Day 5...

This day of our trip was very relaxed and slowed paced...just the kinda day the parents love on vacation ;)  We took a nice little drive to a neighboring little town which was nice too. The Botanical Gardens was our spot for the day...they had a nice group of animals there as well so the littles extra enjoyed it.  Especially the owners dog that joined us for our picnic lunch near their new playground.  After a good hike and enjoying the sun the little girls' wanted to hit the pool again so we wrapped up the day poolside.  Luby's was right next to our hotel so we decided to just walk on over for dinner/dessert.

Day 4

While we were in Corpus I wanted to make an effort to see my friend Jess and her cute kids so we planned a day just for that.  We all headed out the Aquarium and it was a gorgeous day for it too.  We got to be inside and enjoy the dark and cool while seeing some really cool ocean creatures.  Everyone had their favorites of course and we got to hang out with some treasured friends to boot!!  We had a picnic lunch just outside the aquarium and the kiddos were brave enough to finish up the day with hitting the hotel pool. Dinner was Golden Corral which again is a place we don't have at home either.

Day 3...finally getting to this LOL

We of course had breakfast at the hotel then headed of to check out the USS Lexington.  I am not a big ship buff but, I will say I found it very interesting!  This day was more for DS than anyone else, he loves checking things like that out. Especially since his grandfather was a pilot and he has done loads of research on his time in the military.  After enjoying lunch at Dotz...a super cute 50's style diner/ice cream shop we hit the ship.  We did loads of climbing from deck to deck and saw how our troops lived while on ship.  After having a great snack at their Mess Deck cafe we decided to stick our toes in the sand at the small strip of beach there next to the Lexington. The water was a bit more cool than I would have dared get into but, the little girls' did wade in a bit.  After hanging ocean side for a bit we decided it was gift shop time.  We hit all of them we could see...we found some great gifts and bought some beach toys for our day there later in the week.  Everybody was starving so we headed to Chik-Fil-A for dinner....we don't have one here at home so we make a point of eating there while on vacation each year. We ended our day with a relaxing soak in the hotel's hot tub....ahhhhh

O.k. here we go...Day 2

So on day two of our great spring break vacay we got up and of course took advantage of the hotel's free breakfast.  We loaded up all the kiddies to head off to church. I have a former MOPS mom friend whose family has relocated to Corpus so we joined them at church.  And, by the way who doesn't want to get up each Sunday and go to church just steps from the ocean??  Also, on this particular Sunday their family became members so it was nice to be there for that as well.  After service with a funny pastor (my favorite kind) and a rockin' worship band we headed to lunch at Taco Cabana.  Gotta love lunch on the patio :)  Then we decided some bowling was in order...now we usually go bowling while on vacation only to get whooped by Dad.  This year our wii-athons paid off...I actually won, which never happens YAY! For dinner it was good ol' Denny's for some diner food.  Then we hit the pool and the hot tub for some relaxin'.  We try while at home to make Sundays a relaxed family day....this was a go with the flow kinda day!!

Ready to bowl a strike...

Okay so it's that time of year around here...

Time to tell ya what we did for Spring Break this year...we even borrowed an extra kid to take along for the fun this time.  You either love hearing about vacations/travel or see ya in about two weeks when I am done with these posts LOL :)

Gonna break it up cause it is one: too much for one post and two: too many photos to get in as well, so here we go....

Day 1:

On our first official vacay day we went to the Corpus Christi Science and Natural History Museum (this was picked with the Love Bug in mind since she is our science nut).  There are two replicas of Columbus' ships.  Neat thing we learned is that Spain actually picked Corpus Christi to receive these ships for the museum.  At the time they were built they actually sailed all the way to Corpus from Spain....which I found very cool!

Putting them to work sailing the ship...

We told her this was a boyfriend we would let her take home...lol

This ballroom and ceiling were both awesome so C and D gave it a whirl...

Being beacons of light....

They decided to recreate it....

They got to dress up like birds...they wanted to fly away

Love Bug would have been the Captain for sure...

Just buggin' around....

Myself and my Sweety...we were ready to set sail

Royalty and Explorers..Ta Da

On the poop deck with Dad...

Ride Em' Cowgirls...two look happy the other two are like: Reallly??

The tree was still wider across than all of them...

  So after a fun morning at the museum we decided we were famished so, off to lunch we headed and that in and of itself was an event.  We went to Joe's Crab Shack to get some yummy seafood and because Miss C had never been to one. Taking Miss C on vacation with us provided a van with extra laughter, silly faces for pics, lots of singing from those back seats, and a loads of clapping to the beat.  Had we had the Clapper on us it surely would have been broken.

They wrote on their crab bibs...her's said FEED ME :)

Insert Crab Here.....

I love Joe's legs...

I have crabs.....she did not think that was funny at all (no really she laughed, we told her we were not bringing any Sebastian's home with us in the car)

 After lunch which made us all so full we could barely move we went to play glow in the dark Mini Golf and hit the arcade....lots of giggling in the dark and my favorite ski ball.  Then we finished up the day with dinner at Weinerschneitzel...with chili cheese fries (which the teens are obsessed with) and hot dogs.  We have two rules on vacay...one: have fun and two: if at all possible no eating at places we have at home.

Stay tuned for day two....

Haven't done this one in a while...Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...bright sunshine but, when the wind picks up Brrrr

I am thinking...I need a cup of something warm to sip on

I am thankful...that there are only 9 1/2 days till vacation

In the kitchen...we are having pork tenderloin for dinner

I am wearing...black pants, duck day t-shirt

I am creating...always working on calendar in a box

I am going...nowhere today

I am wondering...not much actually

I am reading...Grace for the Good Girl

I am hoping...to get caught up on my study this week

I am looking forward to...VACATION

I am learning...that it is o.k. if it all doesn't get done

Around the house...need to put my plants out once it warms up some more

I am pondering...what to have for lunch today that is quick and easy

A favorite quote for today...In hard times we learn 3 things: Friends are closer than we knew, family loves us more than we thought, we can be stronger than we EVER imagined! ~Rick Godwin

One of my favorite things...Cranberry Peace Tea

A few plans for the rest of the week: catch up on reading, catch up on online study, catch up on onlne t.v. shows, good scrub down of fridge, casserole dish cabinet organized, animal cages cleaned, chalkboard project to next step after curing

A peek into my day...some reason it won't load at the bottom so my beautiful family is at the top :)

10 things I've always wanted to do that I haven't done (yet)

Number 1:Read the Bible cover to cover

Number 2: Learn a foreign language

Number 3: Taking dance lessons

Number 4: Take in-depth cooking classes

Number 5: Have a girls' only vacay with my Bestie

Number 6: Finish my degree

Number 7: Own my dream car 66' Mustang convertible

Number 8: See all my girls' graduate and head off to the lives of their choosing happy and knowing they were loved well!!

Number 9: Get back to my "fighting weight" and stay there

Number 10: Travel (and the list is LONG) all over with my DS...the traveling done here in the states in an RV home with our dogs :)

Mood: Got a bunch done today so....satisfied
Music: None watching Life Today as I type
Dinner: Mickey D's cause we thought DS was going to practice
Exercise: None today was supposed to rain...they lied
Weather:  Well it acted like it was gonna give us some good rain then it turned into a sunny 78 degree day
Random Thought: Well intentioned people are so sweet and God bless them for sharing their concern, what would I do without those who really want to pour into me??