More carnival

It just isn't a carnival without getting your face painted.

Beautiful Brooke

Our little angel Brooke has turned 2 years old. The time has slipped by so quickly. Brooke is such a happy and bright little girl. She is also very clever and observant, which has worked against us over the past year. She has been our busiest toddler by far. I can't seem to get anything done, but her. One moment of Brooke unattended could lead to hours of repair! (see previous entries.) Despite her creative ways, she is such a fun girl. She is now very aware of her rights as a member of our family, and she will no longer tolerate any inequality. Her favorite thing in the whole world is my make up drawer (see previous entries). She especially loves mascara. Well, actually her pacifier is the truly beloved possession. I don't know how we will break her of it. Oh well. We love you Brooke!

Jacob is Growing Up

Jacob is absolutely thrilled with his new bike. We got it at a garage sale a few weeks ago. He jumped right on it to show me it was just the right size. It took him a little while to get used to its size. His previous bike was so little he had complete control. The other day our neighbor friend was out riding his bike with training wheels. Jake raced past and proceeded to explain to the boy (who is 6) that if he practiced he would be able to ride without training wheels "like me".

Good bye Pip

There occurred a tragedy in our family before we left for Florida. Poor little Pip was a victim of weed poison. The girls took him outside to show the neighbor kids, and they let him run around on the grass. Unfortunately he digested some poison, or at least that is what we think. Fortunately it was not a slow and painful process. He just stopped breathing all of a sudden. It was an extremely sorrowful experience for the kids. They all cried and cried, even Brooke tried to join in by crying sympathetically. The girls wrote the sweetest letters wishing Pip a good time in Heaven, and letting him know how much they loved him. Despite the fact that it was just a hamster, it was a real reminder that death is so final. There is no going back. The kids still miss him, but fortunately we still have Silky to love and adore.

Pip's burial, the neighbor kids came to mourn with us.

The end of the trip

The Rides

Shamu Express was a favorite for Jacob. Unfortunately he was about 1" too short for several of the rides.

This little crab ride would pull you up and then let you drop. It was the exact same tickly feeling you get when you go over a hill in the car, but magnified by 10. It just made youwant to laugh.

This just made us sick. Around and around.

Moss' face says it all.

Feeding the Dolphins

We actually came back for a second day for the chance to do this. Feeding and petting dolphins was high on the list of expectations for our trip. You have to wait in line to do this because the dolphins can only eat so much. The dolphins were like little puppies. They would only come near you if they thought you had food. The picture below is of a dolphin swiping Anna's last fish. She was not happy about this in the least. She was planning on holding on to the little fish for a while. Needless to say, the dolphins felt like soft rubber and were much larger in real life than I imagined.

The kids

Sea World

One of the main rides at Sea World is Journey to Atlantis. It was actually quite a demented display of a variety of things, but the boat takes you on a couple of terrifying drops. Mary, Anna and I went the first time, Mary loved it, but Anna refused to go again. As we came to the second drop Anna grabbed my arm and yelled "Not again!"The best part is that they take pictures and you get to see them at the end (just in case you want to buy one for 20 bucks.)

One big plus for Sea World is all the shows. It was nice to not have to keep walking all day. The shows were amazing and very entertaining. We ended up right in the front for the Shamu show, and needless to say we were all drenched at the end. Brooke was just waking up when we were all doused with water that seemed to never end. The whale came right up in front of us on a platform. It was incredible to realize how enormous they really are. Unfortunately our batteries were drained and we didn't get any whale pictures.

The parents

I thought I would include a picture of Moss and I for good measure. Since we were there. All I have to say is that when I see those hotels and and palm trees in the background I think of hurricanes. That is the image I think of whenever the news is reporting an incoming storm.

More fun

Brooke was not so sure she was glad to be in the hot sun in sticky sand. She did her best, but was glad to get back to the pool.

Mary spent a lot of time scooping shells out of the water. We won't mention what happens when a beloved cup of shells is knocked over by a brother. One of those wonderfully public moments as a family that just won't seem to end!

Jake loved being buried in the sand. He thought it was so funny. He sure has turned into a character these days.

Anna loves the water, and loved chasing the seagulls and other birds along the beach.

More fun in the waves

Waves, waves, waves

Jacob

Anna

Mary

The kids thought it was hillarious to be knocked over by the waves. It really was amazing how strong the under current was.

Fun on the beach

It is amazing how far you can get in 24 hours. The trip was set to take 20 hours of driving, and it took us 24. We planned to stop and sleep for the night, but sleeping children are a big motivation to keep going. You know it is a long drive when the kids are excited that there are only 6 hours left! They did great, and we are very grateful for the invention of the portable dvd player. Brooke had the hardest time, but eventually gave up the idea of getting out of her seat.

There is something about sand and water that is so appealing to kids. They played and played. They loved the waves, which I was surprised by, and there was no mention of shark attacks. The best part is just being away from the many, many responsibilities of life at home (especially cooking and cleaning!). The kids kept asking, "How many more days do we get to stay in the hotel?" I don't think we would even have to go anywhere for vacation. We would just have to stay in a hotel with a pool and free breakfast for the kids to be satisfied.

Poor Brooke needed her naps. The kids were so tired at night that they would just pass out without a fight.

A child's prayer

Mary is a very intense person, as many of you know, and her prayers have given us a lot of insight into the stresses she feels. I would have never guessed that so much could concern a little girl. The other night her prayer went something like this,

"Please bless us to never be separated as a family."
"Please bless us to all be together in eternal life"
"Please bless us to have enough food if there is a famine"

I wish I could remember everything she included, but Moss and I realize we have to be a little more careful about the things we discuss with her. In my excitement about getting food storage underway I showed her the things I had in the storage room. Later she asked, "What if our neighbors don't have food storage? Would we share with them?" When I told her we would, she asked, "but what if we don't have enough after that?"