Three Big Happenings

We've had 3 pretty huge things happen around here in a matter of 3 days.

#1- J.J. joined our family

The boys saved their money and bought this RAT.......

Considering I have rodent issues since......oh......one gave BIRTH (really, it was pretty messy.....and nasty...I felt like a nurse) to 3 babies in my closet while living in Tennessee (see?)

J.J. is actually pretty cute. Everyone loves him and Iris ADORES him.

(If you're wondering why a rat, the reason is that they're better pets for younger children then hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, etc..........go figure). But it was cute how the boys bought his bedding, food, exercise wheel, water dispenser, etc. with their own money. They were serious about this all.

#2- The Gun Show arrived

Here's the other thing Bronson used his money on that he had saved up from his birthday, and can you tell he's a little excited about it.

He WANTED a paintball gun (I, of course, didn't really want that to happen), but after I showed him these, he was sold. They're little red beads that get shot out and actually give a nice sting and leave a little mark (nice huh........and yes, we'll be investing in goggles to protect the eyes). Go ahead, just ask every member of the family except me and Iris to show their little marks to prove it. Here's Brooks and Bronson playing......(Bronson had the pistol one, but you can't see it, so no, Brooks wasn't shooting at an unarmed person)

My favorite part is Camden in his big winter jacket, so it won't sting when it hits. That doesn't stop Brooks though, he would just aim at the legs.

#3- “Best hotel trip ever”

(Oh, and Aleeya ASSURED me if we went to a hotel that she would "not plug the toilet and flush it and flush it", like they did LAST TIME!)

I pretty much couldn't say ENOUGH about this place and how much I would HIGHLY recommend Great Wolf Lodge to ANYONE. Anyway, we got the Kid Cabin Room So the boys had their own little room w/ a bunkbed, daybed and TV. They were in HEAVEN! (What's cute is that the girls were supposed to sleep in the pull-out sofa bed, but ended up sharing beds w/ the boys in there, so all 5 kids slept in those 3 beds!)

They said it was the "Coolest place EVER!" Then we said, "Let's go swimming" and Emerson whispered to his brothers, "I hope it has 2 pools." (meaning a pool and a hot tub). We didn't even TELL them there was a WHOLE indoor WATERPARK!!!!!!!!!!! You should've SEEN their faces when they walked in! (Brooks says mine was even better though.....yes, i'm like a kid sometimes!)

(that's Brooks and the boys under the water fort when all the water comes crashing down!)

Every party has a pooper, that's why we invited Iris.......

She is NOT a fan of water and is pretty much a pansy over most things......stinker.

There was basketball (okay, for those of you who know Brooks' brother, Gabe, doesn't Brooks look like him in this picture?)

Camden by FAR was the best at the lily pads.....think of the TV show, Wipe-Out, where the people keep slipping off those things.....then picture me, doing it EXACTLY like the people on Wipe-Out. Well, at least I gave the life guard a good laugh, but I was DETERMINED to keep trying and to master them. (for the record, that determination was in vain, because I just kept looking like a fool)

And Aleeya even got in on the slide action.....

Hmmmmm, I think I'm missing a child......where might Emerson be........

(his little bum would NOT take up the hole in the tube in the wave pool, so he insisted he was fine like that)

Speaking of Emerson, he beat Brooks, Bronson and Camden (and me later) EVERY time on the racing tubes......he's on the far right.

Here's the champion himself.

And how awesome is this, we run into our close friends, the Bells, by chance!!!! Now THAT was fun!

Okay, so Iris SLOWLY starting warming up to the water idea, but notice, her hair is still dry....

Yep, still dry, even in the wave pool. However, this was taken shortly before Brooks pushed Iris down a water slide by herself.....and she got plenty wet then. She came to me crying, "Daddy......slide.......agua"

Oh yes, and Royce was there too......and here's proof.

He liked the water as well (taken BEFORE Brooks dunked him under the water). I love this picture though because you can see Aleeya just floating on her back to the side.....this was her in the wave pool for almost 3 hours total over the two days we swam there

However my FAVORITE part was w/ these three.......

I left the younger 3 w/ Brooks in the room at night and went w/ the boys for the last hour and we hit up ALL the HUGE rides. My quads were KILLIN' from all the stair climbing! After we went on the most intense "Tornado" ride, Bronson asked, "How come you were screaming the whole time?" :) Yep, that was me. It was sooooooooo AWESOME though. It felt like I was hanging w/ my friends and we laughed a lot. I came back to the hotel room with that feeling like I just came back from a date and w/ a HUGE smile on my face. Those boys are dare devils and it was soooooo fun.

It's a pricier place to go, yes, and that's usually not my style, but I've wanted to go for 3 years now and it was DEFINITELY worth the wait. The kids said it was the "Funnest place we've ever been!" So easy to please. :)

And I REALLY liked how it WORE them all out on the 1 hour drive home!