Vacation

Wow, it's been awhile since I last updated my blog.  I've been busy with starting my own cupcake business among other things that just keep life, well, busy.  I was also busy with Ross' family on spring break at Orange Beach, AL!!!!!  That's right, we went away for spring break!  We have never (Ross and I and our kids) gone away for spring break and I have never gone to the ocean for a vacation.  My family always camped and went fishing and things of that nature.  When I met Ross, I found out he HATES sand and anything to do with water, so that nixed a honeymoon by the ocean.  But that was fine because I love outdoorsy nature stuff and I have a hard time sitting still.  So anyways, ORANGE BEACH!!!!!!!!  We decided to leave a few days earlier and go to the land of the Ozarks, in Missouri, since we don't know if we'll ever do anything like this again.  We are huge fans of Laura Ingalls books, and decided we wanted to visit where she lived and since this one was only a couple hours out of the way, we decided to go here.  We rented a small (more like tiny) cabin for a night (that turned into 2 nights).  Did I forget to mention that Clay caught a nasty stomach bug a few days before vacation?  And that Luke and I had it before we left and Leanne started puking the night we were supposed to leave on vacation?  Oh, and Reed puked that night too?  Whoops, well that's what happened.  We were debating on whether to stay home or not, but decided we were going to go.  As Leanne said, "I'm not sick, I only puked twice."  That poor girl was sick the entire drive and into the next day at the cabin.  We decided to stay there an extra night because of the the sickies.  Oh, and Alli finally caught it right when Leanne started to feel better.  Leanne is the one in our family who loves the Little House Books, so thankfully, she was well enough to go see where Laura lived out her final years of her life and where Laura wrote her books.

Luke and I at Laura

Ingalls Wilder's house.  

Photography credit goes

to Clay.  Ross stayed back 

with the sickies.

Laura Ingalls Wilders home

Rose, Laura's daughter, bought this house

for her parents.  It had top of the line

stove and fridge, it was all very modern for

that day in age.  Laura and Almanzo lived here

for awhile, and then moved back to the white

 house because they liked it better there.

We left the land of the Ozarks and headed to Alabama.  Poor Alli still wasn't feeling well.  She got pretty dehydrated, to the point if we were at home, I would have taken her in for IV fluids. After hours of driving (12-13 hours), we made it to Alabama.  We were all pretty tired, and as for Alli, she got some Gatorade in her and we woke her up through the night to force her to drink.  After that she started to perk up and finally made a turn for the better.  

The place where we stayed.  Our family

had the lower level.  The second

level is the main level with the big

kitchen and large area to relax as 

an entire family.  

Lynelle (her hubby was unable to get

 off work to come), Ross' sister

and her to girls stayed on that level.  The

Top level was mainly sleeping

area.  Brandon, Ross' brother, and his

wife, Leah, and their kids stayed up there,

along with Ross' parents, and Chad, Ross'

brother, and his wife, Anna, and their

baby, Thomas.  

Our daily view!!!! Nothing like waking up and looking

out the window and seeing this.  It was AMAZING!!

Sunday was Easter and we listened to an online sermon and had a nice big brunch.  We pretty much stayed low key to remember the Lord's day (and it felt good after so much driving and sickness).

Monday the kids could not wait to get into the pool, so we let them swim and play in the sand and gather shells.  Anna's (Chad's wife, so sister in law) family was staying next door to us and her dad went charter boat fishing that morning.  When they came in, we went down there to see them gut the fish and visit the docks.  After watching them clean the fish, we went for a walk down the docks to see pelicans.  One guy had his fish (5-6 nice sized fish) laying out on the docks and he was taking pics of them.  He turned his back and started to talk to some people by the cleaning table.  Those pesky pelicans walked right up to the fish and grabbed one.  He almost had it in his neck area (or whatever you call that thing).  We were yelling several times,  "hey, they've got your fish!!" before he finally noticed what was going on. Good thing it slipped out of the pelican's mouth.  They did have it quit a bit a ways from the group of the other fish.  I almost felt bad for the pelican, almost.  We also went on a bit of a nature walk.

Watching a fish getting gutted.

Family picture on the docks (this

is right before the pelicans tried to get the

fish.  Leanne was in stitches laughing

so hard!)

Pelicans waiting and watching

The recovered fish from the pelican

The kids had fun digging this big hole.

Looking for gators on our nature

walk, no gators seen.

Tuesday we went to the National Naval Aviation Museum.  That was really neat.  They had a lot of different airplanes from different wars in the museum.  We also got to see the Blue Angels practice.  That was the highlight of the day.

Majority of the kids.  Look

at Clay being a goof at the

top of the chain

Inside the museum

We didn't get a good picture of the Blue Angels practicing because they were so fast, but it was AMAZING!!!!!

Wednesday we planned on playing it low key, but last minute we decided to go to Alligator Alley.  It's a place that takes alligators who are considered pests.  Like alligators that come too close to houses, or eats people pets......   

 

 Kids at the alley.  It was hot and they were tired.

Clay and Alli

Luke and Reed (not sure who is who here).  

Lee and one of the twins

Ross and I

Thursday we went to the U.S.S. Drum and the U.S.S. Alabama.  My kids love going through ships, so we couldn't pass this opportunity up.

Alli, Brooklyn (cousin), Reed,

Clay, Luke, and Leanne

Time for a nap!

Maybe if we all try together it will budge.

And Grandpa came too!!

Thursday night sleepover.  Haley (asleep), Alli, Leanne,

and Brooklyn.  Lots of giggles coming from that room!

Friday we just laid low key.  We spent time down by the ocean, swimming in the pool, relaxing and packing.  We were all enjoying our last day of vacation.

Enjoying the last time stepping in the

ocean.

My little guys

We woke up at 1:30 AM and got on the road 2ish.  We drove it straight through to home with minor backups (which is why we left so early).  My kids are really good riders, the twins cried for maybe 5 minutes during the trip and the older ones fought very little.  I am proud of their riding skills.

So sad to leave.  Goodbye Orange

Beach!

We had a wonderful vacation with Ross' family.  So thankful for the time spent together with nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, and mom and dad.