Some Fall Activities

We have been busy the last few months doing some fun things.

First, we went to free day at the zoo. We had great weather and the kids, especially Bella, had a GREAT time looking at all the different animals.

 

Bella was so funny. She was just getting better at walking so she would walk over to the animal display cases and would scream if any other kid was in her way and then if they didn't move she would push and shove them until they did get our of her way. I don't think I need to worry about her getting pushed around, she can already handle her own at 14 months old!!!!

Ethan is such a great help with Bella. He watches over her, helps her, and plays with her. Plus, Bella thinks Ethan is pretty cool too.

We were waiting for the seal demonstration.

Playing and taking some pictures. Ciara is always posing in her pictures now.

I can't believe how big my kids are getting. Ethan lost two more teeth. Ethan lost his first top front tooth, and I thought he looked just like a jack-o-lantern, then the very next night he lost the other top tooth. So now he has a HUGE space in his mouth. Luckily, his teeth are already growing back in.

Bella is officially a walker. She walks EVERYWHERE! She also LOVES to run away from me into the street, while I am checking out in Wal-Mart, down the aisles at church. Yes, she thinks she is so big and so funny! Mommy doesn't think it is so much fun! But I can't believe that I no longer have a baby anymore!

Fayth invited Ciara to have a manicure and pedicure for her birthday. Ciara had so much fun going to the kid salon and picking out her nail polish, stickers, and getting her nails done. When they were done she even got glitter sprayed into her hair.

Getting a leg and foot massage, lucky girl!

Too cute!

Time for the nails.

I just love having a girlie girl!

Birthday Filled Weekend

Ciara turned 5 years old!

And we celebrated all weekend long!

First Ciara had a Little Mermaid party and the Rec Center pool. She invited a few friends and we had a lot of fun.

First, we decorated bags and colored mermaids.

Then the girls rotated through centers where they made bracelets, made mermaids, made water globes, and went fishing.

Then we had cupcakes and ice cream cones.

Then it was time to open presents. She got so many fun gifts. She got lots of Barbies, hair stuff, and princess things.

We wrapped up the party by going swimming. Ciara had lots of fun with her friends.

Then on Monday we took Ciara to the Texas Road House for her birthday dinner.

They brought her a sundae and sang to her.

Tuesday was her birthday. She woke up to a decorated house, a few presents, and some cards.

Ethan woke up and made this letter for Ciara. Instead of watching cartoons he spent the morning working on it all by himself.

Then we had a 5 yr old photo shoot.

Bella and I took her to lunch and then to pick out some cupcakes for her to take to preschool.

Her preschool birthday crown.

Ethan and Seth had flag football practice that night but after we took the kids to Chik-fil-a and she opened some more presents.

Happy 5th Birthday, Sweet Ciara!

Bahamas!

Seth and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary this summer and so to celebrate we went on a cruise to the Bahamas! And it was so much fun!!

This was a big trip for me. I have never left my children for more than one night and never did anything like this before. My awesome parents watched all three of our kids the whole time we were gone. I know how much work they are with school, sports, activities and everything. I am thankful that they were willing to watch them and I could not have left my children with anyone else!

The week leading up to our trip was hard on me. As I was planning and preparing I just didn't know how I was ever going to leave my kids especially Bella but when Sunday came around and my parents got to our house I was okay with everything. And knew that everything was going to be great and it was.

We flew down to Miami on Sunday and stayed in a hotel right by the port. That morning we went to Bayside Mall had breakfast, looked through the shops, and got Ethan basketball gear at the Stadium where the Miami Heat play . Then it was time to get on the ship!!!

 We ate breakfast at an outdoor restaurant at the mall and this was our view.

This was a cool tree we saw as we were walking around Bayside.

This was our ship that we sailed on.

This is as we set sail away from Miami. I didn't take my nice camera so my pictures aren't as good.

Our first port was at Nassau, Bahamas. We first got off and walked around the shops and vendors. I bought a few things to bring home to the kids.

Then our fun activity for this day was to go snorkeling. Some locals took us on a boat to a reef and then when we had on all our snorkel gear then got in and they threw food in the water. Then hundreds of fish would swim around you. It was pretty cool. We spent an hour out there just watching all the fish. We even saw a lion fish, a sting ray, and some kind of eel looking thing.

Not a great picture but this was taken when we were all done heading back to our ship.

That night was formal night. So we got all dressed up and headed to dinner. That is Nassau in the background.

This was while we were eating. It was so nice to eat dinner together, have someone wait on us,  eat whatever we wanted , and look out at the ocean. I am kind of missing that these days!!!!

Since we took the trip to celebrate our anniversary that night we came back to our room and found this. How cute!

The next day our port was at Cocay, Bahamas. This is us waiting on the boat to take us to the island,

and our view from our waiting spot.

As we approached the island it was sprinkling. We decided to have fun anyway. We decided to play at the water park they had. As soon as we got in we noticed there were so many jelly fish. A lot of jelly fish, they even decided to close the park there were so many. Seth got stung twice. As we got out of the water it started pouring. Pouring to the point that the sand was saturated and little rivers were flowing through the sand. So we headed back to the ship where we ran on the treadmill, had lunch, and then I had my very first spa treatment. It was GREAT! I had a Swedish massage, a facial, a scalp massage, and a foot massage. That sounds like my kind of day!

That night we got dressed up again for dinner and then went to a couple of the shows that they had going on.

Our last port was at Key West, Florida. We decided to go para sailing that day. It was so much FUN! It really was amazing.

Getting ready to go up

Being strapped on and given instructions

Going up

and up. We went much higher than this. It was so neat to see miles and miles of water.

Getting unhooked

SO MUCH FUN!

Riding back to the cruise ship.

After para sailing we decided to head out and look at Key West. We went to a few shops and then we walked down to the southern most point in the US.

On Friday our cruise was over. It was sad to leave room service, being waited on, and having everything provided for you. Laren and Lindsey drove all the way down to see us. They picked us up from the cruise ship and took us to the beach at Hollywood, Fl. It was so nice to see them and the beach was awesome.

We walked down the boardwalk, swam in the ocean, and then found a little restaurant and ate shrimp and crab legs. After we got some ice cream Laren and Lindsey took us to the airport and we headed back to Denver.

It was so great to see my kids again, and be their mom again. I missed them but Seth and I had so much fun spending time together and doing things we have never done before.

A HUGE thank you to my parents for taking care of my babies all week. I didn't even worry once becasue I knew that my kids were being well taken care of and having so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa.