Saturday, lazy day.

The Pophams left Saturday morning to return home, they had alot going on starting on Monday and this gave them a little more time to prepare. That morning we swam of course.

After swimming, the boys, Erik and KK headed to town to buy the highly anticipated hermit crabs and cages. Harper and I stayed back at the house where I finished up laundry and started packing and Harper took a nap. The quiet was so nice :) Erik took the camera along with him to town.

..and they got their crabs, each one chose a crab with a painted shell.

A stop at the candy store before returning home. Cooper was in heaven.

Admiring their new pets.

Right behind our house was a little lake. The lake had turtles that would swim right up to you, as long as you were feeding them bread. Erik had stood the boys up on the ledge and they were feeding the turtles, and of course Cooper fell off. Thankfully, he was not hurt. He is so our accident prone child.

Hagen and Erik decided earlier in the day, that since Hagen had a new crab, they would release the "wild" ones he collected earlier in the week. So that night they walked to the lake behind our house and released the crabs.

The little bunny we ran into right outside our house, on our way to release the crabs.

After dinner, we headed to the ice cream shop for one last treat before we returned home.

Beach Day Friday

Friday we spent most of the day at the beach and at the large resort swimming pool. So we headed out after breakfast that morning. So there was an older man, not that old.. maybe 60, that sat on the beach everyday under a LSU tent. He had quite a collection of water toys to use on the beach, he had acquired over the summer. He would let the kids borrow what ever toy they would like as long as they returned it at the end of the day. He was the nicest man. The kids loved to go pick a new toy out everyday. Friday he suggested we borrow his baby blow up pool for Harper to sit in.

Harper loved the little pool. Payton and Cooper had to join her of course. She did wonderful for a long time, until Cooper fell on top of her and pushed her head under the water, and then she was done with the pool experience.

Harper and her big floppy hat. I thought she looked so cute, and it actually was practical it really blocked the sun.

Hagen picked a blow up boat with a rope to play with for the day. This day in particular there were crab swimming all around in the water. Erik, Hagen and Lance took nets out and were scooping them up. Hagen made Erik pull him around in the boat, while they were "fishing for crab". His boat was named the Corneilla Marie.

One of the crabs they caught and released back into the water.

Erik and Cooper hard at work on their sand castle.

Later that Evening we headed back to the beach, for pictures. What a process with four children.

I am going to blow this up for my granddad. I just wish my cousin's little boy Jaxson was in it, maybe next year.

Happy kids.

Harper Kate

My sweet family.

KK and the boys.

My little princess.

Best Buddies.

Showing off their Matilda Jane.

After our photo session, we headed back to the house and fed the kids. KK was gracious enough to watch the kids while we all went out to dinner. We decided to eat at The Original Oyester House. There was a small wait, but SO WORTH IT. The best seafood I have ever had. The Baked oyesters were soo good. If you are ever in Gulf Shores or Mobile, this is a must.

A wonderful day!

Pool Party and Smores..

Thursday, we decided to take a day off from the beach and just hang out at the pool at our house. After breakfast, we spent the morning in the pool. Hagen had learned how to swim earlier this summer, and during the trip he was swimming really well on his own with quite a bit of confidence.

They loved the pool.

Around lunch, KK and I, headed out to go see the movie, "The Help". I was so excited about this movie. I read the book earlier in the summer and had anxiously been awaiting the movie. The book was fabulous. KK started reading the book on Monday, when we arrived in Gulf Shores and she was done by Wednesday night. The movie was great and we really enjoyed it. Unfortunately when we were away, Harper had a giant explosion in her diaper. Poor erik had to totally clean Harper, the exersaucer and the floor. Bless his heart:)

After returning home for more swimming, we had a taco night. everyone loves tacos right? After dinner, we had the long awaited smores night. Before the trip, we bought a make your own smores kit from Sams. The boys were thrilled to finally get to open it.

The smore ingrediants ready to go.

Getting ready.

Yum Yum...

Harper joined in on the fun as well.

Wednesday- Kayaking, LuLu's and Go Carts.

Wednesday morning started with a pancake breakfast. After the meal, Erik, Hagen and Lance left to go on the kayaking trip they had planned. I believe Hagen was the most excited. Brenan and I, decided to take Cooper and Payton to the beach. And KK was gracious enough to stay with Harper.

The Kayaks. Erik was worried he would drop the camera in the bay, so I have no pictures of the kayaking trip. However, they all admitting it was physically taxing activity. During the trip, they were able to stop and let Hagen pick up a few hermit crabs. Hagen, had been talking about getting hermit crabs all summer after his friend, Collin, got some earlier in the summer. So he was more than thrilled to find his own. As he said, "he went crabbing".

Hagen's hermits.

After the Kayaking and morning at the beach, we all returned to the house for swimming; lunch and naps.

Pool time with daddy.

After naps, we got ready and headed into town to eat at LuLu's. LuLu's is owned by Lucy Buffet, Jimmy Buffet's sister. It is the neatest place. They have live music, sand for the kids to play in and just all kind of neat things. It resembles a Margarittaville, but for families.

Having a great time.

Cooper and Payton playing in the sand.

KK and Hagen waiting to go eat.

Hagen holding on tightly to his new shark tooth necklace.

Daddy feeding Harper sweet tea for the first time. She loved it!

Cooper ate two whole fried green tomatoes, he loved them.

Waiting on his cheeseburger.

Brennan and Lance.

Erik and I.

This is my favorite picture of Harper the whole trip.

After our wonderful meal, we headed across the street to The Track. Kind of a mini amusement park with a huge wooden go-cart track. I think this is one of Erik's favorite things about Gulf Shores. We rode the track twice, Hagen and Erik and Cooper and I. They loved it, especially Cooper.

The carts are so fast it is hard to get a great picture, but this is the just of it.

After the race track, we headed over to the amusement side of the park, and let the boys ride some rides.

Flying the airplanes.

Ridding the meri-go-round.

Happy girl in her stroller. She did so good, two hours past her bedtime.

We found a smaller track, where Hagen could drive. He was so excited.

Finally, around 10 pm. we headed back to the house, by the time we made it home all three kids were asleep. Even Hagen, and that never happens.