Orange Beach Vacation, Part 2

We rented a pontoon boat one day.  We rode it all through the waters inland from the Gulf.

A family pic on the boat.

 

The boys watching the wake. 

 

Even, Henry, Garret, Caden, Annabelle, and Brian relaxing on the boat. 

 

We docked it on an island for a while. Robyn and the kids waving back to the boat from the beach.

 

Hadley and Annabelle relaxing in their tubes. 

 

The boys were still working hard digging. 

 

Hanging out in the water next to our boat.

 

Annabelle and Hadley.

 

Thursday morning, we went parasailing.  The kids absolutely loved it!  A picture of the kids before we loaded the boat.

 

The whole group on the boat.

 

Waiting our turn to parasail.

 

The girls. 

 

Garret and Caden. 

 

Laura and Caden's turn.

 

Brian and Annabelle's turn.

 

A family selfie from the balcony out the non-beach side of our condo.

 

A little parent vs child beach baseball at sunset one night. 

 

Once the sun went down, we went hunting for crabs. 



Orange Beach Vacation, Part 1

We headed to Orange Beach, Alabama for our family summer vacation this year.  We went with a few other families from Covenant.  It was such a fun week!

On the way there, we broke up our drive by stopping in Vicksburg, MS for the night.  Saturday morning, the kids were up bright and early, so I walked with the kids down to the Riverfront Murals and Catfish Row Children's Art Park.

 

Of course, the kids had no interest in looking at the murals.  They only wanted to play on this boat and the playground adjacent to this. 

 

After breakfast at the B&B that we stayed at, we went to see the USS Cairo Museum.

 

The kids refused to be in a family selfie. 

 

Checking out one of the canons.

 

Then we got back on the rode and headed to Orange Beach.  The kids checking out the view from our condo's balcony on Saturday night. 

 

 

Sunday morning, the kids were ready to play in the sand and the waves!

 

The weather was great most of the week.  It did rain a little one morning.  We headed to the wharf area that had shops and restaurants during the morning showers.  The kids at lunch.  Clockwise from the front left: Annabelle, Garret Tilger, Henry Buja, Hadley Tilger, and Emerson Tilger.

 

The adult table, clockwise from bottom left: Angie Buja, Evan Buja, Brian, Phil Tilger, Robyn Tilger, and Laura.

 

Two of our friends were staying in the condo tower next to ours, and it had a lazy river.  Henry Buja, Annabelle, and Caden floating along the river. 

 

 

Fun at the pool.

 

Unfortunately, the jelly fish rolled in about a month earlier than usual.  I think every single one of us was stung at least once.  The kids spent most of their time playing in the sane.  The boys digging in the sand.

 

Taking a break from digging for a photo op:  Henry Buja, Garret Tilger, and Caden.

 

Caden and Annabelle digging.  

 

Eating dinner on the beach one night.

 

Annabelle and Hadley waiting to eat at a restaurant one night.

Summer Camps

After swim team wrapped, the kids participated in a few camps.  One week Caden went to a golf camp at DAC, and Annabelle went to the tennis camp.

Caden had two friends from school participate in the camp with him.  Andrew Collins, Caden, and Luke Baker ready for day one of the camp!

 

Annabelle found a swim team friend before the first day of tennis camp.  Annabelle with her friend Meaghan Musgrave.

 

Annabelle loved tennis camp.  She has been practicing what she learned in the backyard.

 

One day, I had tennis drills during camp, so Annabelle wanted to wear matching outfits!  Photo cred to Caden :).

 

A selfie before heading to camp. 

 

The following week, the kids went to camps at Park Cities Baptist Church.  Caden attended a basketball camp, and Annabelle attended a hip hop dance camp.  They both had school friends at camp, and they had so much fun!  The boys sitting down for instruction before starting drills.

 

Annabelle had a performance the last day of camp.  A picture of her doing coffee grinders.

 

A few pics from the middle of her dance.

 

They learned a verse and a dance.  Here's a video of her Bible verse.

 

Here's her dance performance.  I had to load it in 2 separate videos, due to the size of the file.



2017 DSSL Championships

The kids ended their swim season at the Dallas Summer Swimming League Championships.  It was a long day.  The girls swam in the morning, and the boys were in the afternoon. 

Annabelle's results were as follows:

4th place: Freestyle Relay

7th place: 25yd Freestyle

17th place: 25yd Backstroke

DQ (wiping out 2nd place): 25yd Breast stroke

Here's the video of Annabelle's 25yd Freestyle race.

The breast stroke DQ was so frustrating.  She was DQ'd for taking her hands below her hips...I know I'm a biased mother, but that seems harsh to DQ a 5 year old on such a technicality.  Out of all of the 6 and under girls competing in the 25yd breast stroke, only 1 girl, who happened to finish first, did not get disqualified.  Here's the video of Annabelle's breast stroke race.  She's in the lane on the far left.

 

A picture of Annabelle during her breast stroke race.

 

Annabelle and her friend Meaghan Musgrave playing in between the girls and boys meets.

 

The cutoff for swim team competition divisions is your age as of May 1st, so Caden was 1 week too old to be competing in the 6 and under; therefore, most likely the youngest in his 8 and under category.  He really did outstanding, and he just loves to swim.  Caden's results were as follows:

4th place: Freestyle relay

5th place: 25yd Freestyle

DQ (wiping out 2nd place): 25yd Butterfly

2nd place: Medley Relay

 

Caden and his friend Parker Musgrave, and a few other teammates lounging, waiting for their turn to race.

 

Here's a video of Caden's freestyle race.  He's in the middle.  He finished 2nd, possibly 3rd, in this heat, and then finished 5th overall. 

 

 

Here's a video of Caden's Butterfly leg of the Medley relay.  He took the lead on the relay, but unfortunately, another team ended up barely overtaking his team during the last leg.

 

Their team, the DAC Dolfins, won the meet.  The kids got a medal at the end of season social.  Here's a picture of the kids that attended the social.

 

Caden and Annabelle with their medals on. 

 

And a pic with the championship trophy. 

 

They had a slide show during the party.  Here's a picture from the slideshow of Caden at the start of the 25 yd Freestyle race at the DAC swim meet. 

 

A great shot of a bunch of the 6 and under girls lined up waiting for the DAC meet to start.  Annabelle is in the middle.