Cole turns 8!!

8 years and counting!!! Amy, Matt, & Sophia made their annual trip down to NC a little early this year and were here to help us celebrate Cole's birthday. Daddy and I surprised Cole at school with cupcakes for his whole class, and then Cole chose to go to Red Robin for dinner, then we all returned home to open his gifties!

Downtown Disney

We had some time to waste before our flight so we stopped in at Downtown Disney to let the kids get rid of some energy...

Nickelodeon

For Devin's 4th birthday, Scott's parents took us all to the Nickelodeon Resort in Orlando. This hotel does a wonderful job of keeping kids and adults alike amused and offering plenty to do on-site. Cole was even able to be in a show, and get slimed at the main pool!!

Homasassa Springs

Another trip we took this spring was to Florida to visit Scott's parents. While their we took the kids to Homasassa Springs, which among other things, is a manatee rescue facility. The kids enjoyed learning about different animals, and of course staying with the grandparents, swimming, riding the golf carts!!

This same weekend, we also made a stop at Carowinds, which sadly was the first time we had been! A wonderful time was had by all, and I rode probably the best roller coaster I have ever been on!! The new Intimdator! Named for the late Dale Earnhardt (gotta love the south!), it's a massive red monster of a coaster with the deepest, fastest drop I have ever seen! And to top it off, you are NOT strapped in around the shoulders like most new coasters, there is only a lap bar! Was I nervous? I was scared to death...and it was AWESOME!!! Will be doing that one again! My brother and I both screamed and laughed like we were teenagers again!

Lazy 5 Ranch

This spring when my parents and brother visited we checked out the Lazy 5 Ranch in Western NC...a must see! It is a drive-thru safari (we opted to ride their wagon instead) with tons of exotic animals that you can feed off the side of the wagon. For those of you who know me well, the highlight for me was feeding the giraffes!! Yay! I can't say it would be worth driving all the way out there for the Ranch alone, but it was certainly worth stopping by as we were Carowinds bound!