End of summer :(

The end of summer has come and I am sad. It feels like school just let out, can't believe it is already time to go back. We took the kids on one last short vacation last week to Grapevine, TX. We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge. If you haven't been you need to find time to go. The kids had so much fun and is already asking when we will be going back. After about a 5 hour drive (including a stop for lunch and 2 other stops) we arrived:

We got the Kids Kamp suite. The area for the kids was decorated like a tent with bunk beds and their own tv:

In the evening the kids can meet down by the clock tower in their pj's for story time. The boys decided they were too big for this so only Emily and I went, she got bored pretty quick too, but it was cute:

Afterwards a Great Wolf Lodge Mascot was out and you could take pictures, but only had Emily:

On the bottom floor was a game room, food, shops, a build a animal (like build a bear) and other fun things for the kids to do:

One of the days we were there we order Pizza hut from downstairs and ate it in our room:

One of the fun things about this place was the indoor water park, the kids and I hit the lazy river as soon as we got there:

They had a giant water fort with slides and other fun things to do:

They also had some great water slides. We went with Mike and Julie and their kids, here is Dylan and their 2 girls coming down one of the slides:

They spent alot of time crossing the lily pads:

One of the favorites for everyone was the Tornado here my 2 boys and Mike and Julie's 2 girls coming down:

Another good one was this green slide. You go start out here (Nicole and Dylan):

And it shoots you out into this, you go round a few times and back down another chute out to the pool:

This is me coming out backwards from the green slide:

Todd and JT came out backwards one time too:

Dylan and Megan after a ride on the green slide:

Emily, Dylan and Megan hanging out waiting for the waves to start at the wave pool:

The 2nd day we were there we decided to give the outside pool area a try:

Emily waiting on the boys to come down the outside water slides, she didn't like any of the slides:

Dylan on the outside slide:

Todd and JT raced down the outside slides, it was a tie:

Then back in we went for some more of the Tornado:

Dylan took this picture of us relaxing in the hot tub:

The water park area was great, but inside they had this game called MagiQuest. It is basically a big scavenger hunt through the hotel. You had a wand that you would point at the things and it would record that you found that piece and then you would have to go find the next piece. Then you would have to turn them into something (like this screen) and you would get your next quest to find new things, they had a book with a riddle for each quest telling you where to look. The kids LOVED this. We played a couple of hours a day and got all the quest finished and even got to fight the dragon, but had one or 2 small things to do and just couldn't finish it as we had to get back:

The last night we were there we along with Julie and Mike took the kids to eat at the Rainforest Cafe:

Group shoot of all 10 of us:

The kids get ready to tear into dessert:

After dinner we went back and played a little MagiQuest and then went back to the room. I was having a hard time sleeping so I got up about 5 AM and went to the bathroom, I had thought to myself I would take a warm bath and maybe that would help, as I go to get clothes and stuff to take back into the bathroom I hear this voice and I am thinking who is up as I come out of the bathroom (luckily still dressed) I realize it is the fire alarm telling us to get out of the hotel. I was wondering if at first some one was playing a joke on us and then realized nope, no joke. So I wake up Todd and Emily jumps out of bed grabs her shoes and runs out the door, next thing I know I hear a knock on the door and Emily saying "Mommy I can't get back in" so I open the door get her back in. By this time JT is up and we gather some things and I see Dylan there still sound asleep on the top bunk, so we wake him up and head towards the fire exit stairs (which was just 2 doors down from our room so we were like the first or second family on our floor, 7th, to get in the stairs). Everything went smooth and noone panicked and we made it outside. Most people went towards the bushes, but we went half way between the building and the bushes, next thing you know you hear and see everyone coming back up towards the hotel seems it was time to turn the sprinklers on to water the bushes. Long story short they had some type of fire in the laundry room and had to evacuate the hotel for about 2 hours. Here we are out in the middle of the morning in our pj's:

The lights of some of the fire trucks:

Some of the fire fighters in the lobby ( you know me with scrapbooking have to have pictures of everything so I can scrapbook it later):

Once we got back in our room I took a picture from our room of some of the fire trucks still there:

I must say they did a great job at keeping us informed and stuff, even with the fire we can't wait to go back to Great Wolf Lodge again.

After our exciting morning with the fire we packed up and headed back home as that night was meet the teachers for the kids and Todd and I along with Mike and Julie also had Astro's tickets. So we got home unloaded the car got cleaned up ran to the school met all 3 kids teachers and then dropped them off with Mimi and Popsy. The Astros were playing the Mets. During a brake Taco Bell hot, mild and medium sauce packs had a race:

Hunter Pence up to bat:

Todd and I enjoying the game:

The train on the move after Bourne's 3 run homerun to put the Astros in the lead:

It was a great evening out with good friends to cap off our summer.

Saturday the boys soccer team played in the summer classic tournament for the 3rd year in a row. We did well, we had two out (one sick, one injured) and 2 new kids who have never played before and we won 2 games and lost 2 so I call it a good turn out. Dylan (orange #2) on the move:

JT (orange #7) trying to get the ball from other team:

JT (as goalie) makes a stop:

Dylan trying to make a pass:

Dylan ( not sure what he is doing, dribbling up maybe?):

JT (as goalie) making a goal kick:

It was a very hot 2 days but the boys held on and did great.

Monday was the first day back to school, hard to believe. I wasn't ready for it, but the kids are glad, they are in great classes with great teachers so it should be a fun year for them in 2nd, 3rd and 5th grade:

Walking down the all on the first day:

Emily ready for class to start:

Dylan ready to learn even more Spanish this year:

JT, his last year in elementary school :( he is growing too quickly:

I miss my babies while they are away at school, but know they are having fun and learning lots.

We had a great summer and hope everyone else did too!