June 2016

Our computer decided that it couldn't handle any more photos as well as our iCloud accounts, phones, iPads, etc. So we have been doing a back up of all of our pictures. We bought a fancy MyCloud wireless back up device and it didn't work. So we just defaulted to our old extra hard drive and I uploaded a ton of pictures to google photos (previously picasa.) If you have any other better suggestions for picture organizing and back up I'd love to hear them! After 2 weeks of working on this, I was finally able to download our most recent pictures and get them up here on the blog.

We've been busy this month. We've had VBS, we had our annual Ft. Morgan UAB reunion trip, we celebrated Father's Day, and Ellie had Broadway Dance Camp. I have several pictures and videos to document our comings and goings.

We are looking forward to leaving tomorrow for yet another beach trip. Pictures of that soon to come!!!

First up: UAB Beach Trip 2016
This year didn't disappoint. The older kids really play so well together now. They don't even need the adults there.  All of the girls shared bunk rooms on both sides of the house. They basically had a 7 night sleep over! Mack had his own room, and thankfully so, considering he was up several nights with a raging ear infection. We had thankfully brought his ear drops with us, so after about 3 days it cleared up completely. There is nothing like green gunk coming out of your 2 year olds ear mixed with sand from the beach.

Mack also decided, on this trip, that he was done with the pack n play. He climbed out the 2nd day we were there during nap time. Dr. Stuermann happened to be up at the house making his lunch when Mack wondered downstairs and told him "I waked up!" So he brought him down to the beach for me. It scares you to death when your child climbs out of the bed for the first time, but it's even scarier when you are in a vacation home with a huge ocean on one side of the house and a street on the other side of the house. Needless to say, he went into the regular bed that was in his room and ended up not trying to get out of the bed at all at night. He was so proud of himself for moving up to the "big boy bed."

It was a great trip and the kids were completely "Wo' Out" when we got home!

Putting up the tent

On the beach drinks. Hughes had a multi tasking cooler. The blender was a great addition to our  trip this year. 

The kids had their daily dose of sugar. When I say "daily," I mean ALL DAY!

The ice cream truck came by twice a day. The kids could hear it at least a mile before it got to our house. We gave the guy so much business he gave us a watermelon one afternoon. 

Ice cream coma

Worth attempting to get Mack into the waves. 

They removed the hot tubs from the house, so the late afternoon was pool time this year. 

Toothless Ellie

A view from the water of our house and tent set up. Probably a little intimidating to the people around us. 

Mack's favorite spot was at the rinsing area  by the pools. In this picture he has removed his bathing suit and is cleaning the sand from his undercarriage. He stood in that spot everyday watering the grass, spraying people's feet or just cleaning himself as he is doing in this picture. 

Low Country Boil night!

The guys really like to see how far they can shoot water balloons. In this picture they are aiming for the turtle people that are out on a beach vehicle looking checking the turtle areas (not sure of the official name of that.) They ended up hitting their vehicle. The guys turned around and rode up to our house. Russell Steurmann apologized, but the turtle guys just seemed impressed that they got the water balloon that far. 

Eating time on the East side. 

Mack's bed head was off the chain at the beach

Emma spent the trip collecting hundreds of sea shells

The guys relaxing

There were 3 teenage girls (sisters- a 13 year old and twin 15 year olds) in a house across the street from us. We met their parents,  and these girls ended up being free babysitters all week. They hung out with our kids, played with them, and swam with them in the pool and ocean. The parents even offered them as babysitters next year so that all the adults could go into Gulf Shores and get dinner. 

Birmingham Besites. I apologize for whatever pose I am in here. Once this got posted on Facebook, my best friend commented on my "pageant pose." Since I have never been in a pageant, I wouldn't know how to do a pageant pose, I was just trying to steady myself on the sand after a potent margarita. 

This one may be Christmas Card worthy. Be on the lookout

Me and my first born. 

The kids. Look in the lower left hand corner. Reese had a chokehold on Levi.  LOL!!

Everything is a telescope for Mack

Emma working on her split. 

My babies!

The guys

more sugar

This year, Ellie got into reading on the beach. She read a couple of books on  her kindle out on the beach. 

Clearly, these girls have been around the dads too long. 

Mack on the way home. He fell sound asleep like this for about and hour and a half.

When we got back from the beach we hit the ground running with Father's Day on Sunday, VBS starting Sunday night then Broadway Dance Camp for Ellie starting Monday.

Mama had a big lunch for Father's Day, so we went up to Tifton hang out briefly Sunday afternoon. This is Daddy with all of his offspring. 

Even though it was Father's Day, I had to get a full group picture with mama since we had the opportunity (and everybody together!)

Worth and his babies!

This was a video from the final VBS performance. Sorry for my terrible cameraman skills, but I was having a hard time filming around the heads in front of me. I had heard the girls practicing this song all week, but for some reason it brought tears to my eyes to hear all those kids singing it together. This year was such an awesome VBS, and I say that probably because I didn't volunteer to help this year (ha!)



Here are Ellie's final performances from Broadway dance camp. They learned a broadway routine everyday, did a craft related to the performance - making a costume, doing their own stage make up, etc. Ellie LOVED it. She wants to do Broadway camp everyday!