Baton Rouge, Will's b-day & Big Play

Take a look at the scariest water slide on earth (well that I've gone on):

So about a month ago we went to Baton Rouge to have a little trip and go to the closest temple, and this amusement park/water park called Blue Bayou & Dixie Landing.  We started out on the water park side, and Blair would go on a big slide, and then we'd switch off- unless the boys were tall enough to go.  In this case they were not. You had to be a certain height + 90 lbs at least. They had a scale that you stood on before they let you in line.  Hmmmm suspicious.

Well Blair got done and had the weirdest look on his face with wide wild eyes and a half smile and told me I had to go on it- and nothing more.

I climbed the never-ending stairs and finally got to the top where I didn't know quite what was going on. The tubes curved up to straight up and down, with a door on the front.  They opened the door, where you stepped onto a clear plastic floor and could see down (into the free fall you were about to take). Closed the door and a robot voice started the countdown "3, 2, 1..." then the floor you were standing on disappeared from underneath you and you were falling and drowning and didn't know when you were going to ever breathe again, and then it was over. Whoa!!!! It was the scariest thing ever. I'm glad I survived, and I think I'd do better next time knowing what to expect (like plug my nose). Holy cow.

Will's b-day:

6!

We had a birthday party at Monkey Joes bounce place with a bunch of friends (Browns, Wrights, Smiths, Jones, Chickletts) but guess who can't find any pics but this one on Blair's phone? I must have deleted them without transferring. This is a ticket blaster booth where he caught as many tickets as he could get, then got prizes.

The next day we had a birthday bbq with some of our Internal Medicine friends.

Random picture on Blair's phone from the Children's Museum in Gulfport from last month. Cute little señorita.

We went to this free festival thing here on base and Xander loved the laser tag. Claire loved the bounce maze, and Will loved the harness trampoline jumper.  A few weeks later we also went to the USO Elmo show which was free and put on for military. The Air Force is cool!

I've always wanted to go in one of these hamster balls. It was pretty fun. Better yet- free! The boys went twice.

What did I do during General Conference? Make a bunch of hair clips!

I had to get a pic of my cute Dorothy this year.  We already had a Halloween playgroup thing last week that the little ones dressed up for. It was so fun!

Trying to get a pic of the toddlers.

Check out the spread :)

This last weekend we went to a place called the Big Play Family Fun Center, and Hog Heaven BBQ. It's really close to us, and we've been wanting to try it out.  It was fun, but even better was that we actually got to hang out as a family- because this month has been rough with Blair gone a ton!

Check out these cool spinning bumper cars!

Gotta love miniature golfing with the family! I love Claire sticking out her tongue in this one.

Everyone posing for the pic for me.

A toilet? Claire said, "I wanna go poo poo." Hahahah, we've been potty training.

Will got a hole in one!

Claire found an alligator to ride.

I went to the Beau Rivage buffet with some girlfriends today. We had a huge group of kids with school out for some teacher development thing, but it was fun.  One of my friends always has her camera on her, so I have a pic!

How lucky are we to have sunsets like this every night? This is our view right here on base of the Back Bay, if we drive home in the evening.

Whirlwind! St. Lucia, New Orleans, Stennis, a baptism, school starts, and guests

So our 1st hurricane.  Hurricane Issaac is upon us and here's where it is this morning, and luckily I still have internet!  The eye was heading for our house in their projections a couple of days ago, so I'm glad it went west. We live about a mile up from the coast in Biloxi, MS (in between New Orleans, LA and Mobile, AL). The wind and rain are fierce, and were all night, but it's those tornado warnings that scare me!  I have my phone giving me alerts, and it tells me when there are warnings, but sometimes it's from 2 cities over etc. I haven't ever heard the siren sound since we've lived here, so I'm just paranoid that maybe I wouldn't hear it if it was sounding on base.  Anyway, I just want this storm to pass, so I'm not on edge.  Our phone is out, back door leaking, and my internet is being funky but is working right now. We're all ready for any power outages. We've got food and water for a long time, and got the 72hour kits ready, extra gas, and everything else. Never felt more prepared!

This morning I went to get Claire out of her crib and she said "There's a monster in my bed."
I said, "No there's not."
She pointed to the window and said,"The monster right there." (rain and wind of Isaac were being loud)
I said, "It's just raining."
She said, "Oh, it's raining. Daddy's gone- he's working."
I said, "No he's here."
She said, "Oh, daddy's sleeping."

I said, "No, he's just downstairs."

Hahaha. My cute little Claire.

Here's the rest of our crazy whirlwind month which I was working on yesterday as I was backing up all of my pictures:

We started out the month with school starting, and Will having his 1st day of Kindergarten!  It was a rainy day, but we put the rain boots on and Will liked school.

                                                     Off for shopping fun with just the girls!

My friend Jana and her family came and visited us at the beginning of the month! It was great to see them.

 A week or so later my mom came in to town, and Blair and I took off on a trip to St. Lucia to celebrate our 10 year anniversary this year.  It was nice and relaxing all-inclusive, and we had a lot of fun.

Rose petals? What a nice welcome.

Our balcony

The aqua trike

Out on the water

We zipped out on the Hobie Cat and had fun exploring, but then had a very slow return with not much wind.

Testing out the paddle board on land first.

Luckily the ocean was calm so I didn't fall.

Dinner one night

Coconut milk too

Ready for more ocean adventures

On our way to scuba dive. It was my 1st time, but Blair's a pro.

Ready to jump into the unknown.

Can you see us?

Sunset walk on the beach.

Right before I destroyed Blair at ping pong, then he did the same to me at pool.

One of the many pools

Can he look any more relaxed?

Lookout point from the top of the resort.

Can't beat this view for lunch everyday

Fancy French restaurant night

Blair goofing off while I'm trying to take a million pictures to get a good one.

Best dessert I've ever had, ever.

Helicopter ride

Coming upon the Grand Pitons, one of Oprah's top 5 things to see in your lifetime.

Gros Piton and Petit Piton, two volcanic plugs that go 1/2 mile above the ocean. Seriously gorgeous!

Happy girl

So the day before and after our trip, we stayed in New Orleans to go out of that airport for a better schedule.  I had to stop by the scout shop there, and believe it or not this pond, complete with a turtle on the rock, is in the middle of the building!

See, check it out

Blair and I at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans enjoying beignets and hot chocolate.

Blair and I picked up my dad at the airport and made our way back  to reunite with my mom and the kids.

We enjoyed some finger licking food at Aunt Jenny's Restaurant in Ocean Springs. One of Elvis' favorite places supposedly. Blair's parents RV'd into town for Xander's birthday the next day.

HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY XANDER!

I think Claire beat Xander to the blow.

We went bowling for Xander's b-day with the grandparents. The kids love bowling!

The boys were in school the next day, and Blair working, but I took all our parents and Claire to see Stennis Space Center here in Mississippi.

We had a shrimp boil, true southern style.

Went to the beach.

Isn't that the coolest pirate ship kite ever??!!!

Xander got baptized!

I put figure 8's of frosting on the top :)

The family all left on the weekend, and here we are a few days later with a hurricane. WOW, what a month.