F-35 Float

Our friends at work, Dean & Ginger, got Mason and Maya this awesome F-35 float. This is especially cool since Brian and I work so hard week to week supporting the F-35 program!! It was funny when I found the float on my desk at work because just the previous week, I had seen that someone else had one and mentioned around a group of people that "I want one!!!!" But I had not been able to find where to buy one. But, Dean & Ginger had no idea that I wanted one or was looking for one. I think Ginger saw them on woot and bought a bunch for their friends with kids and a pool!



The kids L-O-V-E the fighter jet float!

And I L-O-V-E this picture and these 2 kids!!

Maya starts Kindergarten!!

It's pretty unbelievable that my baby girl is starting Kindergarten...but it is true. Maya has been very excited to start school. Mason was ready to be a 2nd grader. He was most excited about his new one strap back pack.

I did get a little emotional dropping Maya off on her first day. But I held the tears in until I was in the car by myself driving to work. She's a big girl now.

She was very excited that her class has 2 pet Guinea pigs.

Mason wanted to walk to his class while we were dropping Maya off. But I went and met him in there to say goodbye and get a picture of him at his desk. He looked like he knew just what to do.

MerMaya

We headed to dinner.. we tried several places before finding a restaurant that didn't have a wait for a party of 12! We ended up trying a new place and it was pretty good. The kids especially enjoyed the candy, junk toy and tatoo machines.

After dinner the boys went for a little night fishing and the girls stopped at a store to look around (where Maya found this mermaid and promptly posed next to it - HAHA) and then we went back to the condo.

Our beautiful girls... Berkley, Maya and Parker.

Shell Island and a child overboard

I have almost dreaded writing this post.... but here goes.
We headed back out on the boat to what the kids call "shell island." It's a great little island to collect beautiful shells. Mason got a turn at the wheel....

You'll notice in most pictures of Maya with her life jacket, she is holding the top of it. She really didn't like the way it fit, I guess and was constantly pulling it down from her face when she was sitting.

We made it to shell island and began our hunt and collection.

Maya wanted to show me lots of shells and most times wanted me to take a picture of them too.

As were driving away from shell island, Maya and Parker were hanging their feet off the side of the boat. Wendy was at the wheel while Chris went to the back of the boat to clean off his muddy shoes. Brian and Derek had moved away from the wheel for some reason at this short period of time as well. I'm sitting there watching Maya and Parker, but sitting probably 3 feet away from them. In slow motion I see Maya attempt to dip her foot into the water....and she goes overboard. I stand up and start screaming to stop the boat. At the very same time Chris sees Maya float by....he yells at Wendy to stop or turn around or something, I don't know. I'm trying to find Brian on this small boat but I can't take my eyes off Maya in the big ocean by herself.....getting further away each second. I am SO THANKFUL for the life vest that she so much disliked. I'm completely panicked.... and am considering jumping in myself... but common sense kept taking over what I wanted to naturally do. I didn't have a life vest on. I can swim well, but what if they couldn't get back to me and Maya, being so scared over took me, what if I took her under, etc., etc... and just as I was about to jump in that water the boat turned around and we were headed back for Maya. The whole time I'm yelling toward her, "it's okay, your okay, we are coming back" over and over and over, but she is terrified, screaming and crying. We pull her aboard, she's shaken. I hold her tight and love her. A few moments in after she calmed down I explained how the life vest kept her safe. A little later she told me she believed in life vests or something like that. I don't know that I'll ever have trouble getting one on her again.

After everyone's blood pressure was back to normal, we decided maybe it would be a good idea to stop the boat and let the kids jump in and swim. We really wanted Maya to know that it's okay to take a swim in the deep blue ocean...we didn't want her to have a fear from then on...

So, Luke, Mason, Maya, and Maddox all held hands and

JUMPED in together!! They didn't stay too long because Luke was then stung a few times by a jelly fish. I think he jumped on it. We decided we better go on back...we had enough adventure and excitement for the afternoon.

Wendy & Parker...

Maya and I...so happy to have my girl safe. She sat right with me the rest of the way...

Janet & Berkley...

Evening Boat Ride

We all went out for a ride in the boat. The kids all lined up ready to go with their life jackets on...

Mason was thrilled with the water.. and I love this picture!!

Maya was exhausted and fell asleep in my lap... she needed a little nap. She was kind of cranky when we were getting on the boat and not happy about having to wear a life jacket...

She felt better after just a little snooze.

Beach Day

We packed up and headed down to the beach for the day. The kids got pulled around in the little blow up boat and rode the waves...

There was a lot of work down on the sand castle!! It was funny to see Maya carrying the bucket of heavy water while Maddox held onto the handle.

The boys dug a big hole...

Wendy made us all cups that said "10th annual Kin Folk ShinDig"

Pretty cool that we have been doing this for 10 years or more!!

The kids collected a lot of shirmp... Maya got pinched by one... And speaking of pain.. throughout the day many in our party of 12 were stung by jelly fish, including Brian, Mason and Maya.

Brian caught a little fish in the surf..and of course Maya had to grab it.

Maya showing me a few of the shrimp...

Maya with my hat on...

Mason found and captured a little crab named "Crabby"

I took his picture with it before we let it go free.





















The kids pose with the big sand castle before they kick and punch it all down...

And the destruction....

Washing off the sand before we left... we had a GREAT day at the beach. We stayed there for the whole day!