the beach

home

After 17 days, 3 destinations, 6 planes rides, 2 rental cars and 6 hotels....WE ARE FINALLY ALL HOME!!! And oh my, does it ever feel good.

I forgot how much I loved my house.  I love my dust.  I love my own washing machine.  I love cooking in my kitchen.  I love sitting on my comfy couches.  I love driving my very own suburban.  I love having more than one room to hang out in as we did in our hotels. I love NOT having to live out of a suitcase.  I just love being home.

But we had so much fun!!!  Disney was a huge success for all, especially Cydney Claire.  Her favorite was probably Minnie Mouse, but when she picked her souvenir...she chose PIGLET!! The big kids favorite was probably Hollywood Studios.  There were big, fun, fast, and exciting rides there.

After several days of Disney, it was nice and relaxing to dip our toes in the water in Marco.  The beautiful tan that came along with that was definitely a plus for me.

Telling my boys good-bye brought tears.  (I am not good at good-byes!)  But the girls and I headed to Virginia for a busy week of Bluedevil basketball.  We didn't fair as well as we had like at the National Tournament, although they did very well.  They placed about 13th out of 34 very good ball teams.  I am super proud of those Texas Bluedevils.

Finally...we flew home with a quick overnight stay in Amarillo for a family reunion.  It is always good to see family that we don't see often.  Sure would have loved to have seen them longer.

But home never felt so good!!

here we go....

As we speak, we have hopped a Southwest bird for hot & sunny Florida.

The Kirkland Klan is on vacation with Mimi & Poppy and the Schroeder crew.

While away, we hope to meet up with Mickey and Minnie.

and a few other Disney characters for handshakes, hugs and autographs.

We even hope to see a princess or two for a quick photo.  Of course, we will be taking several princesses of our own on this trip.

You may know them as..........

Princess Cydney

Princess Calleigh and Princess Bailey

We will visit many kinds of animals at 

Then have some fun at 

Moms and Dads and Mimi and Poppy will need a break from all this fun, so we are headed to Marco Island Florida for the Florida Cattleman's Convention.

I plan to sit on this very beach and soak up some Florida rays. 

Bumming at the beach is my idea of a vacation.

But my kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this pool.
So here is where we will spend hours and hours.

Which is fine by me!!!

Here we will also visit many feedyard customers friends.  I am really looking forward to this.

Then Calleigh, Cydney and I (and the Schroeder crew) will put Mimi and all the boys on a plane home while we jet to 

Hampton, Virgina

for

you guessed it....

a basketball tournament!!!!

Bluedevils will play in the AAU National Tournament. 

We are so excited and hoping for a CHAMPIONSHIP!!

Follow us on Facebook for up to the minute updates.

I will try to keep this blog updated with pictures from all of our summer vacation adventures.

Just typing all this and internalizing what all is going on makes me TIRED!!!

a week from today

Passports are in, paper work in complete, excursions booked and packing hasn't even begun.

A week from today we will boarding the Carnival Conquest sailing from Galveston.  We will visit the ports of Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.  We are so excited for a week of fun with our kids and dear friends.  For so many months this cruise has seemed so far away, but now...it is here.  I can't wait for a little hot summer sun and laying by the pool or on the beach.

Ms. Cydney won't be making the trip with us, which I hate.  But she really is just so young to enjoy it.  And too young for us to enjoy ourselves to the fullest.  So she will be staying here with Robby's parents.  Truth be told, she will have a blast at Mimi and Pop's and won't miss us a bit!!!!  However, that won't keep all of us from missing her tremendously!!

As for now...

only dreaming of big boats,

sandy beaches,

swimming with the dolphins

and the stingrays.

Next week, dreams become a reality!!!

there is no place like vacation home

Last week the Kirkland Klan took off for The Sunshine State for a little fun in the sun. Each year the Florida Cattlemen hold their convention in Marco Island, Florida. It has become one of our favorite places to enjoy a good family vacation. This year was no different.



We made it....everyone was very glad to have landed safely and into the car for a 3 hour drive.



Thankfully, the kids were tired and they konked out for most of the drive.





The pool at the hotel was AMAZING!! It was fun for all three kids...slide for the big kids, and wading pool for Ms. Cydney.



After a long day of swimming, Calleigh slurps down a pina colada...without alcohol, of course!!



And....Cydney had a little too!!! In fact, she really liked pina coladas.



And when they were gone...she reaaalllly wasn't happy.

In fact...IF she were talking, I am sure she would tell me "if I don't get some more pina colada, I am going to take this bow out of my hair!" That is a whole other battle we fight...clips in the hair!! ARGH!!!

Fortunately, she settled for a much better snack of Rice Krispies. YUMMY!!!

We actually spent very little time on the beach or in the ocean. While Carson liked the beach, Calleigh...NOT SO MUCH!! She was constantly worried about sharks. Therefore, Robby and I answered 20 questions about sharks all week.

Cydney was quit fond of the beach...

and the things she found in the ocean. She believed that some items should supplement her diet while at the beach...shells, and even some yummy sand. MMMMM!! as she would say.

On a bit of healthier note, she did experience her first pineapple. Which she thought was quit delicious.

....and her first lemon. I don't think her sour taste buds are quit developed yet. She ate every bite of this.

We even had a family sand castle going. I am not sure if Cydney was on the building crew or the demolition crew, but at least she was involved.

All that fun made for three POOPED kids!!!

Our week was full of all kinds of fun. As much as we love to go on vacations, we quickly remember....THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME!!

This is our week at the beach in sea nutshell. I have some really cute pictures that I will post later. As for now, I must sign off because, believe it or not, I am packing for another trip tomorrow. The Kirkland Klan is on the road again to Tulsa, OK, for a family reunion. Check back next week for more pictures of my precious babies. Until next time....many happy days and lots of blessings.

1 Down, 10 To Go

Weeks of summer that is!!! I don't know about you, but summer is flying by at a very rapid rate at the Kirkland household. It couldn't be because the month of June is absolutely crammed as full as we could possibly get it. It is CRAZY!!!

BUT...the first week (and a half )of summer was great. Cydney slept until 10:30am the first two mornings. I seriously had to check on her both mornings to see that she was ok. That is nuts absolutely wonderful. After you read the post, you'll know why she slept in...

TOP TEN LIST OF WEEK ONE OF SUMMER:

10. The Captain has turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. Please be sure that your seatbelt is worn tight and low across your lap...it could seriousy be a bumpy ride.



9. Watching TV. Cydney loves watching her Praise Baby video....well, when her mood is right.



8. Family Cookouts. Especially when Mimi offers something yummy sour to eat.

7. Sunbathing at the pool.

6. Swimming, even though the water is ice cold!!! BURRRR!!!

5. Sisterly LOVE....so sweet!!!

and some not so sisterly love!! (I warned you the ride could get bumpy!!)

4. COUSINS!!!

3. Building tents in Mom's living room. Especially when Big Brother lets Cydney play. She is having a GRAND time....can't you tell???

2. Having someone to share your snack with, and someone to play with.

AND...the #1 thing about this week of summer....

We don't have to fix our hair when we get up!!!

As you can see, it has been a GREAT first week and half of summer for the Kirkland family. Hoping your summer is as wonderful as ours. We leave for our family vacation in sunny Florida on Monday...I am going to TRY to post from my phone so stay tuned for updates.

Many blessings ~