sea world -- san antonio {part 2}

We loved, loved, loved all the shows at SeaWorld! The Cannery Row Caper starred sea lions, otters, and one gigantic walrus... and it was hilarious!

 waiting for the show to start

 over 2,000 pounds of blubber on the walrus ;)

 this is Alligator Alley -- if you look closely, the second alligator from the right has a turtle resting on his back

brothers :)

 these were pics from our 1st time to the Shamu (One Ocean) show -- we ended up going 3(!!!) times

 simply amazing -- so cool to watch

 we always sat about 2 rows back from the "Splash Zone" -- walking around in damp clothes on a 60 degree day did not appeal to our family, but others were sure into it... go figure!

 the show "Azul" incorporated divers (see above), performers (see below), dolphins, a Beluga whale, and birds -- it was amazing!

sea world -- san antonio {part 1}

We were all super excited to go to SeaWorld. I loved researching and planning what we might do. We arrived  early (9:15am) and were in line for when they opened the gates at 9:30! It was a beautiful overcast day, with temps in the 60s. 

 waiting to get in the gates!

 We headed straight for the dolphins, and were somewhat disappointed that you can't feed them anymore. Several others also looked surprised about this new rule ... oh well... we still enjoyed watching them!

 Carter talking to a dolphin ;)

 then we went over to the sea lion area...

 these guys were fun to watch, and quite talkative AND loud!

 we decided we would come back later to feed them!

 one of the smallest otters -- an Asian Sea Otter (he was about the size of a ferret)

Jerry and the boys rode the Shamu Express -- a fun kids' roller coaster and we all ended up riding it several times again later in the day!

More SeaWorld pics to come...

spring break {the riverwalk}

We just got back from a few days down in Texas! The boys had Thursday and Friday off from school, so we left Wednesday afternoon and drove to Ft. Worth. We stayed with David, Kristen, and Olive that night, and then headed out bright and early for San Antonio! (All in all, we logged over 1300 miles during our 5 day trip...)

We stopped in San Marcos, TX for a yummy BBQ lunch at Kip's

 we even got to meet Kip himself :)

 the boys both ordered ribs and corn -- yum!

 As soon as we got to San Antonio, we headed straight for the Riverwalk!

 the boys on the boat

 love all the bridges

 we walked to the Mexican Market -- it was really loud, but smelled delicious!

 the flowers were starting to bloom!

 we had dinner, right on the river, at Rio Rio's

 there were lots of boats passing by and several ducks around our table :)

 the boys loved waving to everyone on the riverboats

the boys on the bridge overlooking our dinner spot
A great end to a fabulous day!

our beloved fletcher {2001-2014}

Fletcher, one of the best Springer Spaniels on the planet, is now busy snarfing cakes in Heaven. He was Mom and Dad's beloved dog, whom everyone considered their own pet. He was lovable, snuggly, always wagging his tail, morbidly obese, born with 6 toes on each foot, had a long tail, and loved to eat Dad's tenderloin. Heck, the dog loved to eat ANY table scrap that he was given. He has, quite possibly, the cutest face of a dog, ever. Period. He was great with Grayson, Carter, and Olive. He loved to run with Brett, kept Dad company during his retirement days, and enjoyed being the subject of one of Grayson's school reports. RIP Fletchie -- we'll all miss you lots. :(

 the morning Fletch died... there wasn't a dry eye outside in the yard... he truly did not look like his usual self

 tearful goodbyes :(

 some happier moments to celebrate -- earlier this year, Grayson took Fletch to school for his animal report and he loved meeting all the 3rd graders!

 Dad and Fletch leaving the school... they have been pretty much inseparable over the past 2 years

 Fletch/Fletcher/Fletchie/Sletch -- all the nicknames we had for him

he was so sweet and so stinkin' photogenic

Fletcher Buchanan {2001-2014}

grayson's 9th birthday -- at school

Last Thursday, I took a cookie cake to Grayson's class to celebrate his birthday!

 Yum!!

Grayson and his sweet teacher, Mrs. Hedstrom! We are so thankful for her!

9 years ago today...

we celebrated the birth of our firstborn, Grayson Samuel!

I can't believe he's nine today. As my friend Katie said, he's halfway to 18. Oh my. (We had our first babies one day apart.)

We celebrated with eight of Grayson's buddies last night at a KU Basketball themed party. We invited all the kids over to Allen Fieldhouse Southwest (our house) for dinner and dessert, and lots of hoops action!

 we borrowed Mom and Dad's vintage Jayhawk and made it into a chalkboard sign

 all the boys started off playing some hoops outside -- all the kids wore a shirt or jersey from their favorite team

 Grayson with some birthday moves after hitting a big 3 pointer!

 then we came inside for pizza and drinks, and turned on the National Championship game from 2008

 after dinner, Jerry had them compete in a shooting game with the Pop-a-Shot

 the boys were hungry again :) so we had cookies and ice cream after Grayson opened his gifts

 frosted sugar cookies in the shapes of jerseys, basketballs, and Jayhawks!

Happy 9th birthday, Grayson! We love you!