Fall 2016 Activities

After missing some 65 days of beach time (Aug.-Sept.), the condo is once again liveable.  The flood damage has been repaired including a new dining room ceiling, new carpet, baseboards replaced and refinished dining table and chairs.
We have celebrated Abi's 7th birthday and Luke's 2nd.  We went on an overnight trip to the Pisgah Inn on the Blueridge Parkway.  We've also enjoyed soccer and cross country runs.  The children had fun at several dove shoots.  Then there was the Airshow at Warner Robbins followed by Hurricane Matthew at Hilton Head Island @ 2:45a/m on Oct. 8th.  While some areas suffered extensive damage and the landscape of HHI will be changed forever, we escaped any damages.  We now know with confidence that our condo can withstand an almost direct hit of a Category 2 hurricane at High Tide with 6-9 ft. storm surge prediction and near 100 mph winds!

Leaking water pipe brought down our ceiling

Abi's Egyptian Party with pyramid cake and the Nile River

Luke blowing the candle on his Mickey cake

No party is complete without the water slide

Enjoying the view from the Pisgah Inn. High enough elevation, there is no air conditioning

Looking down on the mountaintops

Connor's first soccer season

Abi is an old pro now

Logan, quite the player

Abi pacing her run at Magnolia Springs, she won lots of ribbons this season!

Just before heading out to the dove shoot

Grits with Grandparents at EBA

Thunderbirds preparing for their show

Logan at the controls of a Blackhawk

This scene is repeated all over Hilton Head Island

This palm was our most significant hurricane loss

"Matthew the Mingo" evacuated to our house and decided to stay!

The "Dream" was just a dream and then the dream came true!!

     Our original cruise scheduled for May 27th had been booked and anticipated for over a year.  It was canceled due to the illness and death of our father, father-in-law, grandfather, and great grandfather.  With much maneuvering, rescheduling, rebooking and a little luck, we were able to set sail on July 22nd.
     All ten of us drove down as far as St. Augustine on the day before.  After some swimming, go-carts and relaxing we were ready for the 2 hr. drive to Port Canaveral for boarding.
     The children were immediately overwhelmed with soooo much "Disney" to see and do.  Disney characters were around every corner.  We all ate dinner and attended the live shows together nitely.  The rest of our days were spent sunning, swimming, tubing, dancing, partying, meeting characters, watching movies, and even having milk and cookies from room service.  A beach day was enjoyed while docked at beautiful "Castaway Cay".
     After disembarkation, we all headed home.   As we were driving north, we were still sort of in the "Dream" dream when we received a call that our beach condo had been flooded due to a broken overhead water pipe.  So the dream suddenly changed to reality and we were back in the real world!!

The "Dream"



July 23, 2016

Serious Driver



Quack Quack



Rub'n is Rac'n

Bon Voyage Party

Headed out to Sea!

Poolside breakfast complete with Mickey Mouse waffles

 Early morning swim in the Mickey Pool

Fountains at Nemo's Reef

Two princesses!

Hey, Mickey's here!

Ready for Pirate night

Pirate Dinner



Another cute Pirate

A "thinking" Pirate

Fountain Fun on Castaway Cay

Pelican Plunge at Castaway Cay

Fabulous Beach Day

The End!



Vegas-March 2016

Any idea what it is like to fly into Las Vegas on a Boeing 737-900 with 90 empty seats? NICE!!!  That was just one of several special treats on a Spring trip out West.  

There was the "white-out" snow storm we encountered while touring in Utah and then there was the Rightous Bros. show at Harrah's. 

On the two day Utah tour we visited Zion National Park, overnighted in Cedar City, Utah and then on to Bryce Canyon National Park, before returning to Vegas.  Even with snow conditions up in the mountains, we had some poolside days down in Vegas.

 

 

 

Views from the Lodge at Zion National Park

 

 

Shuttle Buses in Zion

 

Rock Climber in Zion (The climbers looked like tiny ants on the giant rock faces.)

 

 

3 ft. deep snow on road

 

Frozen lake??  this time of year

 

 

 

Tunnel through the Rock

 

Snow storm coming over the mountains

Red Rock Arch in Bryce Canyon National Park

 

 

 

Rock Formations called "Hoo Doos" in

Bryce Canyon