Beach Day

To say our summer has been busy is the understatement of the century.  We {the kids and I} were in Texas for about 6 weeks while Jeff was in Haiti, beach camps, and a mission trip to Alabama.  Jeff’s sister, Aunt Maggie, came into town last week and her one request was to head to the beach.  We were so excited to fill that request and her trip was even sweeter because Jeff took the week off to hang out with all of us and rest!  So on Friday we packed up way too many clothes and lots of sunscreen and headed to the beach snacks in tow.  But once we got to Mt. Pleasant and saw all the yummy options we decided to stop for a quick lunch at Qudoba.  Everyone but Hudson really enjoyed their lunch, and we finished up with a cool treat at TCBY.  Because Hudson didn’t eat lunch we didn’t get him a yogurt, but his sweet sister couldn’t stand it and she shared most of her cup with him.  Landree is so sweet and loves her brother so much! 

After lunch we headed to the beach and enjoyed the day splashing around and building lots of sand castles.  Maggie and I enjoyed spa treatments on the beach (you know mud baths ;) and the kids loved running back and forth in the waves. 

After our beach day we headed to a hotel for the night and, of course, hotel swimming after breakfast the next morning!  That was Landree’s one request.  She loves staying at hotels and swimming.  She is really getting good at swimming and getting so much more confident at putting her head under water.  We keep taking more layers out of her swimmer and I have no doubt she’ll be swimming on her own too soon.  We headed to downtown Charleston for lunch and to sample too many sweets at all of the yummy candy stores.  Maggie bought sweet treats to take home to Grandma, Papa, and Krissy. And we only bought enough to eat on our way home.  The treats have been out of control for the Grays this summer (at least for 3 of us!)

We also went to two movies with Maggie.  Brave and Ice Age 4-Landree loved both and that is saying a lot for her!  She is normally scared of all movies and doesn’t even ever want to go, but Maggie was able to persuade her and she LOVED them!  We loved spending time with Maggie and having a little mini vacation with her!  Love you Maggie-we can’t wait until your next visit! :)

Aren’t these the sweetest little feet?

A pet adoption agency was walking a puppy on the beach.  Smartest move ever.  Every kid on the beach wanted to take that little guy home.  I’m sure if he wasn’t adopted that day it won’t be long!

ICE 2011

We’ve been to ICE at the Gaylord Texan for at least 3 years now.  And this year may have been my favorite!  They had a Shrek theme and the details are crazy!  They bring in 40 artisans from China to create the ‘winter wonderland’ It’s amazing!  It takes 3 months for them to freeze enough ice for the exhibit.  Blows my mind every year! 

The annual 'blue pictures’.  We carried Hudson last year and even a lot of this year because of the crowds.  It’s so hard to carry a 30 pound baby wearing a coat and a parka while you’re doing the same.  I’m really building up my arm muscles. 

H and J went with us this year too.  Landree adores her cousins!  They are so good about playing with her!  Especially J, she adores him!  And H is so beautiful!  She is 12 y’all!

 

They ask you not to touch the ice because it can cause it to melt, but they had a place you could sit in the ‘outhouse’. 

  

They have a giant slide room (that was the coldest room of all!) That you can slide down the ice-H and J both took a turn on the slide. 

 

When we got to the last room we had Mag snap a quick picture-we couldn’t find Mia and Landree (they had already finished-it was too cold)

I have a picture of Maggie with a fire extinguisher from the first year we went.  Just seems kind of funny.

 

And one of my favorite parts is that they always have a nativity scene and have the Christmas story being told.  It’s beautiful!

After ICE we headed to eat lunch before we walked around the Gaylord for a little while.  It is so beautiful and a little overwhelming to be honest.  They toy solider and snowman are 3 or 4 stories high. 

  

And there are trains everywhere!  Hudson loved watching them go by! 

Santa’s reindeer are everywhere-they are so cute. 

A life-size gingerbread house and a gingerbread village with more trains!

These giant toy soldiers where walking around too.

And we couldn’t leave before we got a balloon.  Hudson got a sword and Landree got a balloon bracelet and bunny.  They both last about as long as we had to wait in line (about 45 minutes)