Vacation Recap

This will be a boring entry only because I want to get out ALL about our week in Myrtle Beach. You are welcome to scan through the pictures.
Saturday, June 19th
We arrive at Dunes Village Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC. What should have taken us about 4 1/2 hours took almost 6. Traffic was AWFUL!!!!
We unloaded the car, got dressed and went to eat. Of course, we knew nothing about Myrtle Beach restaurants and ended up at The Fish House. Prices were reasonable and food was decent.
When we got back to the condo, the girls could not wait to go walk on the beach and I couldn't wait to get my camera out.

Sunday, June 20th ... Happy Father's Day
We finally got to see Jason, Brandon and Brailee. After breakfast, we got dressed and headed down to the indoor water park at our resort. There were two towers (Palm Tower and Palmetto Tower) at the resort and each one had a different water park underneath plus two outside pools. This picture was taken in the Palm Tower. There were a couple of small bucket dumps and one large one, two adult sized water slides, pools and an outdoor lazy river which was very small. I was lucky to get this bucket dump shot. Most of the time the bucket never dumped.

This was the Palmetto Tower which is where we were staying. It had the longest lazy river, two small water slides and a kiddie area. The girls loved the lazy river. They spent most their time swimming and floating. Unfortunately because it was indoors, we didn't get a lot of sun ... which was probably a good thing. Here Daddy is giving them a ride in the lazy river.

That night we went out for dinner to Mammy's Kitchen. Afterwards, we headed back to the beach for a night time stroll. Sarah and Bethany had gotten new ipods before we left. Myron downloaded the original Karate Kid on there for them to watch. Here Sarah shows off the Crane.

Pop and Nana arrived on Sunday night.
Monday, June 21st
Again, we are either at the beach or water park. I think the girls spent most their time at the water park.
Here Brandon and Bethany were going down the slides together and acting foolish. Crazy kids!!!

At some point during the day we made it out to the beach. Brailee is trying to help Bethany build a sand castle.

Bethany finally gave up on building UP and decided to dig DOWN. She dug herself a bath tub.

Then Sarah and I turned her into a mermaid.

Monday night we had family pictures taken on the beach by a photographer. I have yet to see them. I cannot wait. I hope they turned out beautifully. We didn't get a chance to eat before the pictures so we went to a Mexican restaurant afterwards.
Tuesday, June 22nd
Sarah wants to go to the beach. Bethany wants to go to the water park. So we split up.
Sarah built a dolphin.

We went out for dinner again. We ended up at Filet's in North Myrtle Beach. It was very yummy but on the expensive side.
Wednesday, June 23rd
After breakfast, we headed out to the beach and water park. The girls once again wanted to go in different directions. That afternoon the guys went to pay golf.
Every afternoon at 4 p.m., the resort did face painting.
That night, after a lasagna dinner, we headed to the Boardwalk which had only been open for a few weeks. We were able to see fireworks which was awesome.

Thursday, June 24th

Tiki, the parrot, made rounds on a couple of days. The girls got to pet her and have their picture taken. Tiki is also on facebook.

After a chicken and rice dinner, we went back to the water park.

Friday, June 25th
After breakfast, we went into one of the many souvenir shops. The girls wanted airbrushed t-shirts from Myrtle Beach. Gosh those things are expensive!!!!

We headed back to the resort for a few hours at the indoor water park before heading to Myrtle Waves for outdoor water park excitement. Brandon entertained the girls while they were there ... Thanks Brandon!!!

Myrtle Waves

We took advantage of the Twilight rates and went from 3 until 7.

Sarah enjoyed the water slides in this play area.

Bethany awaits the HUGE water fall.

There it is. I lost Bethany in all the water.

Everyone wanted one more night of seafood before heading out the next day. Although it was late, we went to Pier 14 on the Boardwalk. OMGosh!!!! It was SO good and worth the price. That is one place we will definitely go back to should we ever find ourselves in Myrtle Beach again.

Saturday, June 26th
On our way home, we stopped in Columbia to visit Uncles, Aunt and cousins.

The girls enjoyed spending time with Carissa.

I'm On A Roll!!!

Finally a house update.

There really isn't too much to show right now or tell.

Myron installed ceiling fans in the bedrooms and living room.

The girls got the same fan.

Master bedroom fan

Living Room fan

Myron took down the rest of the laminate that was covering the walls. We are trying to put in new counter tops but decided it might be nice to replace the base cabinets. I have been trying to get quotes for the last week. We have one, and are getting another one tonight.

See the flower pot, that will be the wall color.

I know the kitchen is messy. We were grilling out that night when I decided to take the pictures. I haven't taken any in awhile especially of the kitchen.

We decided to go with bead board for the wall covering and then have the 4 inch Corian back splash. This gives you an idea of what it will look like. I am trying to decided if I want to leave the bead board white or paint it my wall color. There really isn't a lot of wall space in the kitchen and the cabinets are going to be white. It just seems like a lot of white in there. I think we will wait until the walls are painted to decided.

Kitten Drama: What was I thinking?

A few weeks ago, Bethany discovered a mama cat and kitten underneath the shed of the neighbors. Every day the girls would go out and sit on our side of the fence and try to play with the kitten. For some reason, the kitten was very, very shy. Every time they tried to touch the kitten, it would run back under the shed. After about a week of perseverance and patience (of which, Bethany has very little), the girls were finally able to sneak in touches and pets. We even bought little toys to entice the kitten to play and food for the mama cat. Now the mama cat we have been seeing since we moved here, but she runs every time. She will not have anything to do with us.

The girls trying to see the kitten.

Here is the kitten poking its head out from underneath the shed.

On Tuesday, I went out to water the ferns on the front porch. As I approached the steps, I saw movement under the azaleas. It was the mama catd kitten. So I crouched down to see if the kitten would come to me. It really acted like it wanted to but kept a distance. The mama cat eventually ran off and left the kitten. I was very surprised by this.

The girls came out because they had never seen the kitten except through the fence. I finally enticed the kitten to the edge of the flowerbed where I was able to grab it. It hissed at me one time but then settled down and let us pet it. What a mistake that was!!!!

We took the kitten to the backyard trying to figure out what to do. The mama cat tried to come back but then ran off again if she saw us. Of course, the girls would not put the kitten down afraid it would run off. Myron finally talked them into putting it down in case it had to go to the bathroom. They wanted to keep it so bad.

I'm not sure what happened but it eventually started to run, and it ran back through the fence and under the shed. That is when the drama started. Bethany was devastated. We tried to reassure her that the kitten would be there the next day. That is where it has been living for weeks now. Well .... it wasn't. So now it is Wednesday and no sign of the kitten or mama cat. I was somewhat relieved. How do you contain a cat anyway especially if it is going to be an outside cat?

After dinner, I talked the family into a walk around the neighborhood. When we walked to the sidewalk, our neighbor, Billy, across the street yells "Hey, you want a kitten?" Curiously we crossed the street. He had been given a grown cat, beautiful, from his Mom blah blah blah .... anyway, we talked a little about all the cats we have seen and told him about the kitten we had caught the day before. All of a sudden I look at the girl (not young ... 20's maybe?) who is sitting on the porch and realize she is holding the kitten in her lap. Bethany got so excited. The mama cat was off in the side yard.

Anyway, long story short, we got the kitten back. Billy didn't want any of the cats except the one he has always had. Of course, the girl thought differently. She didn't want to give the kitten up at all but she did.

We put her in the garage with food, water and a liter box.

This morning (Thursday), the girls were up before 7 a.m. and outside checking on the kitten. They didn't even take the time to change their clothes.

We are still debating a name. At one time they had chosen Tiger. This morning they are saying Skittles.