Vacay - Part 2

Sorry to leave you guys hanging so long on 

part 2 of our mini-vacay!

When I finally get caught up on updates,

you will see why it has taken so long...

(If I ever get caught up!)

So last post, I filled you in on Day 1 of our trip.

The drive up

and then the stadium...

We ended Day 1 with a birthday dinner for R.

I wanted to go somewhere we would both enjoy,

so we decided on a hibachi place.

Unfortunately, those are hit or miss.

We found one, I went in to check it out

and did an about face as soon as I stepped in.

So on to plan B,

the problem,

we didn't have a plan B!

So 30+ min later, 

we wound up at Dave and Busters...

oh yeah!

(sarcasm!)

But the kids enjoyed it - 

it was better than Chuck E Cheese!

We stayed in a hotel not far from the stadium 

and then got up the next morning 

and headed to the water park.

For those of you not familiar with 

an indoor water park

just go to:

http://www.greatwolf.com/

It is amazing!  

Hotel,

food

& entertainment

all under one roof

and

I don't have to worry about 

sunscreen or sunburns!

Those two items alone are worth the cost!

Especially since half of us with burst into flames

with too much sun!

We got there before 10am.  

We were able to check in

since the hotel was EMPTY!

We even got a complimentary upgrade!!

We wound up staying in a 

KidKamp Suite.

We headed straight to the waterpark

cause of course we were already in our 

bathing suits!

And, as I posted a bit ago,

we had a cooler and bag full of goodies!

We did buy 2 kids meals with chicken fingers

and split that 6 ways

then had the 

apples 

and 

cheese 

and 

crackers

and

cookies

and

other stuff

we packed.

So it worked!

Since the water park was practically empty,

there was no rest for the ride-goers.

Once you got off, you climbed back up the 

105 steps to get back on again,

then you did it all over again.

Mommy only did it a few times,

I was stuck between the baby pool

and the wave pool with the littles.

Daddy, however, 

did this probably close to 50 times over the 

2 day period we were there.

What a good daddy!

We did give the boys a little more freedom 

than we EVER have,

but ONLY because the place was empty

and

they were limited to just going on the 

"tree house".

We didn't leave the waterpark til my feet

were SCREAMING at me

for keeping them submerged in water 

for almost 8 hours!

And no my feet were NOT the reason we left.

We were just flat TIRED!

We went back to the room,

showered off

and then wandered around

trying to figure out what we were

doing for dinner.

We decided to stay in the hotel

and eat at the Grill there.

Food wasn't the best

or the cheapest,

but we didn't have to leave...

so it was fine!

Then the littles and I went back to the 

room and crawled into bed.

While daddy took the two older boys

to play MagiQuest.

What is that you ask?

Addictive and a workout,

that's what it is.

It is basically an electronic scavenger hunt

through the hotel.

Ultimately culminating in fighting a dragon.

As if daddy hadn't had enough already,

he wandered around the hotel with the boys

til 11pm!

When they finally turned the game OFF!

Then they were up by 8am

(don't these kids EVER sleep???)

We were checking out of the hotel that morning,

so we ate breakfast

(that we brought with us)

Then we packed everything up,

daddy loaded the car

and me & the kids headed

BACK to the water park,

which had LESS people 

than the day before.

It was GREAT!

I didn't get a ton of pictures,

and most of the ones I did get 

are of the baby,

mainly cause I had to be within arms 

reach of our 19 mo old who

was trying to keep up with 

his brothers and sister

with nary a worry of 

DROWNING!

(that was my job)

After playing all day,

I could tell he was getting tired,

so I took him over and was drying him off 

and putting a dry diaper on him...

he was falling asleep while I was drying him off!

Poor thing!

We ventured over to watch daddy and R

come down a couple of the slides

while T was sleeping 

and get a snack...

Hi Daddy!

J hitting a slide too!

Monkey girl and show off boy!

All for them!!

Before we headed back home,

we hit MagiQuest one more time

to give the boys the opportunity to beat the dragon.

Try as they all might...

alas

they could NOT defeat the dreaded dragon!

We FINALLY loaded back up to head SOUTH

around 6:15pm.

I snapped these on the way out - mainly for Grammy

to show her how big this one was!!

It had 8 floors!

But the water park was the same size as the smaller hotels!

so this is NOT the place to go when they are busy!!

We grabbed a healthy dinner (bleh!)

and 

settled in for a long ride home.

30 minutes into our 5 1/2 hour drive,

I noticed it was awfully quiet...

And I turned around to see this!

Yep - that is a fry hanging out of her mouth!

Then there is the baby...

laughing and talking - LOUDLY!!

They all remained like this til 8:30pm.

At that time, the baby finally falls asleep

and the older 3 wake up!

What???

That was NOT a part of the plan!!

We turned a movie on

and settled in.

Then the movie went off and they all started talking!

Its 10:30 at night,

be quiet and go to sleep!!!

The other 3 finally fell back asleep about 30 min before we arrived home.

UGH!

We got home 11:15pm.

Then poor daddy woke up and made it to work the next day.

But it worked 

and 

we WILL be doing this again.

We have already started mentally planning our next trip up there!

There's A First Time For Everything...

And this weekend - my crew had a first!

We took our first solo vacation as a family of 6!!!

We have been BLESSED to live near family

and have ALWAYS vacationed 

WITH family.

This past weekend, 

we ventured out for our 

first family trip

SOLO!

Me and the hubs were the only
adults!

Whoa Nelly!

And we took the kids 

(all under age 8 - now)

to an indoor water park!

Were we nuts!?!?!?

NOPE

It was GREAT!!! 

My sweet husband and I make such a good team.

Our trip started on Sunday morning.

We loaded up the beast,

then piled in and 

hit the road for a 5 hour trip north!

According to the handy dandy navigation feature

on our phones, we were supposed to arrive in Dallas

around 3pm.

We were headed straight for the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

(yes for Mother's Day)

The kids and I had visited the stadium on our move.

(See that post here)

We finally found the opportunity to go back with Daddy.

We decided to take the kids on a little 

trip instead of doing the whole birthday party thing this year.

We were supposed to make this trip to Dallas in April, 

but life happened and we didn't get around to it until 

May,

which just happened to coincide with R's birthday weekend.

So back to the this trip...

It was a nice trip.

Daddy commented a bit into the drive,

that they were doing better than he thought they would.

We arrived at the stadium shortly after 2pm.

Daddy was in awe

and had a great smile plastered on his face

the whole time!!

Although I didn't get any close ups of that smile - 

here are a few we did manage to snap in the stadium.

The big boys all took turns kicking a PAT.

Daddy claims he actually made one, 

but I miss it.

QB Daddy is setting up a play 

and directing his wide receivers, 

R & J

R made the catch!

 Meanwhile, J is doing cartwheels down the field.

 A & T were walking the letters

in the end zone.

What a pretty football player!

The ball is almost as big as T is!!

Then daddy tried to get ONE picture of the 4 of them

in front of one of the field level boxes...

he just wanted ONE picture...

R, sit up.

T, look over here.

J, sit up.

A, look over here.

J, A & T - seriously - 

look at Daddy!

Will you guys please look at daddy!!!

Argh!

Forget it - close enough!!

Mommy & A in front of the cheerleader locker.

Look at the size of them shorts!

No way man!!

Yep - he's a star!

We asked a nice couple to take our picture in the star.

It was out of focus,

but you get the idea.

This one is in the Cowboys Locker Room.

(there's that smile on daddy!)

Then this time, they had a few sets of pads

and jerseys that people could try on.

Absolutely hilarious!!!

R resisted, mainly because we were giggling so 

much at J, but he didn't have a choice.

My Cowboys!

Even had names on the jerseys.

J had a hard time getting his off and right before I snapped,

he was walking around with it over his head

and all you could see where legs,

it was pretty stinking funny!

J and I walked up a few flights of steps

and then took this of the rest of the crew.

When we finally left we passed the Texas Rangers Stadium.

It was BEAUTIFUL!!

And is the home field of a guy I went to high school with.

Well my sisters went to high school with him

I went with his older brother.

you might have heard of him...

Josh Hamilton

(shameless plug there, I know)

That was all Day 1!

Tomorrow, Days 2 & 3.

Its hard to take pictures when you are chasing a 19 mo 

who thinks he can swim

(or atleast thinks he can keep up with his older siblings without drowning!)