My family beat me home Monday...they had just gotten home when I arrived from work. It was so good to see them! I swear, the girls each grew four inches while they were gone! A got a beautiful new haircut/highlights by one of her aunts, and B got an adorable haircut by another aunt (talented people!). A has an amazing tan, and B has a few new freckles but, thankfully, no sunburn! It's interesting having one daughter who tans and another daughter who burns badly. We fight to get sunscreen on A, and can't seem to find strong enough sunscreen for B! We have three different sets of sunscreen in our house -- some for A, some for B, and some for DH and myself.
I can't believe how wonderful it feels to have my family home again. The house is filled with life (and bickering...lovely sibling rivalry) and activity and things feel normal and whole again. It's a good feeling. I think I understand a bit more how important the gospel principle of eternal families is. After spending a month without my family, I realize now, more than ever, that to me the true definition of "hell" (pardon my language) would be to spend eternity separated from my husband and daughters, not having the family bond and relationships that we have now. The thought is truly miserable. I was talking with a friend at work about this. Her fiance's church teaches that after this life, marital and family relationships cease to exist and even though you will know your wife/husband/children in Heaven, you will not have those same relationships with them. She doesn't like that idea. I don't either. We talked about it and I had the opportunity to share a bit about our beliefs on that subject with her. It truly reaffirmed my testimony of the eternal nature of temple covenants and eternal families and the importance of living up to my covenants so that I can have an eternal family.
In other news...A had conditioning workouts with the high school softball team this week. She didn't play as well as she wanted to but she's feeling more comfortable and getting better. B had her first Academy level soccer practice today and came home exhausted (and a bit pink...fortunately that was from heat and exertion and not sunburn). DH was impressed with her coach and the trainer and the skill work they did. I think this will be a great season with lots of learning and improvement for her.
We finished up the back-to-school shopping yesterday...I love shopping for school supplies. I don't know why -- I have some kind of weird love affair with school/offices supplies. LOL I love the cute notebooks, colored paper clips, packages of pens and pencils, etc. Love it. We're now ready for school with new clothes, new shoes, and new school supplies. The beginning of the school year is always a fresh start and we are very, very hopeful that this will be a good year for both girls.
Today we also bought a new computer. Our laptop is several years old and is getting to be incredibly slow...not to mention the fact that sometimes it just shuts down in the middle of whatever I happen to be working on. That's so annoying. So we put part of our economic stimulus check to good use and bought a new computer (computer, monitor, and printer bundle). We haven't set it up yet but we're excited to get it up and running.
One more week of summer vacation for the girls, and then school starts. The summer has flown by...much too quickly. It's time to get back to our crazy routines.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Has it really been that long?
Yes, I guess it has. Wow -- I'm sorry! Not that there are many of you out there reading...but one of my friends commented a couple of weeks ago that she wished I would update my blog and I hadn't even realized how long it had been.
My excuse? Well, I don't have a good one. Things have been busy, but when are they not?
Here where we live, school starts again in just a couple of weeks. Really -- it starts at the beginning of August (much too early). So after next week, DH goes back to work to prepare for a new school year, A has softball tryouts, and B starts soccer camp and practice. We'll gear up for our annual "I-hate-August-and-September" schedule...because August and September are always, always, always the busiest months of the year for us. *Sigh*
In other news, B was asked to try out for Academy Soccer (a level above rec league) and she made it. She was really excited! Of course this means a bit more travel since she'll have tournaments and games that aren't always in our city, but we'll see how it goes. A is excited about softball tryouts...she'll make the team, no doubt...but she's still nervous about it. Keep your fingers crossed for her!
DH and the girls have been in Utah visiting his family for the last month. Yes, you read that right. The last month. I have been on my own for the last month. Well, not entirely on my own since my parents and my sister and her family live just around the block and have helped keep me occupied and from getting too lonely. But it's been a difficult month.
For one thing, I have never, ever in my entire life been alone for this long. OK, I haven't been entirely alone because I've had the two dogs to keep my company (yeah, two...I got a puppy for Mother's Day. Note to self: don't get a puppy right before your family leaves you for a month...). Up until now, I had only ever stayed in our own home by myself once overnight. LOL I've never lived alone in my entire adult life. So this has been an experience. Up until now, I always felt very nervous and anxious if I was alone at home for any amount of time, even a few hours. While my family has been gone, I've had to be home alone a lot, mostly because I had to be here to take care of the puppy in the evenings. I found that I actually felt better, felt more at peace and more calm, at home than anywhere else. It's been interesting.
That isn't to say that I enjoy being alone. No. No way. Not at all. Not one little bit. But I've learned that I can do it. I can actually fall asleep on my own -- that's pretty big because usually when DH is gone overnight I have a terrible time sleeping. I can even kill bugs -- of course, that's only out of sheer desperation when my dad, brother in law, or neighbor aren't home to come help me, and only if said bugs aren't big spiders. I even had to have my home teacher and his sons come over and clean off my back patio because of a spider problem (I owe them some cookies for that...). But I have killed a few bugs while they've been gone.
So I've learned that I can do hard things. Things I thought I would never be able to do. But I've also learned that I was not meant to be alone. That I'm not good at being alone. I have been moody, sad, mopey, miserable, etc. My friends at work are very glad, I'm sure, that my family will be home tomorrow. LOL For much of the time my family has been gone, I have felt like part of me was missing, like I was incomplete. I felt like I had lost my compass. I don't like that feeling. I need them here.
Oh, I also got a new calling -- Young Women President in our ward. That has kept me busy. Last night I went to the youth dance and had a lot of fun talking to and spending time with some of the youth. That has kept me busy.
But they're not a substitute for my family. I'm so glad my family is coming home tomorrow!
My excuse? Well, I don't have a good one. Things have been busy, but when are they not?
Here where we live, school starts again in just a couple of weeks. Really -- it starts at the beginning of August (much too early). So after next week, DH goes back to work to prepare for a new school year, A has softball tryouts, and B starts soccer camp and practice. We'll gear up for our annual "I-hate-August-and-September" schedule...because August and September are always, always, always the busiest months of the year for us. *Sigh*
In other news, B was asked to try out for Academy Soccer (a level above rec league) and she made it. She was really excited! Of course this means a bit more travel since she'll have tournaments and games that aren't always in our city, but we'll see how it goes. A is excited about softball tryouts...she'll make the team, no doubt...but she's still nervous about it. Keep your fingers crossed for her!
DH and the girls have been in Utah visiting his family for the last month. Yes, you read that right. The last month. I have been on my own for the last month. Well, not entirely on my own since my parents and my sister and her family live just around the block and have helped keep me occupied and from getting too lonely. But it's been a difficult month.
For one thing, I have never, ever in my entire life been alone for this long. OK, I haven't been entirely alone because I've had the two dogs to keep my company (yeah, two...I got a puppy for Mother's Day. Note to self: don't get a puppy right before your family leaves you for a month...). Up until now, I had only ever stayed in our own home by myself once overnight. LOL I've never lived alone in my entire adult life. So this has been an experience. Up until now, I always felt very nervous and anxious if I was alone at home for any amount of time, even a few hours. While my family has been gone, I've had to be home alone a lot, mostly because I had to be here to take care of the puppy in the evenings. I found that I actually felt better, felt more at peace and more calm, at home than anywhere else. It's been interesting.
That isn't to say that I enjoy being alone. No. No way. Not at all. Not one little bit. But I've learned that I can do it. I can actually fall asleep on my own -- that's pretty big because usually when DH is gone overnight I have a terrible time sleeping. I can even kill bugs -- of course, that's only out of sheer desperation when my dad, brother in law, or neighbor aren't home to come help me, and only if said bugs aren't big spiders. I even had to have my home teacher and his sons come over and clean off my back patio because of a spider problem (I owe them some cookies for that...). But I have killed a few bugs while they've been gone.
So I've learned that I can do hard things. Things I thought I would never be able to do. But I've also learned that I was not meant to be alone. That I'm not good at being alone. I have been moody, sad, mopey, miserable, etc. My friends at work are very glad, I'm sure, that my family will be home tomorrow. LOL For much of the time my family has been gone, I have felt like part of me was missing, like I was incomplete. I felt like I had lost my compass. I don't like that feeling. I need them here.
Oh, I also got a new calling -- Young Women President in our ward. That has kept me busy. Last night I went to the youth dance and had a lot of fun talking to and spending time with some of the youth. That has kept me busy.
But they're not a substitute for my family. I'm so glad my family is coming home tomorrow!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Summertime...
Summer is officially here. School is out and the temperature and humidity are both up. But the official sign the summer is here -- when I left for work this morning, both girls were still asleep! (Granted, it was 7:30 a.m. and they were both up really, really late last night). It's so hard to get up and go to work when everyone else in the house is asleep!
The end of another school year. It's hard to believe that A will be starting high school year this year. Wow! The last few weeks brought some exciting things for the girls....
A received more awards at her school awards ceremony than any other student in her grade. She received the citizenship award for her homeroom, straight A honor roll for the entire year, Science Fair (1st Place), Highest GPA in Honors Math, Academic Team, Writing Award, Principals Academic Award, and she was in a 3-way tie for Highest GPA in the Honors Program (she got a $100 savings bond for that one). A was also voted Most Talented Female for the eighth grade superlatives. It was a nice awards ceremony and she has had a really successful three years of middle school. A will be at girls' camp for church this week, and then the next week is softball playoffs.
B also received more awards at her school awards ceremony than any other student in her grade. She got the Girls' PE award for her grade, straight A honor roll, student council award, National Physical Fitness Award, Most Accelerated Reader Points in her grade, and third most Accelerated Reader Points in the school. She also got another award but I can't remember what it was....In addition to all of that, B was invited to try out for Academy Soccer (higher level than rec league and you have to try out and be accepted), and she was accepted. Yea! And if all of that wasn't enough, she also had her gymnastics and dance recitals last week and did a fabulous job with those. Her vision therapy is going really well and we are already noticing improvement. What a blessing that is!
And now, to add to the insanity that is our home, we are getting a new puppy this week. I know, we must be crazy. The puppy is my Mother's Day gift. If I can't have a human baby, I can at least get a dog baby! She is a miniature dachshund (I'm partial to that breed)...chocolate with tan markings and a white stripe on her chest. We can't wait to get her. Not sure what her name will be yet, but we'll figure that out. We're open to suggestions!
Although life is insanely busy (as it always is), things are going well and we can't complain.
The end of another school year. It's hard to believe that A will be starting high school year this year. Wow! The last few weeks brought some exciting things for the girls....
A received more awards at her school awards ceremony than any other student in her grade. She received the citizenship award for her homeroom, straight A honor roll for the entire year, Science Fair (1st Place), Highest GPA in Honors Math, Academic Team, Writing Award, Principals Academic Award, and she was in a 3-way tie for Highest GPA in the Honors Program (she got a $100 savings bond for that one). A was also voted Most Talented Female for the eighth grade superlatives. It was a nice awards ceremony and she has had a really successful three years of middle school. A will be at girls' camp for church this week, and then the next week is softball playoffs.
B also received more awards at her school awards ceremony than any other student in her grade. She got the Girls' PE award for her grade, straight A honor roll, student council award, National Physical Fitness Award, Most Accelerated Reader Points in her grade, and third most Accelerated Reader Points in the school. She also got another award but I can't remember what it was....In addition to all of that, B was invited to try out for Academy Soccer (higher level than rec league and you have to try out and be accepted), and she was accepted. Yea! And if all of that wasn't enough, she also had her gymnastics and dance recitals last week and did a fabulous job with those. Her vision therapy is going really well and we are already noticing improvement. What a blessing that is!
And now, to add to the insanity that is our home, we are getting a new puppy this week. I know, we must be crazy. The puppy is my Mother's Day gift. If I can't have a human baby, I can at least get a dog baby! She is a miniature dachshund (I'm partial to that breed)...chocolate with tan markings and a white stripe on her chest. We can't wait to get her. Not sure what her name will be yet, but we'll figure that out. We're open to suggestions!
Although life is insanely busy (as it always is), things are going well and we can't complain.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Life Should be a Beach
I know...I know...it's been a while! My lack of updates hasn't been from lack of goings-on to share, but from lack of time (too often the case for me).
It's been an event-filled couple of weeks. We went to Panama City Beach a couple of weeks ago with my parents and one of my sisters and her family. It was amazing. I have always enjoyed the beach (notice I said *the beach* -- not the ocean -- I don't care much for saltwater and seaweed). I have a friend who finds the beach to be very therapeutic and tries to go as often as possible. I now understand why. In fact, I almost passed up a shopping trip to the outlets just so I could sit on the beach! LOL Alas, the call of the outlets was stronger than the call of the beach...but not much stronger. It was so incredibly relaxing to just sit there with my feet in the warm sound, listening to and watching the ocean, watching my children and nieces and nephew playing, and spending time with my family. It was, I think, the first time in a long time that I was fully present and in the moment, not worried about work and what I wasn't getting done while I was on vacation.
I did get in the water a few times, although I must admit to preferring the hot tub over the cooler, salty ocean. We ate at two great restaurants, had fun shopping, and just enjoyed spending time together with our extended family. I have decided that we must make this an annual event -- my parents go every year for my Mom's job and they've been inviting us for some time. I don't know why we haven't gone sooner...but we'll definitely be going from now on. And until next year, I'll be scheming and trying as hard as I can to figure out a way to go back to the beach! It was incredibly relaxing and we all loved it.
In other news...my sister E had a baby boy last week. Apparently he inherited our family's tendency to be a little impatient and decided to make his grand entrance several weeks early. Not the best idea on his part, but he's doing really well and is a beautiful baby. We hope he'll be home from the hospital next week.
And in still other news, my sister M and her husband are getting a little 2-year-old foster child next week. We're so incredibly thrilled for them! They're going to be a wonderful family for this little girl and we can't wait to meet her!
B's soccer season ends tomorrow. It has been a great season for her -- she's quite the tough little soccer player. She has enjoyed the season. A few people have mentioned that we should let her try out for the advanced teams but I'm not sure...too much travel, I think. But regardless, she has enjoyed the season and has really improved.
A's softball season is in full swing (no pun intended, really!). She is pitching really, really well and has pitched a couple of no-hitters. Not only is she pitching well, but she's also hitting well. She has turned out to be quite the softball player. Some of the coaches of opposing teams have come to watch her pitch (scouting out the competition) and jokingly said they wanted to reschedule their games for our vacation so they wouldn't have to go up against her! That made her feel good. She's focusing on high school softball next year and can't wait for that.
The school year is almost over here. Both girls have done very well academically this year. B has struggled with some issues with a classmate and it has been hard for her recently, so she is looking forward to the end of the school year so she can be away from that situation. Other than that, it has been a great year.
And that's about it...now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go back to my new relaxation technique: envisioning myself on the beach, feet in the warm white sand, listening to the waves, and not thinking about anything else!
It's been an event-filled couple of weeks. We went to Panama City Beach a couple of weeks ago with my parents and one of my sisters and her family. It was amazing. I have always enjoyed the beach (notice I said *the beach* -- not the ocean -- I don't care much for saltwater and seaweed). I have a friend who finds the beach to be very therapeutic and tries to go as often as possible. I now understand why. In fact, I almost passed up a shopping trip to the outlets just so I could sit on the beach! LOL Alas, the call of the outlets was stronger than the call of the beach...but not much stronger. It was so incredibly relaxing to just sit there with my feet in the warm sound, listening to and watching the ocean, watching my children and nieces and nephew playing, and spending time with my family. It was, I think, the first time in a long time that I was fully present and in the moment, not worried about work and what I wasn't getting done while I was on vacation.
I did get in the water a few times, although I must admit to preferring the hot tub over the cooler, salty ocean. We ate at two great restaurants, had fun shopping, and just enjoyed spending time together with our extended family. I have decided that we must make this an annual event -- my parents go every year for my Mom's job and they've been inviting us for some time. I don't know why we haven't gone sooner...but we'll definitely be going from now on. And until next year, I'll be scheming and trying as hard as I can to figure out a way to go back to the beach! It was incredibly relaxing and we all loved it.
In other news...my sister E had a baby boy last week. Apparently he inherited our family's tendency to be a little impatient and decided to make his grand entrance several weeks early. Not the best idea on his part, but he's doing really well and is a beautiful baby. We hope he'll be home from the hospital next week.
And in still other news, my sister M and her husband are getting a little 2-year-old foster child next week. We're so incredibly thrilled for them! They're going to be a wonderful family for this little girl and we can't wait to meet her!
B's soccer season ends tomorrow. It has been a great season for her -- she's quite the tough little soccer player. She has enjoyed the season. A few people have mentioned that we should let her try out for the advanced teams but I'm not sure...too much travel, I think. But regardless, she has enjoyed the season and has really improved.
A's softball season is in full swing (no pun intended, really!). She is pitching really, really well and has pitched a couple of no-hitters. Not only is she pitching well, but she's also hitting well. She has turned out to be quite the softball player. Some of the coaches of opposing teams have come to watch her pitch (scouting out the competition) and jokingly said they wanted to reschedule their games for our vacation so they wouldn't have to go up against her! That made her feel good. She's focusing on high school softball next year and can't wait for that.
The school year is almost over here. Both girls have done very well academically this year. B has struggled with some issues with a classmate and it has been hard for her recently, so she is looking forward to the end of the school year so she can be away from that situation. Other than that, it has been a great year.
And that's about it...now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go back to my new relaxation technique: envisioning myself on the beach, feet in the warm white sand, listening to the waves, and not thinking about anything else!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Sea World Trip Report
We took a mini family vacation to Sea World last week. It was great! The drive there was uneventful and took about 6 hours...a bit of rain on the way down and lots of overcast skies, but it's really not a bad drive. Thanks to Hilda (GPS system, gotta love her!) we found our hotel without any difficulties. We got checked in and settled for the night, at which point everyone but me drifted off to sleep, visions of Shamu dancing in their heads. Me? Well, I don't sleep well in hotels so it was a long night!
We got up the next morning, packed our day bag, and headed for Sea World. Again, Hilda got us there quickly. It was a gorgeous day -- in the mid 80s and sunny, with just a slight breeze and some clouds every now and again. First up, visiting the seals and sea lions. (Pictures will be posted soon...right now they're still on the camera). One sea lion in particular was the model and posed non-stop for pictures. The girls got to feed the sea lions and seals...they thought it was neat to see the creatures catch the fish in their mouths, but they didn't really like the actually touching of said fish, so DH ended up helping out. After that we headed to the seal lion show...Seamore and Clyde Take Pirate Island. Clyde decided he really didn't feel like being onstage and spent most of the show swimming around. It was fun to watch the actors improvise in Clyde's absence! LOL It was a fun show.
After that we saw the penguins (so cute!) and headed to the dolphin and bird show. We really enjoyed that...and then it was on to Journey to Atlantis, where DH, A, and B all rode the ride while I took pictures, did a little window shopping, and got a lovely sunburn (yes, I made sure everyone else used sunscreen but forgot it myself!). The verdict on the ride? DH and A loved it, B did not. Then lunch...Mama's Kitchen...food was only so-so and the prices were ridiculous ($7.99 for a kids meal: hot dog, chips, raisins, and juice). After lunch we went to see the dolphins. The girls wanted to touch one but weren't able to. We saw the Shamu show -- "Believe". It was fun but we were glad we weren't sitting in the "soak zone" (the first 16 rows of the stadium!). We then saw the shark exhibit and arctic exhibit (polar bears). The girls spent some time in Shamu's Happy Harbor -- a play area for kids. It had an amazing play/climbing structure and four or five cute kids rides (amusement park rides). We did a bit of shopping and before long it was time for dinner at The Cove (backstage dinner with reserved seating for Shamu Rocks -- the nighttime show).
Dinner was o.k. but not worth the price...we did get a few close-up views of one of the orcas. "Shamu Rocks" is an incredible show -- we all loved every minute of it (including the awesome pre-show music) and the cutest part was the little baby orca that tried to splash the audience. It may have splashed one person, but certainly not 16 rows like it's mama! But it was so cute. We then watched the nighttime water/fireworks show (Mistify) and headed out of the park.
The next day we went to Aquatica, Sea World's brand new water slide park. Little did we know it was grand opening day, so it was completely packed! Fortunately the park is laid out really well so it never felt like it was filled to capacity. The white sand beach is lovely and the two kids' areas are fantastic. The girls enjoyed some water slides and we all really enjoyed Roa Rapids -- a lazy river on steroids! It was so much fun. The food was yummy and A got to ride a water slide that was partially in a clear tube that went through a dolphin pond. That was cool. Unfortunately, we all got sunburns so we left around 3:30.
We went to dinner at one of my favorite places -- Tony Roma's. I haven't been there since we left Alaska! It was SO yummy. While we were there it started to rain really, really hard so we were glad we weren't at the water park or Sea World.
The next morning we headed back to Sea World to see the sea lion show again (this time it went very well and all performers stayed on stage, LOL!). The pre-show mime is SO hilarious -- if you go to the show you have got to get there at least 15 minutes to see the mime. The girls finally got to touch the dolphins (they were so excited!), and we also saw baby dolphins in the dolphin nursery, sea turtles, manatees (we couldn't stop singing "Barbara Manatee" from Veggie Tales), sting rays, and assorted other creatures. We did some shopping and headed out around 1:00. We drove by the Orlando Temple (again, thanks to Hilda who helped us find it) and then hit the road to head back to reality around 2 p.m. It was perfect timing as it started to rain as we got on the road to head home and rained almost the entire way home.
It was so much fun -- we really had a great time and it was nice to have a few days away to relax and recharge. A few tips for anyone planning a trip to Sea World:
1. Food and beverages are expensive in the park (and the water in the water fountains tastes a bit funny) -- bring your own water and a few snacks.
2. Wear sunscreen and reapply often! We're all finally over the painful part of the sunburns and into the peeling part. Gross.
3. Take more money for food than you think you'll need. Lunch for 4 was $45 (at Aquatica it was $50) and the dinner combination we did (buffet with reserved seating for the nighttime show) was $120. Ice cream bars are $3.25, sodas are also around $3, a ham roll-up was $8 (with no chips or drink). Food at Sea World is more expensive that Disney World.
4. Wear sunscreen and reapply often!
5. Be prepared for crowds. The walkways aren't as wide as those at Disney World and the park isn't laid out as well -- I kept getting lost (not hard for me to do, LOL). It gets really, really crowded and lots of the walkways are narrow.
6. Did I mention wear sunscreen and reapply often? A hat and sunglasses are also must-haves...poor B's eyelids and scalp got sunburned at the water park from not wearing her hat and sunglasses.
7. Have fun!!!
We got up the next morning, packed our day bag, and headed for Sea World. Again, Hilda got us there quickly. It was a gorgeous day -- in the mid 80s and sunny, with just a slight breeze and some clouds every now and again. First up, visiting the seals and sea lions. (Pictures will be posted soon...right now they're still on the camera). One sea lion in particular was the model and posed non-stop for pictures. The girls got to feed the sea lions and seals...they thought it was neat to see the creatures catch the fish in their mouths, but they didn't really like the actually touching of said fish, so DH ended up helping out. After that we headed to the seal lion show...Seamore and Clyde Take Pirate Island. Clyde decided he really didn't feel like being onstage and spent most of the show swimming around. It was fun to watch the actors improvise in Clyde's absence! LOL It was a fun show.
After that we saw the penguins (so cute!) and headed to the dolphin and bird show. We really enjoyed that...and then it was on to Journey to Atlantis, where DH, A, and B all rode the ride while I took pictures, did a little window shopping, and got a lovely sunburn (yes, I made sure everyone else used sunscreen but forgot it myself!). The verdict on the ride? DH and A loved it, B did not. Then lunch...Mama's Kitchen...food was only so-so and the prices were ridiculous ($7.99 for a kids meal: hot dog, chips, raisins, and juice). After lunch we went to see the dolphins. The girls wanted to touch one but weren't able to. We saw the Shamu show -- "Believe". It was fun but we were glad we weren't sitting in the "soak zone" (the first 16 rows of the stadium!). We then saw the shark exhibit and arctic exhibit (polar bears). The girls spent some time in Shamu's Happy Harbor -- a play area for kids. It had an amazing play/climbing structure and four or five cute kids rides (amusement park rides). We did a bit of shopping and before long it was time for dinner at The Cove (backstage dinner with reserved seating for Shamu Rocks -- the nighttime show).
Dinner was o.k. but not worth the price...we did get a few close-up views of one of the orcas. "Shamu Rocks" is an incredible show -- we all loved every minute of it (including the awesome pre-show music) and the cutest part was the little baby orca that tried to splash the audience. It may have splashed one person, but certainly not 16 rows like it's mama! But it was so cute. We then watched the nighttime water/fireworks show (Mistify) and headed out of the park.
The next day we went to Aquatica, Sea World's brand new water slide park. Little did we know it was grand opening day, so it was completely packed! Fortunately the park is laid out really well so it never felt like it was filled to capacity. The white sand beach is lovely and the two kids' areas are fantastic. The girls enjoyed some water slides and we all really enjoyed Roa Rapids -- a lazy river on steroids! It was so much fun. The food was yummy and A got to ride a water slide that was partially in a clear tube that went through a dolphin pond. That was cool. Unfortunately, we all got sunburns so we left around 3:30.
We went to dinner at one of my favorite places -- Tony Roma's. I haven't been there since we left Alaska! It was SO yummy. While we were there it started to rain really, really hard so we were glad we weren't at the water park or Sea World.
The next morning we headed back to Sea World to see the sea lion show again (this time it went very well and all performers stayed on stage, LOL!). The pre-show mime is SO hilarious -- if you go to the show you have got to get there at least 15 minutes to see the mime. The girls finally got to touch the dolphins (they were so excited!), and we also saw baby dolphins in the dolphin nursery, sea turtles, manatees (we couldn't stop singing "Barbara Manatee" from Veggie Tales), sting rays, and assorted other creatures. We did some shopping and headed out around 1:00. We drove by the Orlando Temple (again, thanks to Hilda who helped us find it) and then hit the road to head back to reality around 2 p.m. It was perfect timing as it started to rain as we got on the road to head home and rained almost the entire way home.
It was so much fun -- we really had a great time and it was nice to have a few days away to relax and recharge. A few tips for anyone planning a trip to Sea World:
1. Food and beverages are expensive in the park (and the water in the water fountains tastes a bit funny) -- bring your own water and a few snacks.
2. Wear sunscreen and reapply often! We're all finally over the painful part of the sunburns and into the peeling part. Gross.
3. Take more money for food than you think you'll need. Lunch for 4 was $45 (at Aquatica it was $50) and the dinner combination we did (buffet with reserved seating for the nighttime show) was $120. Ice cream bars are $3.25, sodas are also around $3, a ham roll-up was $8 (with no chips or drink). Food at Sea World is more expensive that Disney World.
4. Wear sunscreen and reapply often!
5. Be prepared for crowds. The walkways aren't as wide as those at Disney World and the park isn't laid out as well -- I kept getting lost (not hard for me to do, LOL). It gets really, really crowded and lots of the walkways are narrow.
6. Did I mention wear sunscreen and reapply often? A hat and sunglasses are also must-haves...poor B's eyelids and scalp got sunburned at the water park from not wearing her hat and sunglasses.
7. Have fun!!!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Home from Oz
We're home from Oz! We survived the trip there and back in fairly good shape. The play went really well and even included some backstage hijinks by a couple of cast members (not our daughter!). The play ended up being a family affair for us, as B and DH worked the concession stand for one performance, DH was a "backstage bouncer" for another performance and during the downtime between shows, B helped out and hung around backstage most of the time (when she wasn't watching the show or helping at the concession stand), and I was backstage for all performances doing hair and makeup. Of course, A was on stage the entire time and was amazing. Absolutely amazing!! We all had a great time but were definitely tired, in every possible way, when it was all over. We're still trying to recover!
And in other good news, B's soccer team won their game on Saturday! We are so excited -- her first team win! YEA! Doing the happy dance!
Easter was lovely -- the weather was beautiful and perfect. Some friends from another ward joined our ward choir to help with out musical numbers for Sacrament Meeting. It was so nice to see good friends that I don't get to see nearly often enough. I wish they were in our ward...
Report cards come out this week and we expect wonderful grades from both girls, as usual. Then spring break and our upcoming trip to Sea World. It will be nice to get away for just a few days and have some time to relax and reconnect as a family after the busy-ness of the last few weeks and the upcoming continued busy-ness. A's softball season starts this week, with B's soccer season going on. So the craziness isn't letting up yet, but it will be nice to have a short break from it!
I'll post pictures soon...
And in other good news, B's soccer team won their game on Saturday! We are so excited -- her first team win! YEA! Doing the happy dance!
Easter was lovely -- the weather was beautiful and perfect. Some friends from another ward joined our ward choir to help with out musical numbers for Sacrament Meeting. It was so nice to see good friends that I don't get to see nearly often enough. I wish they were in our ward...
Report cards come out this week and we expect wonderful grades from both girls, as usual. Then spring break and our upcoming trip to Sea World. It will be nice to get away for just a few days and have some time to relax and reconnect as a family after the busy-ness of the last few weeks and the upcoming continued busy-ness. A's softball season starts this week, with B's soccer season going on. So the craziness isn't letting up yet, but it will be nice to have a short break from it!
I'll post pictures soon...
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Stayin' Alive...
I know, it's been quite some time since my last update. I'm sorry! Life has been, as usual, insanely busy. I finished a two-week class for work (8 hours a day in class, plus homework and tests -- yuck), and A and I are now in full prep mode for her school play this week. She has the lead and I am in charge of hair and makeup(cast of approximately 50 kids -- thank goodness there will be several people helping). On Saturday, she and I helped paint scenery and props and hemmed new stage curtains. I now have muscles that hurt that I didn't even know existed! The play is coming together well and A is doing a beautiful job in her part. She'll even be singing a solo!
B's soccer season has started and she is enjoying it. She has really improved and is getting more aggressive. She isn't turning cartwheels on the soccer field during the games, either (at least not yet, LOL!). My friend J's husband is coaching the team again. It's a lot of fun for B to have soccer with her friend Jenny. B is also frantically reading everything she can get her hands on to rack up AR (accelerated reader) points at school. AR is a reading incentive program. We're having a hard time finding books that are challenging enough for B at her reading level, but still age appropriate. Suggestions are always welcome! B is also keeping busy with dance and gymnastics. She can now do back and front walkovers and has almost mastered back handsprings. To be that limber again!!!
A is also taking private saxophone lessons from a man at church. He offered to give her free lessons and she is enjoying them. He plays professionally and will be able to provide so much more for her than the school band does. It's fun to hear her play pop songs that we actually recognize!
M's basketball season is over and it's wonderful to have him at home more. Things are crazy for me at work as we're in another huge source selection, which means lots of extra hours for me. But I love doing it.
We are going to Sea World over spring break and are really looking forward to the break. We need it! We're also going to the new water park at Sea World -- Aquatica -- we'll be sure to provide a full report! We can't wait for the break. We're also excited about going to Panama City Beach with my parents and some of my family in April for a few days. My sister A and her family are coming down from Alaska, and we can't wait to see them.
All in all, life is good...just incredibly busy!
B's soccer season has started and she is enjoying it. She has really improved and is getting more aggressive. She isn't turning cartwheels on the soccer field during the games, either (at least not yet, LOL!). My friend J's husband is coaching the team again. It's a lot of fun for B to have soccer with her friend Jenny. B is also frantically reading everything she can get her hands on to rack up AR (accelerated reader) points at school. AR is a reading incentive program. We're having a hard time finding books that are challenging enough for B at her reading level, but still age appropriate. Suggestions are always welcome! B is also keeping busy with dance and gymnastics. She can now do back and front walkovers and has almost mastered back handsprings. To be that limber again!!!
A is also taking private saxophone lessons from a man at church. He offered to give her free lessons and she is enjoying them. He plays professionally and will be able to provide so much more for her than the school band does. It's fun to hear her play pop songs that we actually recognize!
M's basketball season is over and it's wonderful to have him at home more. Things are crazy for me at work as we're in another huge source selection, which means lots of extra hours for me. But I love doing it.
We are going to Sea World over spring break and are really looking forward to the break. We need it! We're also going to the new water park at Sea World -- Aquatica -- we'll be sure to provide a full report! We can't wait for the break. We're also excited about going to Panama City Beach with my parents and some of my family in April for a few days. My sister A and her family are coming down from Alaska, and we can't wait to see them.
All in all, life is good...just incredibly busy!
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