This past week we have had some family come into town and it has been so much fun! My brother, Sean, his wife, Kellye, and their adorable baby, Landry came to see us. It's been over a year since we have seen them, so it was such a "needed" reunion! Sean is four years younger than me and when we were young, we used to play together all the time!
I have some pictures of me holding Sean when he was a baby and Landry looks just like him. He has bigger eyes, but they still look alot alike. I used to be Sean's "protector" when I was young. He was kind of stubborn and mouthy at times, and I so I would always have to tell him to be quiet so he wouldn't get in trouble!
Sean is such a great guy and it was alot of fun to watch him be a dad. I always knew he loved children, but it was neat to watch him interact with Landry. And I absolutely love Kellye. It was so nice to be able to get to know Kellye better. They are both very patient, kind, and layed back.
Landry is so handsome. He is a pettite little guy just like his parents. He has a huge smile and I love catching his eye from across the room and having him put his arms out for me to pick him up. I had a good time trying to "tag team" feed him with Kellye. He is not a fan of baby food, but he loves ice cream, yougurt and slushies!
I also enjoyed watching Cooper and Clayton interact with Landry. Every morning Cooper would come say hi to Landry and give him a hug. He also wanted to hold him alot. Clayton like to feed Landry and wrestle with him. They laughed in the car at each other as they sat in their car seats and blew spit bubbles at each other!
Cooper and Clayton adore Sean and Kellye. I loved to watch them warm up to them quickly and feel so comfortable around them. Uncle Sean took Cooper out to get some candy the last night they spent at our home! Thanks Sean and Kellye for loving my boys! It really meant alot to me.
It was fun to have Sean and Kellye stay with us and then I got to drive them around so I was with them most of the time. I told Sean that in a "perfect world", we could all live next to each other. I wish I could see my siblings (that live in Texas) more often, especially after spending a week together and having so much fun!
Today we decided to spend part of the day at Roy Aquatics Center. Originally the weather was supposed to be stormy and cool, but it turned out to be a beautiful day, so we headed to the pool. Clayton had such a fun time going down the slides with his cousins. Ty took him down the slide over and over again.
Cooper enjoyed snorkeling and wrestling with Ty and Jaxson. He is becoming such a good swimmer because of the snorkeling. I can't explain it but I guess it gives him more confidence in the water. One of these days, Bryce and I will have to take him snorkeling somewhere exotic.
Landry wasn't quite sure what to think about the water. It was a little on the cool side and he didn't appreciate getting splashed when kids would run by him. He looked so cute in his little hat and swimming suit.
Clayton is getting so comfortable in the water. (I don't know if that's a good thing) He had a good time hanging on the bar and laying down in the water on his stomach like a shark. All that was sticking out of the water was his big brown eyes and mischievous smile on his face. 
The kids had a great time with Sean and Kellye. Uncle Sean took some of them down on the slide. Our childhood friend, David, came to the pool with us and that was fun to be able to spend some time with him. It's always fun to go to the pool and watch the kids have a great time!
I am so thankful for Bryce. He is such an amazing father to our boys. They are so blessed to have him as their dad. They are so excited when he comes home each day from work. I love to watch their eyes light up when they hear the garage door open. Bryce is such a patient, fun loving dad and I am so thankful to have him as my partner in raising our kids.
At about 11, we got the kids dressed in their swimsuits, smothered them with sunscreen and headed down to the pools. The first pool was just filling up when we got there, so the temperature was perfect.
The second pool was freezing cold, but Cooper enjoyed swimming in it for a few minutes. They had three hot tubs, but they were burning hot. We eventually found our way over to the big pool where the temperature was nice. We threw the water balls around for a while and the kids enjoyed playing in that pool because they could all touch the bottom. We also had a fun time going down the water slides. Cooper put his life jacket on and was able to go down by himself.
We headed back to camp around 1 to grab some lunch and take a little break. It was nice to just sit around and visit with each other. The kids played "Red Rover" and a little soccer. After a couple of hours, we headed back down to the pools again. This time I brought my snorkel gear for Cooper to try out. He loved it and he was definately a "natural" snorkeler. He spent two hours with his head under water swimming back and forth. It was so much fun to just watch him be so intrigued with the mask and his ability to breathe under the water!
We went back to camp for dinner where we grilled hotdogs and hamburgers. Marilyn brought a yummy fruit salad and everyone scarfed down their food. I guess thats what swimming all day does to you! 
After dinner, we went back down to the pools one last time. Cooper snorkeled a little more and then went on the slides a few times. Clayton had a fun time swimming in the water with mom, but he eventually started getting cold, so we showered and headed back to camp!
Later that night, we put another movie on for the kids and they also roasted marshmellows. The adults visited and then watched a few minutes of Star Trek. The weather was a lot better the second night, so we didn't have to turn on our heater. The next morning, we got up, got packed, and headed home. We had such a great time and hopefully we will be able to reserve that spot again next year! 
It was so nice that the cousins could spend those two days together! Its always fun to watch them develop friendships and enjoy spending quality time with each other.
We ended up getting the biggest and nicest camp spot in the park. We set up our tents and trailers in the grass and it was nice because it was clean and not muddy. We had a little pond and creek in our "backyard" where the kids would try to "catch" old tile peices from the pool.
Clayton loved to watch and feed the ducks. He spent lots of time down at the pond with mom, dad, or Papa and he thought it was so much fun to throw the bread and crackers to the ducks. He also enjoyed watching the backhoe drive around the park. We bought him a little bubble lawn mower and he was in heaven. He has this thing for mowers right now.
Cooper had a great time playing down in the water with his cousins. They found blue tile peices and even saw a muskcrat and some crawfish. We had only been there for a couple of hours when we noticed his eyes were red and extremely swollen. We got some benedryl in him quickly, but his eyes never fully recovered until after we got home. Cooper also enjoyed playing a little baseball while we were there.
The first night, we had a talent show. Jill showed everyone how she likes to "roll" and eat her brown licorice. Brandon read an article about his awesome police skills and how he got to taser someone. Kassie and Jordan played the violin for us. Brandon's boys rolled their stomachs, danced, and chugged their drinks down for their talents. Marilyn printed off some camp songs and led us in "I Saw A Bear in Tennis Shoes". I taught every one a song about Jesus and Cooper and Sara's girls sang a song. Jade played her piano and Easton drew us a pictures. The kids had a great time performing.
For dinner that night, everyone brought their own tinfoil dinners and we cooked them up in the fire. I will have to remember next time, that chicken doesn't do that well in the tinfoil. We cooked ours for a long time, but the chicken was still gross. Oh well, live and learn!
That night, my wonderful husband, set up a movie theater with his projector, laptop, and speakers. We put a sheet up on the trailer and the kids watched "Gullivers Travel" and the adults watched "Just Go With It". It was a little stormy the first night. The rain would move in and out all night, but it was nice for the most part.
Cooper and Clayton just adore Grandma and Papa Douglas. They were so excited to see them. I just love it that they are so gentle and kind to my children and I am glad that my children love them!
In this picture, Steph and I are heading out to the Sports Bar and Grill where we watched the Mavs beat the Heat. There were lots of crazy people watching the game, but we got to meet Monique( 22 and cheering crazily for the Heat) and Wes(18 and just graduated from high school; the girls spent the next few nights hanging with him) while we were there.
This is a conch shell. We found it while we were snorkeling. It is a delicacy in the Bahamas and I think it is disgusting. Its chewy meat and feels fatty. Its actually a really gross looking creature.
Bryce loves to make fun of these girls because they are both blonds and kind of ditzy. Bryce said he was glad that the "other half of Kylee's brain" was going to be coming to the bahamas with us! In this picture, Katie is wondering how to use a cell phone and Kylee says, "I think you press the buttons with the numbers on them."
We boarded the plane at 7 pm and then sat there on the runway for one and half hours because of the bad weather. I had taken some dramamine, so I was completely drugged and sleepy for that whole part. We finally took off and I counted 28 planes lined up on the runway waiting for their turn. Anyway, we arrived home safely at about midnight. I got a few things unpacked and packed a few things for my next adventure....the Douglas Family Reunion!
The weather was really windy this day, because a storm was moving into the Bahamas. We decided to go play in the waves because they were big and it "looked" like fun. Well, it was fun for a few minutes until I got pummeled by this humungous wave that sent me all the way up to the shore. I got up coughing and choking and having to pull my skirt and top down. It scared me so bad that I was done swimming in the ocean. I had salt water draining from my nose for the next 10 minutes and I am blessed that it didn't smash me into some rocks.
Some of the gals got massages on the beach, while we went swimming in the pools and got rinsed off from all the salt water. Later that night, Steph and I went to the Sports Bar and Grill to watch Game 4 of the NBA finals. Mavs vs. Heat....I can't stand Lebron so I am glad that the Mavs won the Championship.
The Atlantis doesn't offer many activities at night....if you don't drink, smoke, gamble, or dance. All the pools close down at 7, which I think is dumb. Steph and I found ourselves back in our rooms most nights by 10 pm. The girls would go dancing at the Aura or go swimming in the ocean at night (don't sharks feed at night!).
Right outside our condos, some men were cutting down the branches and the cocunuts off some of the trees. We had them cut us one and then they cut a hole in the top so we could drink the juice inside. It was clear like water and tasted really good.
We went parasailing after lunch. We worked a deal with one of the guys, so the pricing wasn't too bad. I thought I would be really scared because I hate the "straight down" slides that are tall. Anyway, this would gradually take us into the sky. I rode with Brittney. It wasn't too bad and it was neat to be able to see everything being up that high. The ocean was kind of rough, but it didn't affect us too bad. 
After parasailing, Britt, Steph and I went back to the little shops by the Corral tower. We found myself a sweatshirt and most importantly, a Dr. Pepper. They didn't have any Dr. Pepper at the Atlantis, so I had to search for one at the shops. It was so refreshing!
