Disney is BAD for reality!!

Haha we are only back for 2 weeks and ready to go back again!!


well here's the story, or at least days 1-2...



Day 1: Christmas morning... aren't they cute in their matching TCP pj's? They screamed and jumped up and down and did not believe us that we were leaving NOW til we took them and showed them the van... we were on the road by 8am! can u believe that? crazy... i videoed it and if i figure out a way to include that somehow i will do that later...


then we hop in the minivan... Definition of LOADED: 7people, luggage, toys, movies, blankets, FOOD, surfboard on top, stroller in cart dragged behind car.. YEP LOADED.

So then we drive, and drive and drive... down thru south Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama... and end up in Pensacola, FL... only 13 or so hours, and 3-4 movies, games of uno, a couple of naps, pit stops and lots of "WHEN WE GONNA GET THERES"

We get checked into our flea bag motel for the night (seriously) and sleep it all off. Next morning we hop up, load up and head to Mobile to the USS Alabama warship tour. Very cool for the boys anyhow...

We get to spend the morning touring around this humongus warship and the boys have to touch and read everything, so the girls just kinda split off and toured the whole ship... then I was itching to leave, cuz we still had to drive back 50 miles and change clothes to do our beach trip.

SPELLED: Family photos!

so i was REALLY wanting to leave that ship..

We get back to the hotel, get changed and it clouds up and looks like rain... i am ready to cry at this point, but we trek to the beach anyhow.. and lemme tell you it was worth the trip!

My two littlest ones had never seen the ocean, and they were in the biggest God made sandbox ever!!! They had the best time playing in the sand, the surf and hunting for shells.

The worst thing was the jelly fish kept washing up on the beach... TONS of them, and i really did not think much about it, except to warn them sternly not to touch, step on or get anywhere near them... but Chelsea had other ideas. she was too upset that they were laying there dying, so she finds the bill of an old ball cap and starts scooping them up CAREFULLY and then slinging them back into the water (i did not have the heart to tell her the tide was coming IN) but hey it was the thought that counts right? I did some research after we got home and discovered that those cute lil jellyfish were none other than Portugese man of War jellyfish, some of the most poisionous... and painful stings around... so very thankful that my jellyfish saving spongebob cutie pants was carefully throwing them back to her version of saved (wink)

So the rain held off, the clouds made for just so so lighting, but the photos... OH the photos were just well, see for yourself!!

they are a little lighter than i wanted, but i am still tweaking a bit in photoshop.. so for now, this will do for a preview. I shot at a high ISO low light and they were sooo grainy, so i found this noise reduction software, and it softens everything like it was shot thru a filter, so i am tweaking that a bit too. these are not the finished product, just the first draft.

Yeah thats my super model jelly fish saving sponge bob cutie pants... oh my goodness the view was breathtaking!

oh... and the ocean was pretty too..;)

keep your eyes peeled i am hoping to post some more sunday...