Walt Disney World - Hollywood Studios 11/23/08

On Sunday Sarah & I loaded up the kids and took them to Disney's Hollywood Studios. We spent the entire day in the park taking the kids around to all the rides and the shows. Both Caitlyn and Laura had a blast. We were able to see Playhouse Disney as well as a couple characters. We ended up staying longer than we planned, but we were having such a good time walking the park and enjoying the evening.

You can view pictures from of our afternoon in the Animal Kingdom by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Laura, Caitlyn, & Sarah in front of the Christmas Tree at Hollywood Studios)

(The HSM 3 Show at Hollywood Studios)

(Mickey's hat in Hollywood Studios)

Walt Disney World - Animal Kingdom 11/22/08

On Saturday we decided to take the kids w/ Grandma & Grandpa T, and Uncle Timmy to Disney's Animal Kingdom. We had a great time enjoying the park and the weather was great once again. We spent much of the afternoon in Africa as many of the animals were located there on the Sahara. We eventually made our way around the park and managed to ride Everest. Amazing, that's all I have... At the end of the day, we managed to get front seats for the Christmas Jungle Parade.

You can view pictures from of our afternoon in the Animal Kingdom by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Sarah, Caitlyn, Laura, & Chris w/ Everest in the background)

After the Animal Kingdom Park closed, Sarah & I took the kids back to the Magic Kingdom to see the parade and the fireworks. This was the first time we were able to see the fireworks and it was well worth it.

You can view pictures from of our evening in the Magic Kingdom by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Laura possing in front of Cinderella's castle in the Magic Kingdom)

Walt Disney World - Magic Kingdom 11/21/08

A couple weeks ago we took the kids along with the Grandparents & Uncle Timmy down to Orlando for a weekend vacation. We arrived late Thursday night and made our way to the magic Kingdom just before noon on Friday. We spent most of the day taking the kids on the rides and enjoying the beautiful weather in Orlando. All the parks were decorated for Christmas which was a great treat for the kids and helped to get us all in the Christmas spirit.

You can view pictures from of our afternoon in the Magic Kingdom by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Chris, Sarah, Caitlyn, & Laura on Main Street USA)

After the Magic Kingdom closed the gates for the day, we made our way over to Epcot for a short visit to try and find a place to eat. Apparently we weren't the only ones with that idea. We made a quick walk around The World Showcase, stopped in Italy and then made our way out of the park. Dinner was another disaster I'd rather not bring up...

You can view pictures from of our evening in Epcot by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Chris, Sarah, Caitlyn, Laura, Grandma, & Grandpa T in Epcot)

New addition to the Hoiberg Family ...Caitlyn's new puppy Molly.

We have a new addition to the family, her name is Molly and she is a Shih Tzu. We picked her up a couple weeks ago. She is already 4 months old and is doing very well getting house broken. As you can expect, Caitlyn & Laura are very excited about having a puppy. Caitlyn is doing very well with Molly and Laura is helping out daily responsibilities. Molly follows Caitlyn throughout the house and is getting attached to both girls. She's still needs some work with the chewing, she has a thing for running into Caitlyn's room and grabbing her toys.

You can view pictures from of Molly by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Caitlyn & her new puppy Molly)

Burning Down The House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis?

I'm not a political Blogger by any means, but this whole mortgage crisis just infuriates me & I felt I needed to do my part and share this with others. Here’s what happens when Democrats attempt Social Engineering with the Community Reinvestment Act. This video is probably the best 10 minute explanation as to how we arrived here and who is responsible. I've been saying it for years that this bubble was going to pop... reality... wake up, we're here...

The Shippee Wedding

This past weekend our friends Brian & Jessie were married at The Jacksonville Zoo. Both Sarah & I were in the wedding party and were happy to be a part of their special day. They are both great friends and very dear to both of us and they make a wonderful couple. We are happy for them and can't wait for them to return from their honeymoon.

The Rehearsal dinner was at Maggiano's on Friday night and the wedding was Saturday evening. After the ceremony the reception was held at The Range of the Jaguar at The Jacksonville Zoo. My sister-in-law, Bonnie, helped out with photos during the ceremony. Thanks you Bonnie!

You can view pictures from the Rehearsal Dinner by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Jessie & Brian)

You can view pictures from the Wedding Ceremony & Reception by clicking on the pictures below or by clicking here.

(Barry, Brian, Chris & Andrew)

(Brian & Jessie)

Back to School for the girls...

It' that time of year again, Back to School!!!

Both girls went back to school this past Monday. We took our beginning of school year pictures in the foyer like we do every year. Both girls are very excited, Laura has been counting down the days to the start of the school year. It's amazing at how fast they grow up.

You may have noticed Laura lost some length in her hair. Last week we took both girls in for haircuts and Laura wanted to have her hair cut short like mommy...

You can view Back to School pictures by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Laura & Caitlyn heading Back to School.)

Hoiberg Weekend happening's

This past weekend was one of celebrations, fun, and preparation. Friday night we went to Kan-Ki to celebrate Mom's (Sarah's mother) birthday with the family. It was nice getting to spend some time, adults only, with the parents. Needless to say we all had a wonderful time and the food was great. Happy Birthday Mom!

You can view the pictures from dinner by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Mom (Birthday girl) & Dad at Kan-Ki)

On Saturday morning Andrew, Barry, & I went out to Paintball Adventures to get a couple hours of paintball in. We ended up playing about 5 games and had an exhausting morning there. We all faired pretty well. There was one match that we played in which I was the "Terminator" (I had a 4" area on my leg that the other team had to hit t0 get me out, pretty much invincible) and the other team flanked us, I got up and ran them all down and took about 8 of them out, but in the process I took some serious body shots. Probably not the smartest move I have made on the paintball field, but it did prevent them from pinning us down. It was a great morning, and yes, I am still sore and feeling some of the shots I took, especially the one on my neck...

You can view the pictures from paintball by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Chris in his Paintball Gear)

Laura & Daddy's night out

Recently I took Laura out for Dinner, Dessert and some one on one Daddy time. With everything that is going on with our family it seems that the opportunity for Laura to have my attention & time all to herself does not happen as often as it needs to. Laura understands the situation we are in but she still needs her Daddy time too...

We started off the evening at one of our favorite places, Moe's... "Welcome to Moe's!" Afterwards we headed downtown to Friendship Fountain on the St. Johns River. We walked around and enjoyed the evening turning to night and I was able to take some great pictures. We then proceeded to head into San Marco for some Ice Cream at Marble Slab. It was an evening to remember; Laura keeps talking about it and of course is asking when the next Daddy night out is going to be...

I've posted some of my favorite pictures from that evening below, to see all the pictures we took at Friendship Fountain, click here.

(Laura on the bank fo the St. Johns River with downtown Jacksonville in the backdrop.)

(This is my favorite picture from that evening.)

(Daddy & Laura in front of Friendship Fountain.)

Hippotherapy Session

A couple weekends ago I was able to capture some great shots from Caitlyn's Hippotherapy Session at PhysioPower. Caitlyn is doing wonderful with this therapy, it helps that she absolutely loves horses. Enjoy the slideshow or click here to view the pictures individually.

(Hippotherapy at PhysioPower)

CBS: Follow the Money Investigation "How Independent Are Vaccine Defenders?"

Friday night CBS ran a story "How Independent Are Vaccine Defenders?"; seeing as we are the parents of a Vaccine Injured child, we are well aware of the ties as it is evident in their behavior. It sickens me that all this money is being given to push the agenda of vaccinating and making sure the medical community is behind the Big Pharma train as it comes barreling down the tracks on our children with these unsafe vaccines. It is obvious to me, a parent of a child that was standing on the tracks when the train came by, the reason they are doing it... 

If the vaccine manufactures and the medical community that stands behind these manufactures (with their thick wallets) are 100% positive that vaccines do not cause injuries, why won't they release the data and allow testing by independent, non-bias, no tie to Big Pharma researchers?

I will say this, in Big Pharma's defense, if they did allow the truth about vaccines and their role in the injury of Tens of Thousands of children, there will be backlash, retribution will be demanded, and the public will demand action. 

Until then, the best action for them is to continue the cover up.

And for now, the parents of children that have been injured by childhood vaccines will be the only ones realizing there is going to be backlash, that are looking for retribution, and trying to let the public know what is really going on.

The truth in the matter is this, until you have a child (or know a child or family) that has been injured by a vaccine, your eyes will not be open to what is really going on. Until our daughter was injured, we were clueless... just letting our children stand on the train tracks.

Related CBS News Story: Debate Over Vaccines And Autism\ADD 

Orlando trip to Aquatica & SeaWorld w/ the Hoiberg's

Last weekend we packed up the kids, Grandma & Grandpa, & Kate; and we all headed down to Orlando for a weekend of fun at SeaWorld. We headed out Friday night after work and made our way south. We stopped for dinner in Palm Coast, and seeing as it was Friday, we found a pizza place. The pizza was great and the kids were in rare form. I took some funny pics of Laura there. Afterwards we made it back on the road and arrived in Orlando. The kids were awake and after we were checked in and settled, we went for a walk down International Drive to Friendly's for some well needed ice cream...

You can view the pictures from our trip down to Orlando by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Daddy & Laura acting goofy at Friendly's)

Saturday morning was an early rise seeing as we were heading to Aquatica, SeaWorld's new waterpark. We purchased tickets the night before which allowed us to enter the park an hour earlier at 8am. This turned out to be the best decision we made. By 9am, the park was filling up, and by that time, we already had a locker, had found some chairs to set our towels, & were already in the water. By 11am, they had closed the doors to the park...

We were able to take the girls on several different slides in addition to the ones in the kiddie sections. The park was amazing; they had several areas for the kids. One of everyone's favorite was Roa's Rapids which was a lazy river... that wasn't lazy. It was great, they kids strapped on their life vests and we all jumped in and went for a wild ride around the river several times. Everyone had a blast and the weather was great, we had an overcast day and the sun wasn't beating down until noon time, just before we left the park.

You can view the pictures from Aquatica by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Laura & Caitlyn in the Wave Pool at Aquatica)

We left Aquatica & headed back to the hotel for some much needed naps. Afterwards we rounded everyone up and headed out for a nice dinner before heading to SeaWorld for the evening. Once we arrived at SeaWorld we made our way to the Wild Arctic where we took a trip to the South Pole. We walked around the South Pole for a while before heading to Shamu Stadium to see Shamu Rocks. This is one of our favorite shows and they only do these shows during the summer when the park is open for extended hours. Then we made our way to the other side of the park to ride Kraken before heading home for the evening.

Kraken is SeaWorld's amazing Roller Coaster; it is probably one of the best coasters I have been on. I found this video on YouTube, if you've never experienced Kraken, this is worth watching: Experience Kraken

You can view the pictures from dinner and our evening at SeaWorld by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Caitlyn, Grandma & Laura at Bogard's for Dinner)

Sunday morning came along and we packed up from the hotel after breakfast and made our way back to SeaWorld. We spent the afternoon in the park taking in the Sea Lion & Sea Otter Show as well as the Whale & Dolphin Show. Later we took the girls over to the kids area where they rode the Shamu Express, the kids roller coaster, and some of the other rides. We headed out just after noon and grabbed a quick bite to eating before making the drive back to Jacksonville.

You can view the pictures from our afternoon at SeaWorld by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Sarah & Kate all smiles at SeaWorld)

Happy 4th of July from the Hoiberg's!

Happy 4th of July!

Ok, so the 4th of July has come and passed, but what would a 4th of July Blog entry be without pictures?

This past Friday we went to a 4th of July Bar-B-Que with friends and family from our church. Afterwards we all headed down to Mickler's Landing Beach Park to watch the fireworks. This was actually the first time we had Caitlyn up to watch the fireworks for the 4th of July. Previously she didn't care too much for the loud noise, but that is no longer the case. Caitlyn sat and watched them all and was having a great time. Laura of course had a blast and fell asleep as soon as we started heading home.

You can view the pictures from the 4th of July on the beach by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(from left to right: Caitlyn & Sarah)

Little Star Center Annual Poker Tournament Announced!

It's that time of year again and Little Star Center is hosting their Annual Poker Tournament at "The Poker Room" in Jacksonville, Fl which is located at the end of Race Track Rd. near US-1 (The old Greyhound Race Track). This event is put on by the school that Caitlyn attends and the funds raised go towards helping local children and their struggle with Autism and other developmental delays.

You can more clearly view the Flyer by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

If you are interested in coming or would like more information, you can contact the number on the flyer above: (904) 928-0112 or you can email me directly: choiberg@gmail.com

Caitlyn's Birthday Weekend

This past weekend we celebrated Caitlyn's Birthday. Caitlyn is now 5 years old!!!

On Friday we celebrated her birthday at Pump it Up with all her school friends from Little Star. All the kids had a blast and seemed to be fairly exhausted afterwards. Caitlyn was in heaven getting to jump on all the bouncy's and going down the huge slides.

You can view the pictures from Pump It Up birthday party by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Caitlyn sitting in the Birthday chair at Pump It Up)

On Sunday we had friends and family over for our traditional birthday party for Caitlyn which has turned out to be a big celebration with our close friends, their children, & the grandparents. This year was no exception; we all had a great time and ate too much food. We inflated the waterslide in the back yard for the kids and I grilled out like I normally do. We did get a bit of rain just as I started to cook on the grill, but I managed and afterwards the sun came out again and the kids were back on the slide.

You can view the pictures from Caitlyn's birthday party by clicking on the pictures below or by clicking here.

(Caitlyn getting ready to blow out her candles)

2008 HEAL! Valley of Dreams Gala

Last night Sarah & I attended the HEAL! Valley of Dreams Gala at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fl. The evening was wonderful and we had a great time. The event raised over $400,000 for HEAL!. We had a great time talking with our friends that the Lord has put in our path on this journey that our family is going through. Many of Caitlyn Therapists were there, her attorney, as well as other friends we have met along the way. We also had the pleasure of meeting & talking w/ Tony Pashos from the Jacksonville Jaguars and Sarah was able to meet and speak w/ Jenny McCarthy.

You can view the pictures from 2008 HEAL! Valley of Dreams Gala by clicking on the pictures below or by clicking here.

(from left to right: Sarah & Chris)

(from left to right: Linda, Alan, Sarah, & Chris)

(from left to right: Chris, Tony, & Sarah)

Caitlyn is out of the hospital & back home...

Caitlyn gave us a scare earlier this week; she had a seizure the other night and we had her rushed to the hospital via ambulance. She seized for a close to 2 hours; they were able to get them under control after we arrived in the Peds ER. Shortly after, we were moved to Wolfson's Children’s Hospital for the evening. Caitlyn slept all night, needless to say, Sarah & I didn't.

Sarah & I both stayed the night with Caitlyn and she woke up the next morning a bit sluggish, but that was due in part to the anti-seizure meds they gave her the previous night. After a couple hours of being awake, Caitlyn started coming back to us as the anti-seizure meds started wearing off. It wasn't much longer before she was signing "all done" and wanted out of the crib.

Kate, her ABA Therapist, spent the morning and afternoon with us. She worked with Caitlyn and continued some therapy with her and was able to affirm she was back at baseline as far as Caitlyn's abilities. -Thank you for all your help Kate, you are wonderful!- Eventually Caitlyn got her strength back and was running around and wanting to play.

Later that afternoon we were given the all clear to go home. Caitlyn slept great through the night and woke up with the wonderful smile we are used to seeing when we get her up in the morning.

Many thanks to our family & friends who came up to visit Caitlyn, that sent their concerns, and for those that were praying for her quick recovery. Thank you all! Praise the Lord for the quick recovery!

You can view the pictures from the hospital by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(from left to right: Kate, Sarah, & Caitlyn)

While in the ER, we were telling the Dr.'s & nurses that Caitlyn was "Vaccine Injured" as they were asking for general information. They all seemed to pause and looked at us like we were speaking another language. You almost wanted to tell them that "She was Injured from a Vaccine, hence the phrase "Vaccine Injured"...". It amazes us that in this day and age how the medical community in general is not aware that Vaccines can & do cause Injuries. You get used to explaining this to people outside the hospital in the general public and think that you shouldn't have to explain it in a hospital... Aside from that little frustration, the staff that attended to Caitlyn in the hospital were great.

Alan Pickert chosen for Florida Super Lawyers & Florida Legal Elite

You may have heard Sarah or me brag about Caitlyn's Attorney that won her case in Vaccine Court last year. Well, Alan Pickert has done it again proving that we stand correct in our continued bragging about his abilities as a lawyer...

Alan Pickert of Terrell Hogan has been chosen for the 2nd year in a row as one of "Florida's Super Lawyers" for 2008 and has also been chosen for the 3rd year in a row as one of "Florida's Legal Elite" for 2008.

Sarah & I can not express how greatful we are to Alan, his family, and all the time & hard work that he put into Caitlyn's case. Alan played a key role for ensuring the decision that Caitlyn is going to have the care she needs for the rest of her life.

Alan,

You are a blessing and we appreciate everything you have done and continue to do for our family.
Congratulations on these 2 awards Alan, you definitely deserve them!!!

-The Hoiberg Family

(from left to right: Laura, Sarah, Alan, Caitlyn, & Chris)

Related Stories:

• Local Family Warns about Dangers of Childhood Vaccines - Video (First Coast News NBC 12 / ABC 25)
• Judge Says Vaccine Hurt Local Girl - Video (CBS 47 / FOX 30)
• Vaccine award brings parents slight solace - Video (The Florida Times-Union)

HEAL! Valley of Dreams Gala & Charity Golf Classic

The HEAL! Valley of Dreams Gala & Charity Golf Classic is this week. The event is being held once again at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fl. The Gala is being held on the 26th and the Charity Golf Classic is being held on the 27th on the Dye's Valley Course. Jenny McCarthy is attending as the celebrity guest again this year. Both Sarah & I will be attending the event this year.

For more information on the event, you can click on the picture below or by clicking here.

HEAL! is a non-profit organization founded in 2004 by Bobby and Leslie Weed in collaboration with local pediatrician Julie Buckley, MD, all parents of children with autism. Together, they recognized a need in the community to assist the families of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, a condition that now affects one in 150 children.

The Foundation is predicated on five conceptual pillars: Education, Awareness, Treatment, Research and Prevention. In addition to assisting with therapy and support services for children in need, the Foundation brings educational seminars and conferences for families, therapists and educators to the Jacksonville area.

For more information on HEAL!, you can click on the picture below or click here.

Anniversary Celebrations

This past week Sarah & I celebrated yet another Wedding Anniversary. Looking back it seems like we have been together for a lifetime. I can't imagine my life without her. She is a wonderful woman, a wonderful wife, and a wonderful mother... I am truly blessed.

We continued our tradition of celebrating our anniversary with our good friends Barry & Stacey. We found out last year our anniversaries are a day apart. This year we went out for a nice dinner, just the four of us, at Café Carmon in San Marco. The food was great and we had a wonderful night out.

(Sarah & Chris)

(Barry & Stacey)

Father's Day

On Father's Day we went over to Sarah's parents to grill out, swim, & spend some time together. My Dad was in town again for Father's Day which is always nice. We had a great time and all the Father's were able to relax and enjoy the afternoon...

You can view the pictures from Father's Day by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(from left to right: Sarah & her Father)

Laura's Recital

This past Saturday Laura had her first Dance Recital. Her class was doing Tap this year for the Recital. She did wonderful and looked great on stage...

You can view the pictures from Laura's Recital by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Laura on stage after her Tap performance at her Recital on Saturday)

Green our Vaccines videos from the Rally

Lighthouse Studios has posted their videos from the Green our Vaccines Rally on YouTube - thrillcats. I have linked directly to several of them below. Many thanks to Lighthouse Studios for putting these together so that those of us who couldn't attend could see and hear what happened...

Jenny McCarthy speaking at the Green our Vaccines Rally:

Jim Carrey speaking at the Green our Vaccines Rally:

Amy Carson, Dr. Jay Gordon, Dr. Boyd Haley, & Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaking at the Green our Vaccines Rally:

The March in at the Green our Vaccines Rally:

Pre-March at the Green our Vaccines Rally:

Green our Vaccine Rally - Sarah's back from her trip to DC

Sarah's back and she's Blogging about her trip...

Tuesday June 3rd, 2008 - Arrival in Washington DC

My Friends and arrived in DC around noon. Funny thing is that we almost missed our connecting flight in Atlanta because we didn't hear the boarding call. Kate saved the day when she questioned why they started boarding the flight yet and we all looked at the screen and it was flashing FINAL BOARDING CALL!

We ate Lunch in Georgetown by the Potomac River and it was amazing! We saw an official plane fly over escorted by two military helicopters. We then went shopping (of Course!!!) and later headed over to the Washington Monument to have our rally meeting and go through a dry run of the March. 

Later that night we enjoyed a delicious dinner back at the hotel. 

You can view the pictures from Sarah's Trip to Washington DC by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(From left to right: Alana, Kate, Laura, & Sarah in front of the Capital building in Washington DC at the Green our Vaccines Rally)

Wednesday June 4th, 2008 - Green our Vaccines Rally

Alana and I arrived at the Washington Monument at 8 o'clock AM to prepare for the March. The People began to assemble around 8:30. They were allowed to enter the line at 9. And they kept flowing in. It was this endless sea of people! It was very emotional as I came to realize that every person there represented a child murdered or damaged by a vaccine! We believe that close to nine thousand people showed up! The most powerful time in the whole rally was when Jenny asked us all to show the media why we were there. She had us turn around and face the cameras then hold up pictures of our Children. The sad part is that those 9 thousand people were a drop in the bucket. Jim made mention that each one of us represented a thousand others that couldn't be there because of the financial strain that these injuries cause. 

You can view the pictures from the Green our Vaccines Rally iew by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(The crowd assembling at the Green our Vaccines Rally in Washington DC)

Green our Vaccines Rally today in Washington D.C.

Sarah's in Washington D.C. today for the Green our Vaccinces Rally along with many others. The Rally has just started and Autism One Radio is broadcasting live. The Rally is being led by Jenny McCarthy & Jim Carrey. If you want to listen live please visit Autism One Radio and the media player is on the web page at the bottom right.

ABC News: Celeb Couple to Lead 'Green Vaccine' Rally

Next stop, Washington D.C.!!!

The ladies getting ready to head to the airport and make their way to Washington D.C. for the Green our Vaccines Rally.

(From left to right: Alana, Sarah, Laura, & Kate)

Sarah Hoiberg speaks with Patricia Crosby about the Green our Vaccines Rally

This morning Sarah spoke live with Patricia Crosby regarding the Green our Vaccines Rally that is being held in Washington D.C. tomorrow, June 4th, 2008. Sarah is flying up to the Rally this morning to support the event and to volunteer along with several others from the Little Star Center which Caitlyn attends. Caitlyn's Teacher Kate, another parent Alana, & Laura Sanders who is the President & Program Director of the Little Star Center, are going up as a group.

You may remember the story Patricia reported on last November regarding Caitlyn and her Vaccine Injury:

• Video: Local Family Warns about Dangers of Chilhood Vaccines
• Story: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=96742

You can view the pictures from the First Coast News interview by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Sarah speaking with Patricia Crosby via a live feed about the Green our Vaccines Rally in Washington D.C.)


To learn more about the Green our Vaccines Rally in Washington D.C. tomorrow, you can click on the Image below or here.

Saturday Paintball Fun

This past Saturday my Office had our 3rd Annual Paintball Invitational and it was great. Although it was an event for everyone at the office to take part in, the event was open to friends and family. My friends Shippee, Barry, & Andrew (also my Brother-in-law) joined the group again this year along with others for what was a fun afternoon. We played for several hours and most of us came out with some bruises. I am happy to report that I was one of the lucky ones... as it relates to bruises. It has been 2 days and my body is still sore...

You can see what a paintball does traveling at speeds of 300fps (feet per second) by clicking the picture below or by clicking here.

(From left to right: Shippee, Barry, Chris, & Andrew suiting up and getting ready to fire little balls of paint at each other...)

Memorial Day at SeaWorld

We started off the day with an early morning surprise breakfast for Caitlyn. Yes, we booked breakfast at SeaWorld with Elmo and Friends. Needless to say we hit the nail on the head with this one. Combine 2 things Caitlyn loves, Elmo and food... Laura enjoyed herself as well, it took her some time to warm up to the characters, but Caitlyn on the other hand was in heaven. Caitlyn had an absolute blast!!!

You can view the pictures from our Breakfast with Elmo and Friends by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(From left to right: Laura, Caitlyn, & Sarah getting ready to have Breakfast with Elmo and Friends, Caitlyn had no idea what was about to happen...)

After a spectacular breakfast we spent the rest of the afternoon at the park and saw all the big shows. The park started filling up by early afternoon, but we managed to see "Believe" (Shamu daytime show), the Sea Lion show, & "Blue Horizons" (Dolphin & Whale show). We also took Caitlyn to see the Clydesdale horses, she loves the horses...

You can view the pictures from our afternoon at SeaWorld by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(From left to right: Laura, Caitlyn, & Sarah in front of "Bud", one of the Budweiser Clydesdales...)

Next Stop... Orlando (Memorial Day Weekend Continued)

Sunday afternoon we packed up in Cocoa Beach and headed inland to Orlando for the remainder of our Memorial Day weekend. You would think that living in Florida we would not even think about going to Orlando on a busy holiday weekend... It turned out to be a good decision. We arrived in the afternoon and decided to take the girls to Downtown Disney to do a little shopping and burn off some energy walking around before checking in at the hotel. We rode some rides, ate some ice cream, and visited the Lego store...

You can view the pictures from our visit to Downtown Disney by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(From left to right: Sarah, Caitlyn, & Laura at Downtown Disney)

Afterwards we made our way back to the hotel and prepared for an evening at SeaWorld. It was a beautiful night and SeaWorld was not nearly as busy as we thought it would be. We ate dinner at the park and then made our way to see the feature show for the evening, "Shamu Rocks'. We spent some time walking around afterwards and Laura rode the Shamu Express (roller coaster for kids) a couple times before we headed back to the hotel for the evening.

You can view the pictures from Shamu Rocks by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(Laura waiting for "Shamu Rocks" to start...)

Memorial Day Weekend in Cocoa Beach

This past weekend we packed up the kids and took a quick trip south to Cocoa Beach to spend a couple days at the Ron Jon Resort and clear our heads. Caitlyn's teacher, Kate, joined us on this part of the weekend. The kids had a great time; we swam all day Saturday in the water park at the resort and went to the Ron Jon Surf Shop as well. It was actually the first time I had been there considering how long I have been living in Florida. We ended up spending more time than we thought in the surf shop but it was fun. I didn't get any pictures from the water park at the Ron Jon Resort, but I did take some great pictures of the girls at other times during the trip...

You can view the pictures from the Ron Jon Resort by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(From left to right: Kate, Caitlyn, Sarah, Chris, & Laura)


You can view the pictures from the Ron Jon Surf Shop by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(From left to right: Caitlyn, Chris, & Laura)

Mother's Day Bar-B-Q

Our families came over to join us for a Mother's Day Bar-B-Q at the house. We had the Grandparents over as well as Sarah's Brother & Sister-in-law. All had a great time, the kids were able to play outside and everyone was able to spend some relaxing time with each other. Laura ended up playing Domino's most of the afternoon while Caitlyn was enjoying playing outside with Grandpa T.

You can view the Mother's Day Bar-B-Q pictures by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

(From left to right: Nana, Grandma, Laura, Sarah, & Nani)

Daytona Mother's Day Trip

We headed down to Daytona to see the Great Grandparents for the afternoon the Saturday before Mother's Day. We had a great time and the girls were able to spend some quality time with the Great Grandparents.

You can view pictures from the Daytona Trip by clicking on the picture below or clicking here.

(From left to right: Grandma, Laura, Chris, Caitlyn, Poppy, & Sarah)