go spend the night on Oakaloosa Island Sunday night after church so we could be at the park bright and early Monday morning.

Needless to say, I did not sleep all that well (typical for hotel room for me) so I drug my butt a little getting up in the morning.  Well as usual, BIG mistake.  The girls wanted to wander around outside for a few, so I did.  And boy, was I SURPRISED.  The grounds to our hotel were gorgeous, not to mention...we were literally ON THE BEACH.  So, I make them run inside, get them cleaned up and cute the best I can under a time crunch and run around for a few minutes trying desperately to grab a few photos.

She is starting the posing????

Taylor and the dearest Abbi right after their first slide!!!

And here is the part I was talking about last time.  Tori did this slide a million times last year.  It empties in to like 2 feet of water.  Its not even over her head???  And yet....she screamed bloody murder and did NOT want to go down it.  I finally pushed her and OHHHHH my goodness...lets just say....I was about ready to go home!!!

And here she is mad sitting on top of the turtle that sits in about 1 foot of water.  But she REFUSED to slide down?????

And about 30 minutes later the NUCKLE HEAD was jumping off the edge of the pool with no one catching her until my arms and back hurt from lifting her up to stand her on the edge so she could jump!!

This was funny....Nana's camera got fogged up in the hotel room cause it was soooo cold in there and when we went outside the humidity just was nuts.  But....it sure made for a great affect on the pictures!!!

Taylor and Abbi again....think you will see this a lot....Taylor just adores Abbi!!

And again this is one of the sweetest shots of Taylor helping her chicken little sister...but I LOVE it

And boy am I ever proud of Taylor.  She has really taken to the water this year.  She holds her breath and actually swims under the water and has gotten rather brave with it.  She gets a little deep sometimes and scares me cause I'm afraid she can't stand up and will panic and forget how to keep her head above water.  Good thing swimming lessons are coming up!!!  Anyways, she takes to all of these slides like they are no big deal and I am sooooo glad.

This one is really cute to me.  It is a VERY SLOW slide and yet Tori holds her hands up each time as if she were on a roller coaster!!!!  Gotta love it

There we go with those faces again!!

My Ultimate Favorite Place

Somewhere warm and sunny....close to the water....with my....

 

toes in the sand!!

Ship-Wrecked!!

A few weeks back a lady at the office had tickets to Shipwreck for only $12 each.  It has been well over 15 years since I had been, but I could not pass up that price.  So I grabbed a few of them up and we headed out there the Saturday just before Memorial Day.  I don't quite like it as much as Big Kahunas but the girls had a blast and it was well worth $12!!!

With that beautiful smile and face...it's no wonder she gets EVERYONE hook, line & sinker

 Here she goes again with the many faces of Tori Noel???

This shot was HILARIOUS...I was desperately trying to get them to put their arms around one another so I could get a shot of them together.  Taylor was very excited to do so....too bad she had NO idea she was drowning her sister while doing it!!!

PRICELESS!!!!

Who knows why, maybe a safety blanket, but Tori LOOOOOOVED the tire swing

And this, my favorite part.  Tori has apparently found out that in some respects, she should be "afraid" of the water but that is such an opposite of her posture last year.  So doing ANYTHING in the water so far this summer requires over an hours worth of threatening her that we are going home if she doesn't quit crying, wanting me to hold her and not playing.  So since I won't hold her she has pleasantly started asking Taylor to help her with everything.  Especially catching her on the slides.  I would have to say.....it's the cutest thing!

Nana caught this shot....I sooooo wish I would have been there to see it.  Its obviously a water fountain....but as for Tori.....she wasn't real sure WHAT it was....other than she knew it was a hippopotamus!!

Oh...that tire swing again!!

Taylor and Justin in their own little world again

  

One little monkey swinging from the tree