Summer Vacay 2014

Last week we returned from our early summer getaway. We like to travel on vacations in May for two main reasons. Since most kids are in school, it is less crowded. And reason two is that we can usually find a much better deal. We are usually very last minute planners for trips (and everything else). But crazy enough, we booked our condo for this vacation back in November. We have never ever planned this far in advance. Jeremy and I are both the type of travelers that really enjoying going, doing and seeing. Not really lounging and relaxing. Our thought is that we can somewhat relax for free at home. But with 3 wild little boys and one that still does best with two naps per day, I knew that a low key vacation would be the only way to go. So I started researching for the best deal back in November and 3 days later we had booked a 2 bedroom condo in Gulf Shores, Alabama...the beautiful Emerald Coast. And I began my count down.
We split the drive since we were not exactly sure how well Abe would travel for 10 hours, plus extra time for meal and bathroom stops. He actually did much better than we ever thought. We spent the first night in Jackson, Mississippi and then got back on the road the next morning. We checked into our beachside condo on Friday and spent the next 4 days and 5 nights enjoying the beach and swimming pools. It poured rain on most of our drive to our destination on both days. I began to get in a sour mood and think we had chosen the worst week ever to have a beach vacation. The weather report was not looking promising. It actually looked like it was going to clear up and turn sunny the day we were scheduled to leave. I prayed on the drive that God could let all the rain out during our travels and it would be clear for us once we were there. Later I learned it had rained 21 inches in 11 hours in Gulf Shores. Which made the emerald waters not so emerald. (Apparently after that much rain, it takes about 3 weeks for the waters to return to their beautiful color. Just an interesting sciency tidbit for you.) But after all that rain, we had clear skies for our beach days which is all that I really cared about.
It truly was a perfect vacation for this season for our family. Our boys didn't care to go and do and see, like Jeremy and I love to do. Each morning they just wanted to scarf down breakfast and head to the beach and swimming pools. So that is what we did. Either Jeremy or I stayed back with Abe and he would take a morning nap. I got alot of reading in during those nap times, which was so enjoyable. I hardly make time to read these days! Though I will say, since I was reunited with my books over vacation I've been making more time for reading since returning home. I sat on our balcony during his naps and read. Or I headed to the water with my bigs while Jeremy relaxed in the condo. We always did a simple breakfast and lunch at the condo and then dinner out. Apparently Abe hates eating in restaurants, which the rest of us love. So that was rough at times. He's going to need to get on the restaurant loving train at some point, because I'm not sure we can give it up completely. We ate alot of shrimp and other seafood and it was delicious! Each night once the boys crashed, which they did so very easily since they played hard outside all day, Jeremy and I sat on the balcony with a glass of wine. Sometimes talking and laughing. And sometimes just watching the waves roll in. The ocean is amazing. I forget how amazing it is, until I see it stretched in front of me with no end in sight. I loved Gulf Shores. It was so family friendly. There were a ton of families with young kids, just like us. And everyone was so friendly. It was such a cute little beach town, nearly an island the way it is surrounded. And it definitely had that islandy, small town feel and look to it. I loved it. I would repeat the trip next year if I could talk a certain guy into it. Orange Beach was another place we ventured to for dinner on Mother's Day. Another really cute town to drive through and see. That's my vacation recap and my plug for Gulf Shores. Here are a whole lot of pictures from our fun getaway.

The van was loaded down and we are about to take off. Excuse the filled trashbag in the empty seat. It makes me feel like Tommy Boy...if anyone remembers that movie and his luggage. It was just our beach toys.

 They rummaged through our beach bag and found their new goggles during our drive. I turned around to see this.

And one boy fell asleep with them on. Up-side-down. :)

 We made it to our condo!
We headed out for dinner and then couldn't wait to take the boys out on the beach for the first time. I'm so glad we caught these expressions. Pure joy.

 I've never met anyone that loves the water as much as this guy. He's going to go to college and somehow major in H20! Holden doesn't remember his last trip to the coast. He was 15months old. :)

And it was these two boys first trip to the beach. Abe won't remember. So at least we have pictures!

 Friday was our first full day in the water.

 This baby boy really loves the water too.

 

Trying on big brother's shades.

 Holden and Pax loved the sand. Abe wasn't as sure about it.

We brought two dump trucks for the sand. They were a huge hit for both boys and the other kids that played with them.

 Holden wanted to be burried. He also made quite a few sand angels. I think he had read about that in a book. It was all his idea.

My beach loving family.

 Dinner out.

 Often times, breakfast and lunch were eaten on the balcony.

 

Apparently, monkey had to take in the view as well. Seriously, I have to believe that this was Holden's dream vacation. It was so simple. Each day was easy and simple and fun. And this boy...he was in heaven. He took it all in and loved every moment. It was a joy to see.

 This was Mother's Day. We pulled up to the restaurant of my choosing to find this in the backseat. I should have known dinner would turn out poorly.

 But they perked up for us when we mentioned food. And the big boys did great. But little Abe. Stinker little Abe that has to hate restaurants! Jeremy had the majority of his meal boxed to go and paced the patio area with Abe, while the big boys and I enjoyed dinner. It was an amazing restaurant in Orange Beach called Cosmos that we will definitely return to if we are ever back in the area. So amazing that Jeremy had to speak with a manager to brag on the food and our amazing and attentive waiter.

 A sweet gift from all my boys. Jeremy picked it out on Etsy all by himself.

Those silly goggles were glued to Holden's face often.

Also a fun and very casual little restaurant called Lulu's. They basically bring the beach to you. The kids can play in the sandy and water features. It was the perfect family place. And of course the boys loved that they could play while waiting on their food to come.

 

I know he has his paci in his mouth alot. Don't judge. :)

After this meal, we walked around to see all the boats. And each of us decided what we would want to name our own boats, if we had one. Apparently, Jeremy would have one called "Melodie of the Seas". Someone please hold him to that.
On our last full day at Gulf Shores we went on a dolphin cruise recommended by my sister. It was really the only "extra" of our trip. Everything else revolved around our backyard beach, our condo and the pools...well, and a few dinners out. So the dolphin tour was just something different we threw into the mix.

 Pre-boarding

 On the lookout for dolphins.

 I didn't get the greatest pictures since they move in and out of the waters so quickly. But we did get to see several dolphins.

This boy was a royal mess most of the 2 hours on the boat. Granted he was missing a nap and he was exhausted. But my goodness, it wore us out! At one point he chunked his paci into the ocean. And if you can't tell, he can't live life without his paci! Luckily mommy had a backup. We always have a backup!

 And we had a sweet and gracious captain that let the fussy baby drive the boat. So they had him content for about 3 minutes.

 And then the other 10 children all got to take a turn driving the boat. :)

It was a fun little tour. I'm glad we took the boys, despite the baby that could not have cared less about being on a boat and seeing dolphins swim right beside us! :)

Just the views from our balcony.

 Zero entry kids pool.

And regular deeper pool.

And then the very sad day that we had to leave. Vacation was over and it was time to pack up and drive home. I was sad. I was not ready for it to end. It had been such a relaxing and fun week with my very favorite people. We made the trip home in one day instead of two. The boys did great. And now, just as I write about it and remember, I want to go back!

Holden's 6th B-Day Celebration!

Holden turned 6 on Thursday, May 1st. I've written a 6 year post below and have it linked by clicking here. He goes to Mother's Day Out on Thursdays so he was excited to spend part of his birthday with those friends. The morning of his birthday we took him to the backyard to see his big gift. Jeremy had assembled our new trampoline in the dark after church on Wednesday night once the boys were all in bed. We wanted it to be a surprise. Holden had not even thought to ask for a trampoline but we knew that he would love it. And we figured it would provide hours of entertainment outdoors. We could not have been more right on that assumption! Holden seemed happy when he saw the trampoline, but not over the top excited, which is what we expected. It wasn't until much later in the afternoon that I realized in conversation that Holden thought this trampoline was just here for the day. He thought we had rented it in the same way that we rented a blow up water slide for Pax's birthday party. Ha. So when I explained that the trampoline was a gift and staying "forever", I finally saw a huge smile and the excitement as he bounced around on it. A few days later Jeremy had more time to put up the safety net. So now trampoline jumping is as safe as possible over at our house.

For breakfast he had healthy chocolate cake made from eggs, coco powder, chickpeas, sugar and a few other ingredients. He thought this was a huge treat. I knew that it was quite a bit more healthy than your average breakfast cereal or muffin. :)

 

For school he took that same chocolate cake in the form of cupcakes with peanut butter icing and decorated with Ninja Turtle rings. Fancy fancy! ;)

After school we went to Nana and Papa J's house so they could give them their gift. Ninja Turtle roller skates! Everything was turtle themed this year.

Once we were back home and Jeremy was home from work, we took Holden to his restaurant of choice for dinner. He loves Chili's because of the bottomless tortilla chips. I thought (and secretly hoped) he would pick Chili's. But he didn't. He chose McDonald's. We never go to McDonald's. I hate McDonald's. Except for their Fruit and Yogurt Parfait...well now, I could eat that every single day! So off to McDonald's we went in honor of the birthday boy.

Then it was back home for more presents from us and icecream. It was a fun family celebration. I was not kidding when I said that everything he received was Ninja Turtle, except for the trampoline and one summer outfit from us. Even some good friends, his aunt and my parents all chose Ninja Turtle themed gifts. Apparently, his interests are evident to everyone. :)

 

 

 

 

 

Now, as far as a friend celebration...After our first handful of birthday parties at our house, Jeremy and I decided we would end that little tradition at age 5. Unfortunately, Holden got sick and we had to completely cancel his 5th birthday party last year. But he never talks about it or even thinks about it much. He got over it pretty quickly. Family is really all you care about when you are 5. But this year we stuck with our plan to not do a full party. We told him that he could choose one friend to spend a few hours with us on Saturday and do whatever activity he wanted. We gave him several options to choose from. He chose Jaxson from his class at church and I was so happy that Jaxson's parents agreed to let him come along with our family. Holden chose miniature golf and go carts for his activity. Then he chose pizza for dinner. We ended the evening with frozen yogurt before returning Jaxson to his house. Here a few pictures of more of Holden's birthday fun.

 

 

 

At the end of the evening, Jaxson didn't want to go home and Holden didn't want us to take him home. Jaxson gifted Holden some Batman pj's and he wore them that same night.

 

I think we've found our new birthday tradition.

Ripe Old Age of 6!

I can't believe we have a six year old! Five was a good year for our firstborn. It was a year of maturity and growth for Holden. Self control and gentleness are two things that God has really begun developing in Holden this past year. We can not practice or earn Fruits of the Spirit. Only God can graciously develop those things in our lives as we learn to follow and love Him. And Jeremy and I can see the work of the Lord in Holden's development. I feel like God has been whispering in my ear for over a year now about the wonderful things in store for Holden. I pray that I'm hearing right and not dreaming my own obvious desires. But sometimes I have a vision of the great man that he is growing to become. God calms my heart. This sinful heart that tends to worry about things like teenage rebellion, his battle to control and my own failures to show him a clear picture of the perfect love of Jesus. I can't show him perfection. So I pray I'm doing well at explaining and showing grace and forgiveness. And I cling tightly to this vision of handsome (so so handsome!) grown up Holden that loves Jesus and loves to serve Him.

Holden has a strong and passionate personality. His passion can be contagious. It shows up in the wide-eyed, entertaining and dramatic stories he retells. He's 100% into something or has no interest at all. He's just not really mediocre about much. Holden is an extrovert. I can be pretty shy. So I love to watch the way he never meets a stranger. It is incredibly easy for him to make friends, as we saw this daily on our family vacation last week. He really does seek out new friends everywhere he goes. He thoroughly enjoys being around others. This past year we have seen such a soft and gentle side to Holden. This side of him was revealed when Abe joined our family. He adores his baby brother. He loves to squish down his afro, tickle him, hold him, play with him and make him laugh. He is a great and sweet big brother to Abe. Holden's best playmate is naturally Pax. They can battle it out at times, like most siblings, but more often than not they are the best buddies. Holden idolizes his daddy. Jeremy has hung the moon and no one can convince him of a different story. He wants to be just like his daddy. They have similar personalities and quirks and their relationship is a sweet one that i get to witness on a daily basis.

I started our school year a little concerned that homeschooling would be a challenge for our relationship. There would just be more opportunity for conflict. But it has been a great year for us. It has made us feel like a team and our relationship has only gotten closer. Holden is a natural athlete. He has become a fantastic soccer player. He is a speedy little runner and has great control of the ball. So that makes for a great combo. He enjoys playing sports, especially those that involve lots of running. He is looking forward to playing basketball this summer. His height and long legs sure don't hinder his abilities. At age 6 he is 50 inches tall (97%)  and weighs 51 pounds (77%). We had to move him into size 8 jeans and pants this past winter a few months before he turned 6. He is long and lean!

Holden loves playing in the water, swimming, riding bikes, swinging, jumping on the trampoline, running and doing anything outside. He still loves to be read to. And now he is a great reader himself. He is reading everything these days. He loves to play video games, which are a huge treat at our house and are very limited. I'm half shocked that Holden is still hooked on playing with cars, trucks, construction vehicles and trains. He loves to roll matchbox cars and set up roads and obstacles for them to go over. It is never unusual for him to have a matchbox car in each hand. Two other newer interests this year have been monster trucks and Ninja Turtles. He loves Donatello best since he's missing teeth just like Holden. Speaking of teeth, he's lost 6 so far and another one is currently lose. It's just another sign to me that he is growing up incredibly fast and there is nothing I can do to stop it or even slow it down. So I'm chooeing to embrace these fun and new stages that we get to experience first with Holden. He is such a blessing to our family! Our first miracle.

six.

How is it even possible? This boy turned six today. My firstborn has become such a big boy and the number 6 means there is no denying that fact any longer. We've had a blast celebrating him today. Post to come on our fun celebrations. And a full book to come about who Holden is at the fabulous age of six! 6!! I still can't believe it.