Pool time!

On our first full day in Florida, we explored the grounds, and visited nearly every pool. During our "tour" we identified our favorites (the "fountain" pool, the "fun" pool, and the "waterslide" pool, but not the "old people" pool), and pretty much stuck to a few of them for the week.

Camryn became a non-stop fish, splashing, jumping, and floating until we literally had to force her to get out of the water. Several days, she nearly melted into her bed after having exhausted herself swimming for hours on end.

We especially enjoyed the poolside bar, which provided a unending supply of strawberry smoothies for the girls, and pina coladas for Brian and I. :) The girls also enjoyed the poolside stand where sweet, patient employees did their hair in hair wraps, for which they got to choose the colors, patterns, and beads.

The girls just had SO. MUCH. FUN. If they didn't know the Disney parks were merely a few miles away, they would have been satisfied swimming, splashing, and lounging all week long! To know I'm telling the truth, just look at their smiles... :)

Florida Vacation 2012

Wow! What an amazing time we had! We feel so lucky to have been able to take advantage of Spring Break in a sunny, warm destination. The weather was GORGEOUS; sunny, warm, and 85 degrees every single day. Not once did any of us wear long sleeves or long pants. It was shorts, tanks, and flip flops all the way!

We were lucky enough to stay in a condo that was beautiful, clean, and even had a full kitchen and washer/dryer. (My kind of place!) ;) On the grounds were seven (7!) pools, dozens of fountains, waterways, and bridges, abundant wildlife (tiny lizards, beautiful water birds and dozens of baby ducklings), multiple playgrounds and restaurants, and even a grocery store. Truly, if we hadn't wanted to, we wouldn't have had to leave the resort once during the week. It was simply amazing.

The girls were great travelers, and tolerated the 6 hour flight like pros. Even when things went a little awry at the airport, they were patient, and kept themselves busy with their backpacks full of toys, books, games, and movies.

The only thing that could have made the trip better was another week of it. None of the four of us were ready to leave when the time came, and it was so hard to arrive to cold, dark, rainy Oregon. I'd give just about anything for another week in paradise. Perhaps next year...?

1st Grade Music Informance

Camryn's school has a WONDERFUL music teacher, who is fun, lively, and innovative, and isn't afraid to put on performances for ALL SIX grade levels each year. Traditionally, the first graders have an "informance," a teacher-led demonstration of the many skills they are acquiring in music class. No costumes, risers, microphones, or memorization required. What a concept! The kids have fun, the parents get to see what their kids do during the day, and it's all over in 30 minutes. Brilliant!

We had fun tonight watching Camryn's informance, and seeing how she interacts with her classmates, as well as her teachers. It seems as though her whole world revolves around her school and her friends right now, and we feel so lucky that she's got both terrific teachers, and amazing friends. Way to go, Camryn!

Sunshine, here we come!

I can't believe I haven't mentioned this on the blog yet, but we are headed to Florida!!! Sunshine, pools, and 85 degrees await our arrival in a mere 48 hours, and this trip could NOT come at a better time. Brian's new job this year has been wonderful, but extremely stressful, and year 13 of my teaching career is living up to it's reputation. We are ALL in desperate need of some sun, fun, relaxation, and anything that is NOT school related!

We are planning on exploring some of the DisneyWorld parks, as well as perhaps Sea World and Lego Land. Of course, we'll spend lots of time at the pool too, with SEVEN to choose from at our resort.

Aubrey has never flown before, and our Seattle to Orlando leg is a six-hour stretch, so we're crossing our fingers that we brought enough DVDs, coloring books, and Squinkies to last us.

Wish us luck, and stay tuned, because I'm sure we'll have lots of photos to post and share! Happy Spring Break!!!

Snow in March!?

Believe it or not, we woke up to 3 inches of sloppy, wet snow this morning! The girls were ecstatic to hear that school was on a 2-hour delay, so we ate a lazy breakfast, and then went outside to play before squishing our way to school. Apparently springtime in Oregon is being redefined!

Mimi & Papa!

It was SO good to see Mimi and Papa this past weekend! It's been WAY too long! We loved playing, getting pedicures, watching softball practice, visiting Build-A-Bear, and celebrating St. Patrick's Day with them. Can't wait to do it again soon!!!

Softball Season 2012

This, dear readers, is only one of the reasons why my blog has been so barren lately; so devoid of any news. One might assume that we have nothing exciting happening in our lives; nothing worth posting about anyway, but alas, quite the opposite is true. In fact, we've had SO much going on, that there has simply been no time to upload, reminisce, write, and reflect...

Last week, Camryn started a new sport: softball. She is LOVING the time with her friends, and the positivity of her coach, and is actually gaining some athletic skills along the way. :) It's a win/win! She is also learning (as am I, right along with her) that it's OK to get muddy, and that life goes on even when it rains (and snows!)

Games start in a few weeks, and at that time, I'm sure we'll have lots more photos to share!