Showing posts with label Vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vacation. Show all posts

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Mini Vacation: Day #4 Traveling Home

     Well today was the day we all flew home together. We got up bright and early and loaded up the car so that we could take it back to the air port. While we returned our rental Big Brother checked out the Blue Angel Cockpit again. After our trek through security with all of the inconveniences that come with traveling with small children when you don't get to go through the preferred line. 
     We checked our car seats this time, which I HIGHLY recommend if you are traveling with carseats and not having your child sit in it on the plane, so we hauled our carry on luggage to the gate and waited. It was nice this time to have Hubby to wait with us, even though he was catching a later flight out of the same gate. I think the kids liked having him there to wait with before we boarded. 

Big Brother carrying his own carry on




Family picture before we boarded (1)

Family picture before we boarded (2)

     We said goodbye to Hubby again and hopped on our plane and headed out of Florida as a storm cut across the US freezing a variety of states. Froggie slept through about half of the first flight and Big Brother played with his Leap pad. Our flight landed about 30 minutes early so we sat and waited to pull into our gate for a little while. Big Brother was a little restless while waiting but so are most people who are stuck waiting on a plane. We trekked across the airport and Big Brother officially became a pro at moving walkways! 

Window seat

Sleepy Froggie

Leap Pad entertainment

SO bright he needed sun glasses

The view

Our first flight towards home

looking out the window with Grandma

Sitting with Grandma

Enjoying her big girl freedom

Moving walkway pro

     Once we got to our gate and still had a TON of time so we packed up again and headed up to the USO. Froggie got to sleep in a pack and play and Big Brother got to play with a bunch of toys and have lunch. The USO was amazing, they had a really nice space and wonderful volunteers!

USO in NC

Playroom at the USO
Snoozing at the USO

Playing in the playroom at the USO

     We boarded our final flight and Big Brother was really excited to sit near the window again and was waiting for us to take off and get the ok to turn on his movie. I had just finished promising him that he could watch Mater's Tall Tales as soon as we were in the air and allowed to turn on my Kindle and turned to talk to my mom. As soon as I turned back to talk to Big Brother he was passed out in his seat so I set him up with my sweat shirt as a pillow, and his blankie and Daddy Doll. 
     The Flight was pretty uneventful, Big Brother slept for the duration of the flight and Froggie had fun until we were coming in to land and she wasn't allowed to look out the window over Big Brother. She then fussed and cried until we were off the plane. 

Sleeping on our second flight

the view on our second flight towards home


Coloring!

She had lots of fun coloring

She loved the window

Heading towards baggage claim

Carrying his "Big Navy Ship"

     It was  nice to visit Florida and be there for Hubby but it was REALLY nice to be closer to home. Once we collected the car seats and waited for the shuttle back to extended parking my mom brushed all the snow and ice off the car while I put the car seats back in their normal spots, Big Brother locked the car once before we realized we needed to either leave a door or window open so that he didn't lock everyone out of the car. 
     After our drive home and a quick dinner I headed back out to pick up Hubby at our local airport. It was considerably colder here at home than in Florida so I picked up some coffee on the way there and Hubby and I headed home!

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Mini Vacation: Day #3 Graduation

     This morning was a bit of an early start since we had to be out of our rooms and at the school house early for Hubby's graduation. In true Navy fashion we had to hurry up and wait this morning; once we got to the school house we were supposed to sit in the petty officer association's room where they were preparing for a Christmas party and had a TON of wrapped gifts all over the room. Let me tell you, there is a sense of panic when asked to sit in a room full of gifts with your toddler when none of them are for him! While we waited Big Brother asked to have some pictures taken and the kids played with some toys and had some snacks.
     I didn't take any pictures during graduation because I was holding Froggie who was being pretty squirmy. Not to mention I couldn't fish out my phone during graduation and knew that Froggie would grab at my actual camera and none of the pictures would turn out anyway. Following graduation Hubby and I purchased some sweatshirts from the "gear locker" and headed back towards our hotel. Before we got settled and changed we took a bunch of pictures. Lately Big Brother has been pretty uncooperative when it comes to taking pictures but we ended up with something to document the event.

Big Brother wanted a picture with Froggie

So proud of Hubby!

Our little family

Hubby and I

     After everyone got changed and a little packing was done we headed out to pick up the new uniform that Hubby had ordered along with some other goodies. This included a very large new duffle bag to get home everything that Hubby had acquired over the course of his time in Florida. After some lunch (and Starbucks) we headed back to our rooms for nap time so that we could go back out for some fun.

Mmmm Starbucks

     Nap time ended up being pretty short lived since we wanted to get across base to see Santa come in on a fire truck. The fire truck pulled in as we were coming across the parking lot. While Hubby and the kids made their way towards Santa and the festivities my mom and I both ended up with burrs in our feet. I had to use my camera strap to get the burrs off my feet and then had to figure out how to get them out of my strap. Man do those little things hurt!
     There were cookies, hot chocolate, coloring, seeing Santa, bounce houses and free trees for military personnel. Big Brother waited rather impatiently to see Santa. He had been pretty shy about Santa and still always has a funky face in pictures (lately with or without Santa) until today! The kids had put out their shoes for Saint Nick and due to his recent visit Big Brother seemed more accepting of the big guy in red. When it was time to get out of the sleigh he didn't want to go until he told Santa thank you for the gift he had left the night before. It was really cute and one of those proud mommy moments. Froggie seems to be hit or miss with Santa and she wasn't thrilled about Santa today.

Christmas festivities on base.

Christmas festivities on base.

Christmas festivities on base.

Christmas festivities on base.

Christmas festivities on base.

Christmas festivities on base.

Christmas festivities on base.

Christmas festivities on base.

Christmas festivities on base.

Christmas festivities on base.

Christmas festivities on base.

Christmas festivities on base.

Christmas festivities on base.

FIRE ANTS EVERYWHERE!

     After our fun on base we headed out toward to beach to a local restuarant that was having some pre-parade festivities including crafts, a bonfire and Santa. Big Brother loved it and especially had fun with the hammock and the S'mores. Froggie had her first taste of a S'more and got upset that she couldn't be down on her own but otherwise seemed to enjoy it. After awhile to boats that had strung themselves up with lights made their way out from the dock and we drove back towards our rooms and ordered Pizza.


Making a stocking. 

Big Brother and the palm trees

Palm trees and Christmas lights

I could get used to this kind of Christmas

The hammock

Big Brother and Santa

Froggie and Santa

making S'mores

I'll have some of that grandma!

Mmmmm

Watching the boats

Watching the boats