Benton's 5th Birthday

Benton had his 5th birthday party at the Frontiers of Flight Museum.  The children had an absolute awesome time playing in all the planes and towers.  We we so happy to share this big day with Benton!

Watching Planes

Another Summer bucket list item was checked off this afternoon.  We had a picnic at Founders Plaza and watched the planes land and take off at DFW Airport.  

Paper Airplanes

Our local library has the best summer program for children.  This afternoon we met on the third floor of Town Hall and learned to make different types of paper airplanes.  The best part was launching them from the third floor balcony to the targets below.  So much fun!

Getting There

The old saying "getting there is half the fun" does not apply to traveling to Anguilla with three small children and all your junk for a 10 day stay.  In fact, it isn't fun at all.  We were up at 2:00 AM to head to the airport for our very early flight.  The children were troopers even on a limited night of sleep.  We enjoyed watching planes in Miami.

Exhaustion caught up with this crew before landing in St. Martin.  A couple of kicked drinks later, John Chris and I were done with flying.

We arrived in Anguilla late afternoon by charter boat.  We were all excited to ride this speedboat across to Anguilla.  GB Express did a fabulous job of starting our vacation with the laid back attitude we needed.  As we approached the island, the sweet smell once again welcomed us to paradise.  We had arrived, and it was worth the day of travel.

Thursday Fun

Since I still look a little beat up, we have been spending the week at home.  Today I thought I would treat my children to a little surprise.  We picked up lunch at Chick-fil-A, and I took them to a new picnic spot.  At the north entry of DFW Airport, there is a small park that provides an excellent view of incoming planes called Founders Plaza.

The park has covered picnic tables and a few plaques and statues.  The coolest feature is the speaker from the tower.  We listened to the planes being called in by air traffic control, and it was awesome.  As we were getting ready to leave, the boys wanted to watch one more plane come in, and I was happy to agree.

Another favorite activity this week is Nabi time.  When Ridley sleeps, the boys play quietly on their Nabis behind the sofa in the game room.  I am not sure why they pick that spot, but it must be comfy.

Sleepy Heads

It is hard to fly so early in the morning!  John Chris, Ryland, and Ridley are out on the plane and will be rested for the beach in ANGUILLA!

Finished airplane

 

After a few hours of Dad working and lots of glue, the airplane is assembled.  It didn't come together exactly as directed, but it is super cool.

 

Ryland precisely painted the airplane.  He was sure to use all the colors and cover every bit of the plane.

 

 

The airplane is finished and will soon find a special place in Ryland's room.  He says he wants to put it on his dresser with his other airplanes. 

 

Building an airplane

We found this wood airplane kit months ago, and today was the perfect day to work on it.  Ryland and I popped out all the pieces and sanded them smooth.  I quickly realized the 3+ age printed on the box was crazy.  Not all the pieces were cut quite the right size, so we had some problems snapping them into place.  After two hours, we decided to put the assembly on hold, so Dad could help out. 

 

To be continued...

Getting there...

We started the trip to Anguilla very early this morning.  John Chris and I woke up at 2:45, so we could make it to the airport at 4:00.  Only a truck ride to the airport, a bus the the plane, plane to NC, another plane to St. Martin, a cab to the ferry, a boat to Anguilla, and a car ride to the beautiful beach.  The boys were happy to be up early and on the way.

The plane rides went well thanks to suckers and a DVD player!  After a day of traveling, we were about worn out and ready to see the beach!





Flying to see Grandpa Dave

We flew to Florida to see Grandpa Dave and have a mini vacation. Uncle Clint and Aunt Kristi drove over so we could all fly together. It was a rather peaceful flight, because Ryland fell asleep immediately as the plane took off.

We can only hope for another great flight back home.

Time to go home

We almost forgot to take a family picture at the beach. We had to snap a quick one before we headed home.

Ryland had fun in the pillow pile while we packed. Of course he had to hold on to the remote - typical man.
Ryland realized we were headed home when we reached the airport. He acted like he didn't want to go.

The airport had a play area for little kids that was great. Ryland and Jackson played in this house, and they took turns ringing the doorbell over and over.

The plane ride home was fine until right before we landed. Ryland fell asleep about 30 minutes into the flight. I was loving my mommy moment, holding him while he slept. All hell soon broke loose. He woke up screaming. He was screaming, crying and arching his back. I thought his ears might have been hurting, so I tried to give him snacks and a drink. In fact I tried everything I could think of to calm him down. Ryland wasn't having it. He was in all out fit mode and screamed for about 25 minutes.

Mommy moment over!

Ryland's first flight

We left for our family's first summer vacation in Orange Beach today. Lindsey and I flew with Jackson and Ryland to cut out the driving horror. John Chris and Rodney left yesterday and will be in Mobile to pick us up at the airport. I did not know what to expect with Ryland on the plane, but I was pleasantly pleased. He didn't act like his ears hurt, but he wasn't a big fan of being confined to a small area. It was awesome to watch him as the plane took off. He stared out the window and pointed. The flight was only about an hour and a half, but it seemed like an eternity. I did everything I could to keep him entertained and calm. We played with every toy, read every book and magazine, and ate every single animal cracker we had. It was an experience!