And so it begins...

First evening on the beach with fambly...so full of possibilities...

Roadside

Bushia asked us to stop for tomatoes and peaches at a roadside stand.
After many failed attempts, we found this great organic farmer! The
kids had boiled peanuts and we got our produce! Even though Aunt Sara
was coming from a different direction she passed us when we were
standing there!! Let the good times roll....

Test

Vacation Day 1

7 hours and 40 minutes from driveway to hotel in Birmingham. Stops at McD, gas, and subway! 5 movies watched and snacks consumed. VERY happy to have hours to swim in the pool, read books and drink complimentary cocktails! The pool is an indoor-outdoor pool, so the 2 rugrats have already swam under the "wall" a dozen times! Chris is on his way to Autozone to get a fuze, only "bump" in the trip so far.  Lots of good choices for dinner tonight!

Kristen's plane ride here with Bushia will only be 1 hour!! She ran into her fifth grade teacher AND Kate's fifth grade teacher at the airport!! But KJ will be sleeping at the ocean tonight!

Vacation toes part 2

Vacation Toes

Yes that is a sunset, palm tree and a dolphin! Vacationt oes are ready
for the beach!

Pedicures at the beauty school

Somehow this has become an annual tradition before vacation! The girls
are sooo happy!

Lake Kinkaid

Sunday we spent the day on Lake Kinkaid. William got up on the knee
board and Kristen got up on the skis!!! Both jumped off the rope swing
and jumped of @55 foot cliff!! Incredible!!

Live on the levee

Saturday night we went downtown under the arch to listen to Little
Feat" and watch fireworks! Cheese fries, funnel cakes and glow sticks
later, a great time was had by all. Beautiful night!

Classic log flume

Batman ride

Wil's first (and maybe last).!

Six Flags

Can you say 12 hours of FUN!?!? With free tickets and cool weather,
who could ask for a better Friday!!

Started with 4 hours in the waterpark, rode every single water ride
and most twice, no lines...late lunch in the car, dry clothes, then on
to the rides!! Wil is exactly 55 inches with shoes so of course we go
straight to the batman! He was scared and loved it, but he's never
riding it again he says until he's at least 30!! LOL!

We rode every ride we saw and actually talked Kate and Wil on to the
Superman, which was truely the scariest ride I have been on. All of us
agreed!

Kristen and I rode all the roller coasters, most twice. Our favorite
was the Evil Kenvil!!!

Kate and Wil rode all the water rides (3 times in a row) and were
soaked! We had a turkey leg ( cause it's six flags ;) and watched the
"glow in the dark parade."(new on weekends) pretty awesome stuff!! KJ
rode mr freeze and excalibur by herself ( she is an adrenaline junkie)!

Ended our night on the mine train in the dark! Six Flags rules St.
Louis fun!

New record

That's Kristen pointing to her new personal best in the IM... She beat
her best time by TWO full seconds and took FIRST place against
Ballwin! Absolutely amazing race! She won it during her breaststroke
and held on during her free style, better than any swim race anywhere!
We could not have had a better ending to the swimming season!!!

The clean painted basement

KJ painting "the room"

Bushia's basement

I spent three days cleaning out and painting Bushia's basement with
Aunt Sara. The kids came over one day and helped demo and do some
painting! Dad put in a new ceiling fan, fixed the handrails for the
basement and fixed the broken gutter. I'm exhausted!

Fourth of July, 09

Ok here are the pictures from Bushia's workday, the multi-themed party and the fourth, morning to night!
http://www2.snapfish.com/fbshareredirect/p=7981247077442955/l=2788491007/g=56631233/redirectURL=share/otsi=SALBBL/AlbumID=1314306007/a=56631233_56631233/usercomments=I_xqd%20like%20to%20share%20my%20Snapfish%20photos%20with%20you.%20Once%20you%20have%20checked%20out%20my%20photos%20you%20can%20order%20prints%20and%20upload%20your%20own%20photos%20to%20share./counttext=307%20photos/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

Swim meet

Yes that is Wil in his sister's pink swim cap. He took first in the
free style. KJ took 2 full seconds off her IM swim time! Wow! Ten more
events to go and four more hours! Kate is here watching, feeling ok
but vey sad to not be swimming! Rest of the times later.

The only good thing about Kate's surgery is that we have done nothing
for a week but hang out, play on the computer and watch bad tv.
Michael Jackson died this week and we watched the funeral coverage, ok
mostly mom, but I also went to a friend's father funeral this week.
What I took away from both of those sad events was no matter what
trials and tribulations come your way, NEVER forget to count your
blessings...

Also the Selters moved to Pheonix this week. Our family is really sad,
really sad, but blessed...

Size 7 foot!

He went from a size 5 to a 7 this summer! Just great...

Happy 4 th of July

On the couch

2 am

And she's wide awake :-). She is my night owl.

Post Op

OUCH!!!! Kate is doing surprisingly well!! The doctor was running four
hours behind so she actually went into surgery after the outpatient
floor was closed. So they assigned us to a regular room with the hope
of going home three hours later, but we are just staying the night.
She has had ice chips and has gone to the bathroom so should be ok to
go in the morning. Kristen, Wil and Marissa just left from a short
visit. Everyone was crying...but left happy. It's never any fun to see
anyone you love in the hospital.

She is due for pain medicine at midnight and is doing great. She
can't sleep (for now) but is resting quietly. The iv is really
bothering her, but hopefully the next dose of meds will help her sleep.

I on the other hand will not sleep :-)
More updates later I am sure!!

Recovery room

Patient Kate

Patient because she is getting her tonsils out this afternoon and
patient because the doctor is running way behind!

BB gun

Target practice this morning while his sister's are asleep!