Beach and Bowl - Day 12

We skipped out on mini-golf this morning because it was even hotter... and the humidity was palpable.  So instead, we hung out in the condo.  Bev and the kids did Bible together while I caught up on emails.

We got ready for the beach again but first had to run downstairs to pick up a package for Sammy... her Elsa doll.  She was so excited to play with it, we decided to each some lunch and postpone the beach a few minutes.  After the tacos were finished, we grabbed the gear and headed down to the water.

It was a gorgeous day... sunny, warm, nice waves.   Dean, Gretchen and Roger all spent time out there with us.  It will be their last time in the ocean before they move... it was great to spend that time with them.  We stayed out in the ocean for several hours before heading back to the pool to cool off.

We got cleaned up and said goodbyes to Gretchen.  She is heading back to Raleigh so we won't see her again this trip.  Dean and Roger will leave tomorrow.

Around 4:00 pm, we met Dean and Roger at a new bowling alley in North Myrtle.  It was a great venue.  There were couches on the lanes, a wonderful dinner menu, ping pong, pool, fooz ball, etc.  And my favorite part... brand new bowling shoes!  We split into two teams of three and played just one game.

 

Sammy played a great round and even beat me!  Tyler really practiced the way he holds the ball and how he aims.  It was a lot of fun.  After our game, we ordered dinner and enjoyed a great meal together.

Bev, the kids and I ran to Walmart for a few groceries and then came home around 7:00 pm.  We were all whipped from the big day.  The kids quieted down nicely in their rooms and Bev fell asleep on the couch.  Even I am curled up in bed, finishing my notes, with heavy lids.

Another amazing day for our trip!


Side Note: After leaving the bowling alley, Sammy discovered that her brand new Elsa doll was missing a shoe... we could only guess that it had come off somewhere at the bowling alley but we were already too far to turn back.  We texted Uncle Roger to see if he could look for it but he had no luck.  Sammy went to bed disappointed but handled better than I expected.

Wonderful Weather and New Flavors - Day 11

Today we kicked off with another round of mini-golf.  This time we visited the Rainbow Falls course #1.  Both kids did great even with the higher temperatures this morning.  In the end, Bev and Tyler tied for the win.  Sammy and Tyler each shot a hole-in-one!

After we got finished up, we did Bible and made grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.

We spent some time down this afternoon at the beach again... enjoying the waves and sand.  Gretchen and Dean came out with us to jump the waves.  After the ocean, we had fun in the sand making castles and playing in the tide pools.  It was great!

 

After we got cleaned up we decided to go out for dinner.  The Ademas really wanted us to try a local Greek restaurant, Mythos.  I'll be honest... I was pretty nervous!  The only way I agreed was knowing there was pepperoni pizza for the kids.  I looked over the menu and had NO IDEA what or how to order.  So I asked everyone at the table if I could just try a bite of everything they ordered... which they warmly agreed.  We started with a dipping plate... four dips (hummus, tirokafteri, tzatziki, and melitzanosalata) served with pita bread, meatballs, and falafel balls.  It was amazing.  That left me feeling confident so I tried everything... Roka, Pastisio, Orphanie, Politiki, Gigandes, Moussaka, Briam...  I loved it all!  I couldn't believe it!  The kids did awesome waiting at the restaurant as our meal lasted 1 1/2 hours.  Tyler even tried a few new things!

After dinner we came back to the condo for Uncle Roger's famous Banana's Foster.  We enjoyed sharing stories and lots of laughs.

After I got the kids tucked into their beds, Bev and I went out on the patio to relax a bit.  We stayed up til 1:00 am just sharing and catching up... it was wonderful!

Another fabulous day!   Thank you God!

MiniGolf, WonderWorks, and Animal Facts - Day 10

Today was so much fun!  We started off with mini-golf at the Treasure Island.  It is a fun course with lots of steep hills to play.  Bev shot a hole-in-one twice!  The kids both did great!  Around the 15th hole, Sammy stopped golfing as she was starting to overheat.  But she made it til we finished and we all walked out together.  Tyler won. 

After golfing, we needed to stop for groceries, but Sammy still wasn't up to par.  So we picked up Steak N Shake and I left Sammy and Bev in the van eating lunch while Tyler and I ran in for the list.

We were wrapping up in the produce section when I realized we had missed Tyler's favorite crackers.  So I asked him to go grab them while I finished.  But he forgot where we were meeting... and, long story short... he ended up at the van.  Bev texted to let me know and I asked that he come back in.  When he saw me, he instantly teared up and ran into my arms.  I felt so terrible!  But he handled the whole situation so well.  I was really proud of him.

After we put the groceries away, we took some down time at the condo.  At one point, the house phone rang and Sammy beat me to it.  She had a lovely conversation with Uncle Roger... explaining we were doing Bible and were looking forward to our afternoon plans.  When it was my turn to talk, I was surprised that it wasn't actually Uncle Roger, but Patrick, the lobby attendant, calling to tell me we had received a package... Oops!  (Later on, we introduced Sammy to Mr Patrick so she would know who she had actually been talking too)

We called the Adema's around 2:00 pm to tell them we were ready.  Sammy had requested we visit the "upside down house" today so we all headed off to WonderWorks.  We had SO MUCH FUN!

 

 

We spent quite a bit of time exploring the exhibits.  Both kids really seemed to enjoy it and loved showing their favorite spots to Uncle Roger, Aunt Gretchen, Grandma and Dean.

After we all finished up, we took a jet boat ride and took in the rainbow overhead.

It had been a big day, so we grabbed take out from JimmyZ and ate back at the condo.  After dinner Tyler and Dean read us one of Tyler's new books (Who Would Win?) that arrived in the package earlier today.

We wrapped up the night watching a movie together that featured some pretty amazing animal facts.  Tyler was pretty intrigued!  The kids, Grandma, and I read a chapter of Ralph S Mouse.  Then they were off to their rooms to snuggle into bed!

Today was a great day all around.  Cannot wait for tomorrow! 

Second Time Around - Day Nine

It seems like yesterday we were just driving this same route to the airport in Detroit.  But yet, so much has happened in the last week we were home.  Tyler had a fabulous 10th birthday.  We walked around Art Prize, finished our academic year, and were visited by the Tallmadge Fire Department.  Best of all, though, we got to spend time with Dad!

We left around 8:30 am and got on the way.  The drive, park-n-go, and baggage check went smoothly.  We requested handicap assistance through security and were escorted to the front of the line where the TSA Agent spoke directly with Sammy and gave both kids instructions on how to clear the Security Screen quickly.  We had lunch at McDonalds and headed to our gate.

The flight was quick and we landed in MB at 2:15 pm.  We had a short wait for the van and then were back!  Oh that ocean is gorgeous... she never gets old!

We headed down to the ocean for a quick dip and were thrilled with what awaited us... Look at ALL the shells!

Uncle Roger, Aunt Gretchen and Dean joined us for a swim too!  Then it was up to the pool and upstairs to get cleaned up for dinner.  We ordered Pizza Chef and had lots of fun getting caught up again.  We eagerly watched the tide come in.  The waters were higher than I've ever seen...  all the way up to the dunes and beach grass.  Crazy!

Tonight's lunar eclipse caused the higher tides.  We stayed up to get a glimpse but the skies were cloudy and we didn't see it.  However, Dad knew how important it was to us to see so he got some great shots so we wouldn't miss it.

Just beautiful!  Today reminded me of the beauty God's given us in His creation all around us.  As I did my devotions tonight I read about God's power to control the weather, the tides, and the oceans.  Wow.  Thank you Lord!

Trip Home - Day Eight

It started out like any other day... well, kind of.  We got dressed up in our costumes from the Pirate Show and headed to Krispy Kreme.  Because, well today is apparently National Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day and Kristpy Kreme is giving away a dozen donuts FREE to anyone who dresses up.  Tyler's favorite part was being asked to a sword fight by the clerk at the check out.

When we got back, we packed up our bags and decided to head to the pool for some last minute fun.

 

Dean and Roger each took turns playing in the water with the kids.  Dean even picked up lunch from Pizza Chef so we ate that poolside as well.

After we finished, we headed back up to the condo to prep for our trip.   But first we took our "goodbye for now" photos.

 

Dropping off the van and getting through the airport went really smoothly.  The kids got comfortable at our gate as we waited for the delayed plane.  Notice the cool bench they were sitting on?  It lit up different colors as you put weight on the surface.  Very fun!

The plane left 30 minutes later than planned but the ride itself went beautifully.

 

After we landed the pilot announced that we would need to wait for a gate to open... it took 60 minutes.  Sitting on the taxiway, in our seatbelts, no bathrooms, no drinks.  We were sad.

But once more, the kids did amazing!  The only glitch was when Sammy said (very loudly), "I hate the pilot.  He has stolen my life!"  There were lots of giggles from the passengers around us.

We had another hold up for our bags and didn't make it to the Jeep until almost 8:00 pm (1.5 hrs after we had planned).  But the ride home went well and we pulled in the driveway with two sleeping kids just after 11:00 pm.  Its good to be home!