Planes and Bubbles

We stayed in Kansas City after our day at Worlds of Fun.  On Saturday, we went to the movies with Grandma, AC, Becky, Emma and Aiden.  We went to see the new Planes movie; Planes Fire and Rescue.  It was a cute movie and the kids enjoyed getting to spend more time together.  On Sunday, Ella and Grandma spent a lot of time making bubbles while John, Dad and I sat on the porch and enjoyed the day.  Eventually Sam came out to get in on the fun.  Bubbles can still entertain older kids too.  They had fun seeing how long they would last and how far they would go.  Then it was time to head back to Columbia though to start a new week.  

Give it a Whirl!

We had a wonderful family day at Worlds of Fun this year.  So many people were able to attend.  It was our family, my mom, AC, Ralph and Jan, Jono and Laura, Scott & Becky with Aiden & Emma, and Kylie.  Everyone had their own favorite ride of the day and everyone had a great time!  The favorite rides for our family were The Patriot for John, The Prowler for me, The Mamba for Sam and Spinning Dragons for Ella. 
Ella rode her first big roller coasters.  She wasn't a huge fan but she rode them and I think the more she gets used to them the less she will worry and will be able to enjoy them.  Now if I can just get Sam to go on the roller coasters that go upside down.  I think he would like them if he would give them a try.  Kylie went to Worlds of Fun for the first time and rode everything she could.  She had a fun time and was all smiles on the rides.  We really enjoyed our day.  

Happy Birthday USA and Aiden!

For the Fourth of July we headed to AC and Uncle Al's house to celebrate the holiday and Aiden's sixth birthday.  John and the kids absolutely love the fourth of July.  They get so excited to head to the fireworks tent and buy all kinds of goodies.  I thought we were crazy when we headed up to the cashier with so much but most of it got set off that day.  Ella and Sam were outside all afternoon setting off firework after firework.  Luckily, the weather this year wasn't too hot so we were able to enjoy time outdoors.  They were really into it!  They only took two small breaks...one to go inside and eat and one to celebrate Aiden's birthday.  We had some great fireworks set off by the adults to end the night well.  

Chasing the parachute!

All Good Things Must Come to an End (Kiawah day 6)

Saturday was really our last day on Kiawah Island since we would be leaving very early Sunday morning.  We packed it with as many of our favorite things as we could.  Some friends of ours, Scott and Kristie, who we met while John was in residency came into town so Scott could also go to the end of the conference.  John and Scott were planning to play golf at the Ocean Course that day. So we all decided to head out to the clubhouse early and have lunch on the porch together at The Ryder Cup Grill.  This is the same place as the Ocean Room where we had, had dinner earlier in the week and you just can not beat that view.  Plus the food is so delicious!  Scott and Kristie and their friend Dave that came along were such great company and we enjoyed spending time with them.
Then it was time for the boys to play golf.  The kids and I decided to spend our last day on the beach.  The kids built another sandcastle and did a lot of boogie boarding.  Then things got interesting.  While Sam was out deep jumping waves he saw something with a dorsal fin swimming not far from him at all.  He started running towards shore and screaming, 'SHARK'!  Well, I looked, and it was a beautiful dolphin jumping in the water not far from where he had been.  Then, while the three of us were out in the water I saw a jellyfish right in front of Ella.  I told her to swim because a jellyfish was right by her.  Sam, trying to help,  gave her a push and almost pushed her into the thing so I yelled and we all got a little freaked out.  We decided after that maybe we would just spend the rest of the evening at the pool.  We really did enjoy our last day though and are anxious for our next trip to the ocean.  

Girls and Guys Day (Kiawhah Island day 5)

The kids and I decided to try a place we had heard had delicious breakfast Friday morning.  Sam loved his blueberry pancakes but Ella and I weren't that crazy about our biscuits and gravy.  It was in a shopping center on the west side of the island so we did a little souvenir shopping around there after breakfast.  
That afternoon we had a girls afternoon and a guys afternoon.  John and Sam went to play golf at one of the courses on the island.  We rented Sam some clubs and he and his dad were excited about how nice they were.  They had a great time playing golf and were planning to take the camera but forgot so I have no pictures to share.  
Ella got to decide what we did for our girls afternoon and she decided she wanted to do some more shopping.  So we hit some more of the little shops on the island.  We didn't really find much but she enjoyed just having time to look around at everything.  It was a nice relaxing day. 

Pool time!

After a late night the night before, we slept in and the kids enjoyed some down time while I finished the puzzle.  Then we decided to try one of the resort pools.  They had added a whole new kid pool since the last time we were there and it had a lot of fun things to try.  The slide was a big hit with Sam and Ella did it once but it made me nervous since they wouldn't let her wear her life jacket on it and she would crash into a deep pool at the bottom.  John watched carefully from the side and she swam successfully, but I don't have a lot of confidence in her swimming yet.  They enjoyed an afternoon at the pool and then we hit the local market for some dinner.  
That evening since we hadn't spent any time at the beach we decided to go for a beach walk.  It was a nice way to end the day. 

Ella loved the baby palm tree! 

Diving and Dining (Kiawah day 3)

Wednesday morning while John was at his conference the kids and I headed to the store to get some beach goodies.  We got a boogie board and a paddle ball game to use later that day.  We also got a puzzle to put together at the condo.  When John was done with class it was time to hit the beach.  We really enjoyed another day in the sun.
That night we had made a reservation at The Ocean Room.  It is the restaurant at the clubhouse of The Ocean Course where the PGA has played tournaments and hosted the Ryder Cup.  The restaurant overlooks the golf course and the ocean.  It is absolutely beautiful.  The kids did an excellent job at a nice restaurant and we enjoyed some delicious food.  I am still craving the shrimp and grits that I had that night.  It was a wonderful evening. 

Father and son catch in the ocean.

Happy to be at the beach! 

Enjoying the new boogie board! 

Ella and Sam's sandcastle.

View from the Ocean Room. 

John and Sam walking up to the clubhouse. 

Hitting the Beach (Kiawah Day 2)

Today was the one day that John was going to be in meetings all day.  So, early in the morning he headed to Charleston.  The kids and I slept in then headed to the beach! It was so nice to actually see the beach and get time to relax and play.  What I love about the beach at Kiawah is there are a lot of tide pools.  It is a great place for the kids to sit and play in the sand.  We also spent a lot of time jumping the waves and hanging out in the ocean.  

That evening we headed into town to walk around the shops and stopped for some ice cream!  It was a great full day of vacation.  

Off to South Carolina (Kiawah Vacation day 1)

The ocean is behind them and you are seeing as much as we saw that night. 

John needed to get some continuing education credits for work so he decided to attend the conference at Kiawah Island that we went to a few years ago.  We absolutely loved Kiawah and were excited to head back there again.  It was a very long day of travel.  We had to be at the airport in KC early in the morning (thank you Dad for driving us so it didn't have to be quite as early).  Unfortunately, our second flight was delayed which made the day even longer.  By the time we made it to Kiawah, got some groceries for the next day, and checked into our condo the sun had already set.  I really wanted to put my toes in some sand that day so we decided to head to the beach anyway.  The boardwalk was lit but the beach was DARK!  With only one iphone flashlight to light the way we found the water.  I will say it is a little creepy just sticking your feet in the water and walking when you can't see a thing.  The sound of the waves and all the stars though made for a beautiful night.  Luckily, we didn't step on any crabs or whatever creatures may have been walking the beach that night and I got to hear and feel the ocean but I would have to wait for the next day to actually see it.  

Let's Go Royals!

Scott found a deal for some good Royals tickets on line and invited us to join them.  It was a Sunday afternoon game and the weather was a little warm but our seats were in the shade which made all the difference.  Unfortunately, the Royals were not able to pull off a victory but we enjoyed ourselves anyway.  

The whole crew!

Yes, we took up a whole row. 

Scoot and Becky! 

Sam and Aiden cheering on the Royals. 

Dancing with her rally cap!