The Kiddo's

Here's Nick with the twins.  I got such a laugh out of these boys.  What was also amusing to me was Nick and the twin to the far right looked more than twins than the actual twins did!  Nick and Frank hung out together a lot during the vacation.  The picture below is of Nick and Frank swimming.  Sometimes I could hardly tell them apart with their blond buzz cuts! 

Here they are in a hurricane simulator! 

See what I mean.......twins! 

 These two sweet girls was just all around sweet!  They hung out together a lot during our vaca. 

 I included this picture because it was hilarious!  You have to know the story behind the picture.  One afternoon we went go carting (because it was raining!).  Kerry volunteered to take all the kids in his suburban and we adults went with Ray in his mini van.  We were laughing the whole time knowing Kerry was stuck with the kids and we could almost hear Joel's cackle laugh!  Joel had a great laugh.  It was one of those laughs that only a full of it 11 year old boy would have!  As Kerry got all the kids out of the car he lined them up in the parking lot so he could get them safely across the lot!  I lovingly named him the child whisperer! 

 Nick and his ladies.  This is one of those times he was being very sweet!  Again, he was always nice to Jayde and he was nice to Lauren 85% of the trip.  In the car he was nice to Lauren 0% of the time!  But somehow we survived. 

 Kim and I took Lauren and Nick out one night to dig for crabs.  We were unsuccessful that night, but the kids didn't care.  They loved being out on the beach at night.  This picture of Lauren cracks me up because she looks like she's seen an alien. 

 Cousins playing together!  Nick and Lauren played together in the pool and also played a lot of ping pong. 

 This is Nick humoring me and Lauren.  Here's the proof that he did have it in him to humor us.  This was a picture we took while we were shopping because yep, it was raining so we decided to take the kids shopping! 

Nick and Jayde before dinner one night!  Another sweet picture.  To sum up the kids this vacation, they were really fun and enjoyable.  There were a few hurdles with Nick but they were mostly contained to the car, and it isn't a vacation for me unless I have a few hurdles with my kids.  This vacation I only had one child to contend with, but no Mike, but in the end, it all turned out well.  I should mention (in case I'm reading this in the home one day and wonder why Jay and Mike didn't go) that Mike didn't go because he's not a beach vacation guy and his business is really busy right now and Jay didn't go because he was going to a Christ In Youth event in Michigan.  Mike was alone in the house for an entire week.  He was afraid he might be lonely but I must admit that when I got home he seemed a little put off by having all of us back.  When I reminded him that before we all left he was afraid he might get lonely he told me (and I quote)....."Well I was wrong, Amy!"  LOL.  Needless to say everyone in my house had a really nice week.  I firmly believe that for our family it's very healthy to break away from each other every now and then.  We all need our space!