Week 5 - Highs and Lows

This week started with our day in New Orleans, a visit to the USS Alabama and finally arriving at our cousins house.   Here are our highs and lows.   

Bo -

Highs - USS Alabama,  Staying at the Glaser's house, Seeing my cousins. 

Low - Knowing that we have to leave my cousins. 

Darby - 

Highs - USS Alabama, meeting with the cousins, shopping with Sayler

Lows - Getting cut in my head. 

Ollie - 

Highs - Hanging out with my cousins, Late Night swimming with my dad, Playing dodge

Low - National Hit your head week. 

Colt - 

Highs - Staying at the Glaser's/Vance's, USS Alabama, New Orleans

Low - Knowing that we are leaving soon. 

Brody -

Highs- Staying with the Glaser's/Vance's,  boat ride with Uncle Justin, USS Alabama

Low - Hitting my head and going to Urgent Care

Brad -

Highs - Late Night Swimming with Ollie,  Staying with the Glaser's, Touring the USS Alabama

Low- 2 kids with 2 urgent care visits.

Janelle

Highs - Playing Dodge, Boat Day, USS Alabama 

Low -   2 Urgent Care Visits (although I didn't actually go in) 

Ron Jon Surf Shop

We were supposed to go to the Space Center but they were sold out of tickets.  Another reason we need to come back here.  

Once we needed to change plans we decided to go to Ron Jon’s Surf shop.   This is a place Brad really wanted to visit and Brody too.  They are the shoppers in the family. 

All the kids came with.  

It is a HUGE store!     For me, it was quickly overwhelming and I couldn't wait to get out.   Brody & Brad both found some things they wanted to buy. 

The younger kids loved the stuffed animal section, although none of these are unique to Ron Jon's. 

Of course, we had to take pictures outside the store.  

George, Elijah, Colt, Ollie, Sayler, Darby, Brody, Gunner, Wes and Bo. 

Dock Walk

We took a walk to the dock by the Glaser’s.    We went in the evening just as the sun was setting.  

I got there too late but the kids saw a few dolphins swimming in the waves. 

Extra sun

We put sunblock on when we went to the beach.  We even reapplied it a few times but Colt still got some extra sun.  It was probably because he was out in the waves surfing as much as he could.  It likely got washed off and it was reflecting off the water.  

It was a bit painful for a few days but he is doing better now and we are applying sunblock a lot more now. 

Jammin'

Brody brought his electric guitar and amplifier on this trip.  It has been great for playing in the RV and for Brody to continue practicing his guitar skills.   He pulled it out and the kids started playing all sorts of music and having a little jam session.  It wasn't perfect music but it was still fun to listen to.  

Hopefully I can get a video uploaded soon. 

Brody on the guitar.

Wes on the violin.

Colt, Elijah, and Gunner on the percussion.  

Disney Bust

One of our original plans for this trip was to go to Disneyworld.    We have been so excited because this is always what we told the kids when they would ask if we were going to Disneyland.  

"We are going to Disneyworld on our RV trip." 

Unfortunately, about a week into our trip my sister told me tickets were sold out for the week we would be there.  (They don't usually have a limit but with COVID they do).  We could try and come earlier or later when it wasn't "spring break" time but since our RV trip is on a tight schedule it didn't work to alter it too much.  Our next alternative was to scrap Disneyworld and try to visit another time.  At first, this idea was disappointing and discouraging.  I finally told the kids and even though they were a little disappointed they didn't get upset. 

It was then that I realized they would be just as happy spending the days with their cousins playing games or doing whatever they could with them. 

So while this park isn't Disneyworld it was place they played at for hours.  They played a game called square dodgeball.   These memories will be just as good as the ones they will make at Disneyworld some day.   We are thankful for all of them. 

Beach + Family

We took some family pictures with all the cousins. 

And the parents got to be in a picture too.