A Vacation to Remember

About a month ago, Jason realized that if we were going to have a family vacation then we would have to act soon with the upcoming arrival of our fifth child. We were so blessed to have the opportunity to stay at a fabulous beach resort (at a great price) that was fully equipped to entertain young children. Each day we enjoyed the pools and the lazy river. The kids really warmed up to the water and even Anne-Marie was swimming by the end of our stay. The resort's elevators were made of glass which the kids found nothing short of exciting. Each trip leaving and arriving our room was full of fun and smiles. We also made a couple of trips to a go-cart track where William and Caroline had the time of their life in the race cars riding with Jason. Each set of grandparents came for a couple of days to lend extra hands with the kids in the pools. Caroline and William enjoyed racing at the track with Jason and Papa Allen, while Anne-Marie earned tickets in the arcade to get prizes. Of course, no trip to the Gulf Coast would be complete without overdosing on seafood. We enjoyed lots of seafood, steamed, blackened, grilled and fried. Jason even coaxed Caroline into trying a raw oyster one night at dinner. To our surprise, she swallowed it down, but didn't go for a second one. The kids also learned how to eat crab claws and they quickly became a hit along with fried shrimp which William kept calling "chicken."

We spent the last few days with family which is always fun. The kids love spending time with their cousins. No trip back home would be complete without tractor rides. The three older kids enjoyed riding in Papa's lap while pulling everyone riding on the trailer. One night we decided to celebrate William's upcoming birthday. He was completely surprised but loved every minute and bite of it. He is still wearing his "Thomas the Train" watch. Also on this trip we acquired a new vehicle to transport our upcoming family of seven. The kids still love to reminisce about all the fun things we did and enjoyed together. It was definitely a vacation to remember.

Mom's Tea

At the girls' preschool they have been working for the last few weeks preparing for the annual "Mother's Tea." Anne-Marie was so excited that she woke up and got ready for school at 6:00 am this morning. Each child wore their "Sunday best" as they served his or her mom cake, chips, and/or a cookie. I am so thankful for the songs they have learned from their preschool teacher. Each afternoon as they are ending their school day they sing a most precious song: "Holy God, in love He came, perfect lamb to bear my shame. On the cross He took my sins, by His death I live again." What a blessing to hear my sweet girls sing that song! They had made me a picture frame and even decorated the paper it was wrapped in. They each also made me a card that I will cherish forever. In many ways it was as special to mom and it was to the girls.

Hospital Tests for Anne-Marie

After many mornings and evenings of sickness and stomach aches, we finally took took the doctor's advice to have some tests performed on Anne-Marie. As you can see from the smile on her face she enjoyed the upper GI, however, the blood work was another story completely. Daddy had to do this parenting job solo since mom (being pregnant) couldn't be around the x-ray machine. The upper GI revealed no issues to be concerned over and we are still waiting on the results from the blood work.

Trip with Daddy to Black Acre

On Saturday, May 10th, Jason took the kids to Black Acre, a local farm reserve complete with gardens and animals. The girls had such a big time feeding goats and horses, and looking at other animals. The horses were the biggest hit, especially the colt. Caroline said the cows were "just too lazy." Anne-Marie showed some bravery by feeding and even petting the horses. As you can see they greatly enjoyed the Saturday afternoon outing with dad, despite returning home with muddy feet.

An Afternoon at Huber's Farm

Mr. Joe Huber really knew how to facilitate outdoor family fun. The Allen and Dumas family caravaned to Starlite, IN for an afternoon of recreation and relaxation. The little and "big" kids enjoyed feeding the goats (Caroline's favorite), shooting paint balls, riding the cow barrel ride, launching apples, and much more. Of course, we enjoyed some homemade fried biscuits and ended the trip with an ice cream treat from the Berry Twist. Be sure to notice Alden is now equipped with bottom teeth! He loves trying them out on "big kid" food.