Destin 2014

We finally planned our first family vacation!  We chose to go to Destin, Florida to enjoy some sun and sand. I think it's safe to say that we made a great decision because we had TONS of fun!

The kids really enjoyed all the beach has to offer.  Both kids rode the waves with their boogie boards and Cassidy tried to surf on hers.

The sand was beautiful and great to play in.

So fun!

The adults enjoyed lounging in the sun watching the kids play.

Pretty girl.

We went on this trip with our neighbors and the Dads took the older kids on a fishing trip one day.

Stetson had no trouble catching fish either!

Of course, he learned from this guy.

That thing is almost as big as him.

Great catch, Daddy!

I stand corrected...this one is almost as big as Stetson.  Good grief!

What a fun fishing trip!

While in Destin, we also visited the Harbor Village to see all the fishing boats, shop, and enjoy some of the restaurants.

The kids really enjoyed all the hustle and bustle at the harbor.

They also got to play at the harbor.  Stetson chose to do the zip line.  You can barely see him behind one of the palm leaves.

While Cassidy, chose to do the bungee trampoline.  This girl did 53 flips in a row (forward, then backward) during her three minute ride.

Then it was time for sno cones!

All the kiddos (minus the baby).

We stayed in a great condo right on the beach.  Several nights you could catch J and the kids having a dance party on the patio.

We also enjoyed swimming in the pool during the day and night.  The kids thought night swimming was super cool, though.

Their favorite night event was hunting for crabs.  Everyone got a flashlight and searched in the sand for them. They had lots of success too!

On the beach, the kids created lots of sand castles but this fort was their pride and joy.

On Thursday evenings there is a fireworks show at Harbor Village, which we were lucky enough to view from our patio at the condo.

On our last day, we went to the beach to take family pictures.  These are just a few pictures I snapped with my little camera.

Our little mermaid.

And our not so little anymore fisherman.

I love my kiddos!

These three make me the happiest woman ever.

After pictures, we enjoyed one more fresh seafood meal.  Stetson really enjoyed this restaurant because he could write his name on the wall.

What an amazingly awesome first family vacation!  We will definitely have to plan more now.

Brendon Graduates!

We headed to San Antonio to attend Brendon's high school graduation.  I still remember him being 18 months old in my first apartment.  Now he is 18 years old and going off to college.  Amazing.

This picture is not the best, but it is him walking across the stage to receive his diploma.

And a video (pardon the noise)...

After the ceremony I got much better pictures!  Here is my sister's family with their graduate.

My little kiddos with their biggest cousin!

Congrats to all three of you!

Brendon, we are so proud of all your accomplishments and the man you are becoming.  We wish you nothing but the best as you continue your journey at Texas State.  Congratulations!

Happy Birthday, J!

We want to wish J/Daddy a very Happy Birthday!!  We love you more than you will ever know!

Rangers Game

To reward Stetson for his amazing school year, we surprised him with a special Daddy and Stetson date to the Rangers game.  He was beyond excited!  We always tell him that if he works hard, he can play hard. Well, it's time to play hard!

Here he is all decked out in his Texas Rangers gear at the ballpark.

Enjoying some nachos too!  That is a towel under his hat that he received with the Rangers logo.

My two favorite guys...

Stetson brought his glove and his Rangers baseball cards so he could look up the players and see their stats. According to J, this was serious business.

They had pretty good seats too!

He just makes me smile from ear to ear.  I love my hard-working little guy!

Cotton candy!  He's definitely his Mommy's boy!

Whew!  What a day!  After all those awards and a Rangers game, he was D.O.N.E.!  All he has to do now is get up for the last day of school!  

Congratulations, Stetson, on all your hard work and dedication.  We hope you enjoyed playing with Daddy tonight!

Final 2nd Grade Awards

We attended Stetson's final awards ceremony and we are so glad we did!  This boy received five awards!! We could not be more proud of him and how hard he worked all year.  What a great way to end second grade!

He proudly showed us all his awards as soon as he was allowed to come to us.

Look at all this!  He couldn't even display them all himself.

So here is a run down of what he received.  A math award for subtraction...

A Reader Leader Award for advanced reading...

"A" Honor Roll for the last nine week grading period...

Perfect attendance for the year...

And his prized possession...the Principal's Award for the year.  This means his grades were 95 and above in all subjects for the entire school year.  Way to go!!!!

I think it's safe to say that we are ready for 3rd grade.  But first...SUMMER!!!

Cousins

The best part of all these birthdays is that we get to see our family a lot!  Stetson and Alyssa had so much fun playing this weekend!  When they came down dressed as Batman and Batgirl, though, I had to stop them and get a picture.  This is too cute!