First Day of School!

Gavin started school this week.  He was not very excited.  For about a week before he started he tried every day to talk me in to homeschooling him.  He gave me all the reasons that it would be best for both of us.  We could sleep later, he could do school in his "comfy's", I wouldn't have to pack his lunch and he could eat at home, he could play with his own toys at recess.  They were all good reasons....but he still had to start school bright and early Monday.

I cannot get over how much he has changed since his first day of Kindergarten.  He looks so grown up!

August 2010--Gavin's first day of Kindergarten.

First day of 1st grade.

Gavin is such a smart little boy.  We are so proud of him.

Nolen started his last first day of Mothers Day Out this week too.  Next year this time.....Nolen will be going to Kindergarten!  Aaaaahhhhh.....my babies are growing way too fast. 

He didn't really want to go either.  Ha.....I don't know what is wrong with my kids.  It must be because they have so much fun at home with us that they don't want to go back to school!

Once he got there, he had a great day!

We had to fill out a little information sheet and I asked Nolen the questions and wrote his answers.  His favorite food is spaghetti, his favorite thing to do at school is play and when he grows up he wants to be like his Daddy (he is well on his way).



Our Vacation--Part 4

Our last day at port was spent at Cozumel. 

We didn't book an excursion at this island.  It was the most "city-ish" and we walked around a lot.

The boys in front of Margaritaville.

My little "pirate lover"

Toes on the nose!

We had lunch at a local Mexican restaurant....I think I like our "Mexican" better.

Carley

Devin

Cope, Gavin and Nolen with their "swords"

Later that evening, after we got back to the ship......Eric got a stomach bug.  So, our final "at sea" day he spent in our closet room.  He did start feeling a little better and managed to come out for dinner.

Sean and Sonda

Cade and Cohen.

(little bully)

My Captains

Nolen and Cohen

Mommy and 2 of her boys

We saw a water spout about 100 yards (I actually have no clue how far it was) off.  It was crazy....but it never even rained!

Love this boy!

Daddy and his "mini-me"

Mamaw, Papaw and all 10 of their Grandkids.

Our Wind blown family...

Devin and Cohen

Carley and Cohen

The WHOLE family.....all 18 of us!

Our Vacation--Part 3

This day was spent in Belize and was by far the roughest day we had.  We didn't originally have a excursion booked here but were told when we got on the cruise that where we were going to be in Belize wasn't a safe place to go and explore and that you really needed to have something booked.  So....we ran out and booked a 6 hour excursion (2 hours by boat and then the rest on a bus and at the Mayan Ruins).  BIG mistake!

I am from Florida and I don't know if I have EVER been that hot in my life.  We were on a boat for 2 hours....a boat in the middle of the water (we went up a river?).  A boat with ZERO shade in 105 degree scorching heat.

Eric and his brother Sean and their babies (Cohen and Cade-3 months apart)

Daddy and his little guy.

Always happy.....even when he is sweaty and hot.

Once we got to the Mayan Ruins.....it was pretty cool.  Eric loves anything having to do with History so he was LOVING it.  Other than the mosquitoes eating me alive....it wasn't sooooo bad.

There are stairs that go all the way up this thing.....and of course we had to all go up.  So, we got our exercise for the day.....I carried Cohen all the way up and back down.  It was miserable!

Family picture from the top....ugh, we were so hot.

This is the excursion that I was referring to when I said, "had we known what we were in for we wouldn't have done it".  We could have paid someone $100 (less than $10 per person) to put us in an air conditioned van and drive us to the Mayan Ruins, we could have got out and walked around and then got back in the van and rode back.  Instead, we paid someone A LOT of $$$ to sweat, eat gross food and did I mention SWEAT?  Not our smartest move.....lesson learned.

Our Vacation--Part 2

Our second island was Roatan.  This was a beautiful island.  We had booked a snorkeling excursion and got on a bus as soon as we got off the boat.  We rode for about 20 minutes and then had a little walking tour.  We got to see tons of iguanas, monkeys and birds.  Other than it being REALLY hot it was pretty interesting.  The kids really enjoyed seeing all the animals.

Wyatt, Gavin and Copeland

Gavin posing with a black iguana (the black blob behind him)

Posing with the parrot....

Papaw

Cope

Gavin

This monkey was hilarious.....

After our tour, we got on a catamaran and went snorkeling.  You had to be at least 6 in order to get off the boat so Debbie, Sonda and I stayed on the boat with Nolen, Elliott, Cohen and Cade.  We were so proud of the kids.  They were in the water for about an hour and had just a little life vest on and they all did great.  Nolen lost a sandal through a hole in the bottom of the boat......so he had to go all the way back to she ship with one sandal on....urgh.

Once we got back to the port, we found this little restaurant and ate.  It was so beautiful.....the food wasn't the greatest but the atmosphere made it totally worth it.  We were basically sitting on a shaded dock that was out in the water.....it was gorgeous.

That evening we went to dinner with just the adults.  It was really nice and the food was amazing. 

Gavin and Nolen got to go to the kid care.....which they actually enjoyed.  Carley and Devin kept the babies....and we got to enjoy a peaceful dinner.