Royal Caribbean Cruise

 

Mom got a wild idea that we needed to get away for the Fourth of July. So she found a last minute cruise deal from Fort Lauderdale to Key West and Cozumel - and off we went. We really enjoyed the beach at Fort Lauderdale. We flew in the day before the cruise sailed and stayed 2 blocks from the beach. The water was clear and shallow enough for the girls to enjoy. Then we got on the boat and set sail for Key West.

 

Key West was HOT - and humid. Well, it was July after all. We took the trolley tour, saw the aquarium there, and visited the shipwreck museum. The girls were troopers and had fun at the huge sponge statue and with the totem pole at the restaurant we ate at.

 

Beach day at Cozumel. We did not pick the best beach (and of course, we didn't figure this out until we were headed back to the ship). Fortunately, the girls didn't mind the sludgy water or shallow sand strip. I love kids - give them a pile of sand and they're happy.

 

Family picture on the ship. The girls loved the kids club on RC and even sang a group pirate song to all the diners in the restaurant one night. It was so cute, something like: Everwhere we go, people want to know, why we're so short, so we tell them, we are the pirates... Aarrghh!

Mackenzie's Last Day of School

June 5th, 2009 Mackenzie's last day as a kindergartner. I admit I was a little teary. This is such a sweet age. So sad that these years of total innocence are ending. I will try to drag them out as long as I can. :)

More Pictures from May...

At the Metling Pot with Dave, Nat, and Brady Mackenzie's Kindergarten Graduation

May 2009 So Much Stuff to Cover...

So apparently, we did a LOT of stuff in May. Disney World, Blizzard Beach, and Animal Kingdom with our Cooper cousins. Mother's Day up in Arkansas with my mom, Linda French. Mackenzie had her first piano recital. Then she lost her very first tooth on May 21st. May 22nd was my birthday and I got to go out and celebrate with Dave, and Brady and Natalie Anderton at the Melting Pot in downtown Austin. And last but not least, Mackenzie had a graduation ceremony for her kindergarten year with Ms. May. I can't believe she's already done with kindergarten! What a month!!!

Mackenzie's first lost tooth! Mackenzie's first piano recital. She played Ode to Joy. Mother's Day in Camden, Arkansas All the Coopers at Animal Kingdom Fun times at Disney World. The weather in early May was fantastic. Great time to go!

Wildseed Farms

 

April 24th, 2009 I let Mackenzie play hookey from school and met Natalie, Jen, and their kids in Dripping Springs, then we all drove to Wildseed Farms (almost to Fredricksburg). It was a gorgeous place and the flowers were all in bloom. These first pics are from the butterfly house there. Both girls were completely entertained with caterpillars, cocoons, and butterflies everywhere.

 

This is the whole, fun crew. Lots of little ones!

 

These pics are in front of their huge poppy fields. Gorgeous!

 

Ice cream afterwards, of course!

Mackenzie's First Field Trip

 

April 23, 2009 Mackenzie's kindergarten class got to go on a field trip to the Texas Memorial Museum and I got to help chaparone her class. I was so glad to go. Not only because I was glad to see her and her classmates have such a great adventure, but because I've been patiently waiting for my kids to get older so I could learn more about what there was to see in Texas! Only through field trips to you get to be a 'tourist at home'. This pic is of Kenzie and Meredith just outside the museum. Backyard and best friends.

 

The whole class with Ms. May.

 

Afterward, we all got to go to Zilker Park and have a picnic and then the kids got to play. Say CHEESE!

 

Tired, hot, and happy, Ms. May's 2009 kindergarten class. In the graduation ceremony, Ms. May had a picture of Mackenzie and Meredith asleep on the bus on the way back, and holding hands across the aisle.

Easter Weekend

 

Easter Weekend, April 11-12, 2009 The Andertons came over for dinner and Kenz and Ava colored eggs while Brady lovingly kept the little ones busy watching a show. Such a selfless guy (no, actually he really is). We love the Andertons.

 

The Easter bunny came and left some goodies...

 

Kenz's stuff.

 

And Madi's goods.