Fun in Panama City Beach

We just returned from a great family vacation in Panama City Beach. We stayed at Splash... an awesome condo resort with tons of kid pools. Hutch and Julia LOVED the big bucket that splashed water, the water slides and the lazy river. It was so nice to relax at the beach. The trip was so much fun... we were able to visit with all of Papa Strausser's family except Uncle Ray and Brandon (we missed you). We miss everyone and hope to see you all soon!

Julia & Hutch checking out the slides


Hutch was really good with the water guns


Watch out for the water bucket!


Look Mom... we got wet.


Bagels taste so much better at the beach.

Special Moments

Just a few additional items to share...

Julia w/ her doll Becca

John's cousin is getting married in September. The kids are both in the wedding and they are sooooo excited. We recently had a shower for the bride and groom (what a great couple... young love is so sweet and you can tell they both love each other so much). We had an awesome cake and cupcakes at the shower. That night when the kids said their bedtime prayers, we asked them what they were thankful for... Hutch said cupcakes!!! It was too cute.

Updated Pictures

Our little fashionista... she enjoys picking out trendy outfits.

Enjoying ice cream with some friends...

Check out the new kitchen countertops and backsplash...

Hanging out at the park...

Where did the month go???

It seems like the last month has just zipped by. The kids and I have been busy with Mom's Club events... Bruesters Ice Cream tour, playing at local parks, going to My Gym, picking blueberries, etc. If you haven't picked blueberries, you need to give it a try... there is a local place called The Berry Patch. We had so much fun picking berries, that we had to go a second time!

Hutch has enjoyed Sporttykes... he and a few of his buddies have learned basketball, baseball and soccer. They get such a kick out of it. At the end of each session, he gets a sticker, tattoo and lollipop... trust me, the main motivation is the lollipop. Julia tags along with her baby (doll Becca or Lily). She gets to hang out with some of the moms and we get a special treat at the little coffee shop while Hutch plays.

The kids have also been taking swimming lessons at a local pool. Julia doesn't really like to get her face wet, but she has really progressed... she likes blowing bubbles and jumping into the water. Big steps towards getting her face wet! More than anything, she likes being around the other kids, especially a friend's two young girls... As for Hutch, well, what can I say... he is fearless as usual. As I always say, he will be our rock climber, sky diver, skateboarder, etc. He is all boy and he loves dunking his head.

Other big news... John and I gave each other an early anniversary gift... new granite countertops in kitchen. That was all we planned to do, but John surprised me with new counters in the master bath and powder room too. I can't believe the difference!!! It is like a new house. I love it and don't want to put anything on the counters. It is getting me into a real cleaning streak too... which I needed to do anyway.

While the counters were being put in, the kids and I headed to my parents house in Florida... it is always nice to get away and spend time in Tallahassee. Thanks mom and dad for hosting us on short notice. We had a blast.

My sewing business is still going well. Lots of projects in the works. I need to get some pictures posted one of these days.

That is it for now... I hope to be some August posting up soon... again there is so much going on.

More Pictures from Chattanooga

Weekend in Chattanooga

July 4th weekend, we decided to take a family vacation to Chattanooga. We had not been there in YEARS!!! The kids had never been there. Man has it changed!

We started our trip with a visit to Ruby Falls. Julia and Hutch loved it and walked most of the way to the falls. They loved all of the rock formations and were amazed by the falls. We even walked behind the falls... I don't think they let you do that the last time we were there.


We had yummy barbecue at Sticky Fingers.

Saturday we headed to the TN Aquarium... what fun. Julia and Hutch loved the seahorses... sharks and jellyfish. When we asked the kids what they liked best... Hutch said the snakes (he is such a boy). We had so much fun touching the sting rays and small sharks... the kids could have stayed there all day. Oh yeah... they had butterflies there too. We got to help the staff release a few... it was neat to see the butterflies take their first flight!

Next we were off to the IMAX theater. We enjoyed watching a movie on Dolphins and Whales. Julia was very fascinated with the whales. She loves orcas (Shamu), so she really got into this movie. Hutch enjoyed it too, but it was a bit much for him.

We finished off the day with a trip to the pool. It certainly made for a good nights sleep!

Before we headed home on Sunday, we went on a train ride. Hutch kept saying... the train says chuga, chuga, chuga. He really liked going over the bridges, through the tunnel and seeing the train make it's turn at the end of the track. Seeing the trains really made me think about my Grandpa Lew, who passed away earlier this year. He used to be a train engineer and would have loved talking to Hutch about trains. (Grandpa... we miss you)!

We had so much fun in Chattanooga, that we plan to take a day trip there in the next few months. It was so nice to have this special family time away from home... thanks John for suggesting out little getaway and making the arrangements. You are the best!

New at this

Okay... I am not real savy with this, please give me time to ramp up. We have a few friends that have gotten us into this whole blog thing. Seems like a great way to keep in touch with those that we love. Enjoy.

Sheila and the kiddos have had a busy week... two playgroups, sports class, library time, swim time and more. The summer is definitely going by fast.

We are getting ready for some fun family time in Chattanooga over the next couple of days. Hope everyone has a great 4th.

Sheila