First day of school and football pics

So... unfortunately school has started in Livingston Parish (yipee!) and the entire Carroll family heads back to the fun and excitement of education. I just snapped a few pics that morning, as I was probably still asleep halfway through first hour.

Here the girls get ready for their first day of 5th grade and 1st grade:



Here they are posing for Mom. This will be their last year ever of going to the same school. Starting next year, they will always be at different schools (sniff, sniff).

Here's Mark and I also. Can't you just see the joy and excitement on both our faces. (More like regret and nausea.)

Then last weekend we took the annual football family photos on team picture day. Here are the Carrolls, notice Katie's height:

And here are the girls in front of our fancy new stadium entrance. (to go with our fancy new turf field.) It looks really amazing. I'll have more pictures of that when we go to our first home game.

Before school spa party

One of Emma's friends, Cameron (whose mom happens to be my coworker also), decided she wanted to have a "Spa Party" before school started. The girls absolutely loved it. They did manicures and pedicures, curled hair and got facials. It was too cute.

Here Emma gets her nails done by Mrs. Shawn (who also happens to be a coworker of mine - her granddaughter is in Emma's grade too):



Emma getting her nails done by the number one babysitter in the world: Miss Tiffany :

Emma and Cameron chilling out on the couch before their facials:

Ms. Chris giving Emma her facial:

Cameron and Emma relaxing with their facials:

Emma at peace:

Emma getting her hair done:

Emma, Cameron and Haley posing for the camera:

We had a quick fashion show after the make overs. Here all the girls pose:

Cameron and Emma:

All of the girls with Courtlyn and Tiffany:

Quick beach trip

So Mark and I have a hard time not taking a beach trip right before school starts, and eventhough we did "big Disney" (as I like to say) this year, we knew we weren't going to be able to properly start school without visiting the shores of Alabama. I got a decent email discount, so we booked a quick 3 night stay in Gulf Shores. We stayed at a condo we had never visited and ended up really liking our place. It was right off of Hwy 59 and easy to get to.

Anyhoo.... here are some photos.

Katie got a boogie board last trip, and so we had to get one for Emma this time, and they really got a lot of use out of it now that they are both brave to go in the Gulf. Here they are posing before we go out the first morning:


The bathing beauty:

My little 'surfer girls':

Riding the "big waves":

Katie always wants Emma to bury her in the sand, so we decided to make her a mermaid tail:

Notice how Emma "poses" in every picture . (this concerns me):

Cutie pie:

We spent lots of time in the water this trip and less time at the pool, which Mark and I both love! For a few years it was hard to get them out of the pool, but they love it now:

Hanging out with Daddy, catching some waves!

Some pool time:

Daddy and Katie:

More posing:

And some more......

We have several tradtions at the beach, visiting the Shark store, going to The Hangout (a new one) and flying a kite. Well... this one wasn't so successful. We waited until the last day to do it, and the weather was not great. Notice there are no actual pictures of any flying kites:

A few more poses (... are you feelin' my concern with Emma here??):

OH..... yes, Missy did go on this vacation.... lookie there.... she's here!

So one of our new traditions is visiting The Hangout right where Hwy 59 meets the Beach road. This is only the 2nd time we have been there, and the kids love it. If you haven't been there, it just a huge area on the beach with a big sand pile and games for the kids to play. This makes it really great when you have to wait a little while for a table. Mark and I could sit down with a beer and watch the girls play. If you've heard of it, they also have big music festivals there and such (including my boyfriend Jon Bon Jovi!). You gotta go there. (Oh, the food is just kinda okay - don't expect too much - kinda like Disney... you don't go there for the food - well, technically I guess you do go there for the food, but don't expect fine dining!)

Here is Emma at the Wish wall - Katie read about this in my AAA magazine, and we missed it last time. You write a wish on a scrap of paper and put it in the little cylinders:

Waiting in line for the bugee trampoline. Notice both girls in line.... Now you see Katie...

.... now you don't (guess who chickened out?):

Emma getting strapped in:

Jumping away:

Last time we went, it was in late May, and basically it wasn't very crowded. Still lots of fun, but no "wow" factor. This time it was a Friday night and a cajun band from Lafayette was playing. The place was packed with people (90% from good ole' Louisiana). Mark and I actually danced a little bit. Here's the band and the crowd:

Okay, so as I mentioned earlier, one of our beach traditions is visiting the Shark souvenir store (I think it might be Souvenir City) as you come into Gulf Shores by the beach. Even if we stay in Orange Beach, we go by on our way home. So my lucky husband always gets a parking spot in front. Well it was super packed this time and we had to go around the back to park..... did you know there was a giant pirate ship in back... neither did we! I was shocked to find this amazing pirate ship in back. Who knew?

My "Little Monster" (that's for all you Ga-Ga fans out there):

Had to take the pirate picture out back - notice Emma's face:

And the next morning, the girls with their (also traditional) air brush shirts. Gosh those things have gotten expensive. Maybe one day they can make a quilt out of their collection!

Bye bye beach! See you next year.