Forth of July FUN!

Fourth of July FUN!

We had a great Independence Day with family and friends. The Georgia summer heat gave way for the weekend and the temps in the 80's gave us all some "Independence" from the heat and humidity.
There was plenty of Red, White and Blue, a traditional water balloon fight and as always, great summer cook-out food!
Here the kids are having a picnic in the backyard.

Mia and Morgan clapping in approval of the Cul-de-sac firework display- The boys were busy lighting them of course- little fire bugs!!!

And oh what would the Fourth of July be without cold and creamy homemade ice-cream!!! YUMMY!!!

Politically correct or not- the little southern rebel with her Confederate flag.

THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN?!?!?!

And the night ended with the always spectacular firework display at the front gates of Tara. We are always right underneath them, but this year the wind seemed to blow lots more spent cartridges and firework sparks our way. Someone said: maybe next year we should sit further back..... I said: are you kidding, I'll be right here in this exact spot again 365 days from now. There is nothing like feeling the pound in your chest as they explode so close and right above you... sparks and debree only add to the experience!!!

And just a side note:

Not to be out done by the bangs and crashes of the fourth, I wrapped the bumper of the Armada around a mini-van several days later. Just as with the fourth, there was also a bang and crash and some debree thrown around, it just was not as exciting or fun- but that is life I guess.... Some times it unexpectedly crashes. No one was hurt and we now are driving a fancy red rental Mini-Van until the Armada gets it's face back! "Yeah" said the kids as it has two TVs and video game hookups!

Beach Fun!

-BEACH VACATION-

Our long awaited Douglas Florida beach trip finally came and all in the family were so excited and ready for a break. Back in the early days of our family, even back into the dating pre-marriage days, an almost yearly trip to the Florida beaches had been a Douglas family tradition. We did go down the first summer we moved to Georgia, but have not been back since (over three years). This year, Nikki was not going to let it pass again and decided early on that this was a return to the beach year! She rallied the family (now almost twice the size as previous trips) around a week and a beach house in June (best water conditions) and it was planned. Then the Oil Spill Fiasco in the Gulf threatened plans, but in the end the beaches could not have been any more beautiful and we all had a wonderful time in Paradise! This was our home away from home for the week- the Cracker Jack. It was big enough for the crew, and just a block from the beach! It really made the week enjoyable and so much fun!

Beach Party Central!

Colorful front room painted in fun beach colors.

Club Cracker on the third floor was the bunk spot for the kids and the Wii arcade and movie theater. The house was kinda themed around some old Cracker Jack paraphernalia- hence the cracker names. Very clever.
This was the pool from the balcony and where the kids spent all their "wet" time when not at the beach. The kids were addicted to the water.
One of the first home cooked meals- Fresh Gulf Shrimp!

First Day at Santa Rosa Beach. Although Daddy would tire of the beach over the next seven days, the kids would not! This day Mia attempted a "Sand Angel" that was very cute, but on second observation of the picture, it showed a bit to much for the blogging world and was deleted. =) Yikes! We will save that picture for her future husband!

Beach Sunset with Mimi and Granddaddy.

The next day, and the first of many sandcastles to come.

Brenner and Cayden with Sand Fins.

Beach Boys on their Bogey Boards! They would play in the surf for so long, that they would have sand and sea weed just about everywhere when they were through.

Grilled Cheese "Sand"wiches.

Beach Feet.

The first nights stroll along the beach we learned from some locals that with a net and a strong flashlight, crabs are only a few feet from the breaking surf at low tide. After a trip to Wal-mart, we were ready the next night and this became one of the kids (and adults) favorite activities.

The CLAW!

As you can only imagine from the above picture, Mermaid Mia stuck to finding sea shells with her flashlight. She wanted nothing to do with those crabbies!

Dinner is served!

Day three's Sandcastle, and I think the best!

Mia and Madelyn in their Watermelon swim suits. So sweet, could just eat em' up!

The Douglas kid Beach Crew!

This shark was line caught the night before by a guy on the beach and let go, but it washed up on the beach the next morning for a picture. Not slippery like a dolphin or ray, but very sandpaper course to the touch. Kinda sad it died, and kinda scary that they are out there in the water we played in all week!

Big brother's helping hand to the beach. Too cute!

Family pictures on the beach. Everyone else taking pictures were also in khaki and white, must be the uniform for 2010 family pictures!

The most Beautiful girls in the world!

Mommy and Mia.

Plastic Great White Attack!

Big Catches in Destin! Swordfish anyone? Or Mia is offering Dolphin!?!?! =)
On the pier with the fishing boats in Destin and a stop for some more seafood at AJ's. Great seafood but that close to the marina we learned that the water that goes with the syrup and carbonation can make a Coke taste like a mouth full of sea water- Nothing to drink please! We also ate at Landry's while in Florida, a place I had always wanted to try (one of McGrath's biggest competitors) and as all the reviews have said- it was wonderful!

This is the one day away from the beach, but not water! We went to Ponce De Leon Springs for a day and had a great, but cold time. 14 million balmy 68 degree gallons a day gush from this crystal clear spring. It was quite amazing to see and experience.

About half of the spring has been swimming poolalized by the forest service with concrete walls, dive platforms and steps and the rest was left all natural. In the picture below, you can see one of the very turquoise blue holes that feed the spring. They go down 25 to 30 feet into the limestone that you can see, and can feel the water current pushing past you. One of those things you have to see to believe.

Brenner jumps into a pool of "Aquafina"! =)

Jimmy Buffets Cheese Burger in Paradise!
This is one of the kids favorite Jimmy songs, so we just had to stop here and make up to them for all the Seafood restaurants that the adults stopped at.

I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Hinze 57 and french fried potatoes, big kosher pickle and a cold root bear, well good gosh almighty which way to I steer for my- CHEESE BURGER IN PARADISE!!!

Just a side note. On the way out of town we passed the Destin outlet stores and Nikki just had to stop and feed her latest addiction. I have always said that one (of the many) things that I loved about Nikki from the very beginning was that she never carried a purse full of junk around with her every place she went. Chap-stick and her I.D's in her pocket and she was off! Well, call it a mid-life crisis or whatever (I think a past friend at the hospital brain washed her), She has been buying purse after purse over the last 6 to 8 months and filling them with all kinds of crap! I am trying to be understanding and kind, and she has not asked me to carry it for her yet. So as you can see, she was very excited about her new find, and in no time flat, she had it so full, that she could barely fit her Nook in it! (I will admit that things like hand wipes and gum are very nice to have at an arms length, but I am not sure what else needs to be packed around like this! What ever makes her happy!

The kids all tan, water logged, souvenired and relaxed! What a trip! Thanks Florida- Hope to be back very soon!

Happy Birthday Mia!

Mia Turns Four!!!

Mia originally wanted a princess party for her 4th birthday, but soon as she realized all the boys that she wanted to invite would not be to crazy about a dress-up party, she changed her mind. So Mickey Mouse Club House it was as this is her favorite show on Playhouse Disney!!! All the Mouseketeeres had ears to wear, and ate hot dogs while listening to.... yep- the Hot Dog Hot Dog Hot Diggity Dog song. Daddy gets a kick out of the Mickey Mouse Club House songs and lyrics because if you did not know (Just listen to the voice), they are by the late 80's band They Might Be Giants! Too funny that our funky cool "Birdhouse in your soul" song writers would be making songs that our kids would love.

Mia had a large pile of friend presents and threw several fits (Ok- had several break-downs) before present opening time, the little squirt! I thought that by four, that kind of stuff was behind us, but we have only had boys, so I guess we are in for it, as she is going through a very spicy stage! It was her party and she did cry because she wanted too!

Mommy and Mia and her Minnie Cake. The Minnie dots were Almond Fondant and very tasty!

Our cute little squirt is four.....What happened to the time!

Happy Birthday Mia!!!

10 Mile Hike

Monroe Ward Boy Scouts

We have already had several Boy Scout activities, this is a picture of five of the boys (not counting the two big boys and the one taking the picture) in the troop before the second trip around the "rock" at Stone Mountain. We also have done some cooking, knot tieing, 22 shooting and a night learning all about rock climbing gear and safety for a trip planned later on.

We have a great bunch of boys and we are having fun....right Josh?

Happy Birthday Nikki!

-Happy Birthday Nikki-

Another year older and wiser for Nikki. All day Mia wanted to know when the party was going to start. She could not wrap her little mind around the idea that Mommy was not going to have what to her constituted a "Real Birthday Party"! Then when Mommy and Daddy left for birthday dinner she said: "I am not invited to your party? That's not fair!"

Even though Mia thinks Mommy got robbed, Nikki did get all she wanted for her birthday- a NOOK. Nikki has become a little book worm over the last several years, reading just about anything she can get her hands on. She decided several weeks back that she wanted to join the ranks of the e-book readers and set her eyes on a Barnes and Nobel NOOK. She shamelessly plugged friends and family for B&N gift cards as gifts this year so she can fill it with e-books. Thanks to all who contributed to her addiction!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOO FOO!!!

Brenner's soccer season came to a close on Saturday. The championship games were so intense that we did not seem pick up the camera to get a picture of him in action, but I love this picture of him and his teammates on the bench. In years past, the "Bench" was a place to go play and goof off until your name was called to go back in. Now it has become a place to rest-up, get a swig of Gatorade and attentively watch and cheer on the team. The boys are growing up! His goal in the second game which tied the game and sent them on to the third round sent shivers down my spine, and to see the look on his face as the other boys run to give celebration "slaps" makes a Daddy almost cry!

Brenner and Cayden also had their spring piano recital and each did a great job with the two songs that they have been practicing for six weeks now. Brenner played "Fire Ants" and "Just a Carefree Day" and Cayden played "In the Hall of the Mountain King" and "The Raven's Call". They did awesome, and Brenner even said how much fun he had playing. Wow, I will have to remind him of that the next time he complains about practicing!
Nikki took Mia and Cayden to the strawberry patch to pick strawberries one night while Brenner and I were at Scouts. These two kids would eat the whole gallon bucket they are holding if they had their choice. Brenner on the other hand has still not had any fruit since he was spoon fed it out of "Gerber" jars! He does get a banana every once in a while when Mommy makes "Nut Bread". If it were called by its full name, he would not touch it either.
Cayden and I worked on his end of school project, a reptile diorama. He loved making a lizard "buddy" out of clay. Nikki had some great ideas- Brown sugar dirt, and melted Jolly ranchers for the water. As you can see, it turned out great!

Cayden and his "Buddy".