Ocean City Part 2

Ocean City was not just about the boardwalk, it was about the beach!  We spent our days in and out of the waves and our nights on the boardwalk!  Sit back and enjoy our beach photos....

Always in the water jumping the waves or riding them in on a boogie board.

 And in the morning, it was kite flying time.  There was an awesome kite store that sold so many kites for each type of person...from beginners to advanced kite flyers.  I was amazed at how fast and easy it was to get the kites up and flying

A little night time swim in her dress.  This didn't last long, I turned around to put my camera away and she was totally underwater in her dress!  I guess that's what vacation are all about!

Lots of wave jumping!

Yes, this makes me claustrophobic....she begged us to bury her every single day!  

Wonderful family memories were made in ocean city....there's nothing better than a beach vacation!

Ocean City Part 1

We wanted to go on a last minute summer vacation in August but, didn't want to fly because our dates were a bit unknown.  We decided to jump in the car and head to Ocean City with about an 8 hour drive which wasn't bad at all!  We headed there without a hotel or plans in mind.  The hotel issue was a bit challenging since just about everything was booked.  After our arrival, we found a hotel on the boardwalk and had a fun, relaxing week at the beach.

 At the end of the boardwalk, there are a few old fashioned like carnivals and rides.  The kids could not get enough of these places.  We went there two different times.  The above ride was called the "Hopper".

 The roller coaster was probably the favorite for both the girls.

 The spinning tea cups.

 Fishing for prizes.

 More carnival games with dad.

 The "Whip It" which the girls could not stop laughing on the whole time!

 The two girls loved crashing into each other on the bumper cars!

 There were some super fun mirrors.  This is the stretchy one...

 This is an old, old Haunted House ride.  It's the longest ride around at 5 1/2 minutes.  Also a bit hot, slow and bumpy....but fun!

    

   

We had a great, spontaneous trip.  Next post will be our pictures at the beach!

Baby Snow Leopords

 A summer visit to the Akron Zoo brought us some fun with some baby snow leopards.  We had to get to the zoo early and get in line just to get a peek at these cute babies.  

 On our way, we stopped to catch a glimpse of the penguins who seemed to be quite active today.

 The mom kept a close eye on her babies.  They taunted her by playing with her tail but, she seemed to be calm and just watch them.  She was very protective!!!

 As for the little ones, they just wrestled and did a lot of falling over.   Kind of like a young child learning to walk!

 A quick stop as we headed up to an area of the zoo know as Grizzly Ridge.

 The best part about this zoo is that you really can get up close to the animals.  This bear was taking a quick bath in the water.  It's amazing that you feel like you can almost touch him!

July 4th Fun

This year was laid back and casual for the 4th.  Family came and went and lots of grilling happened!

We decided to get the tent out for fun.  Spent some time relaxing in it but, ended up back in the house to sleep.  Much cooler inside!

Some sparklers....

And a beautiful sunset with late night fireworks to top off the weekend!

Family Birthday

 There's nothing better than a birthday dinner and cake with your family!!!

Happy 7th Dawson!

The Big "7" UNFROZEN party

Happy "UNFrozen" Birthday Dawson!

This year's 7th birthday theme was based on the new Disney movie "Frozen."  Every single child I know loves this movie and sings the songs that go along with it.  If you haven't seen it, you really should!  The invites this year stated "please join us for an Unfrozen swim party."

 The highlight of the party was a visit by on of the main movie character's Elsa.  You can see how excited the girls were.

 When she arrived, they all sang "Let It Go" and danced around with her.  After singing, she did a bit of lip gloss on the girls and talked about looking beautiful.

They were mesmerized by Elsa!

Next came the Royal wave.  She taught the girls how do do this the right way and made them practice a few times!

Everyone was very focused as they perfected the wave...

And lastly a wand for everyone finalizing they have learned their Royal Manners.

Towards the end of her stay, each child had the chance to get their picture taken alone with Elsa.  I loved watching each one go up and talk to Elsa alone!!!

Two very good friends that both LOVE Elsa...Dawson and Karli

 After Elsa left, it was all fun in the pool.  The party favor this year was a blue inner tube for everyone.  These were a huge hit in the pool!

 They swam and swam and swam until I had to force them out of the pool because the party was over!

 I laid out tons of quilts so the girls could sit around and eat Chic Fil A before I cut the cake.  Swimming made these girls hungry because they ate a lot of food!!

 Time for cake....with lots of icing...

 Happy 7th Dawson!

 And back to the pool right after the cake!

Grace is getting in a little relaxation time...

And a final hug good bye.....a perfect day for a new 7 year old....Happy UnFrozen Birthday Dawson!