We had a really fun week down in Panama City this year! Hannah asks often if we can go back "tomorrow?" My Dad's sister Renea came with us this year and we LOVED having her! She lives in New Mexico and we get to see her about once a year, but that's not enough. We were all so thankful she made the trip happen! Brett and Katherine had already gone on vacation with his family earlier in the summer so he wasn't able to take off another week, so we missed him this year, but were glad that Katherine, Jacob and Ressie could come! The kids got along so well and had so much fun together!!
This was from our first night there. We enjoyed taking a dip in the pool after a long day in the car.
Two years ago, when Claire was Abby's age, she used this float and would take her morning naps in it. It was the cutest to see her so relaxed just floating around the pool with one of us, while still totally in the shade. I thought Abby would go along with that morning nap plan too, but alas, she refused to nap while in the float. It didn't matter how exhausted she was....if we tried to lay her back she freaked out and begin screaming like a wild child. She didn't mind the float, but I think she preferred to just be held.
We claimed this as our corner of the pool. With six kids, we don't need chairs to lay out like a lot of families there....just give us a little shade and we're happy.
Nea taking Emily and Hannah on a train ride around the pool.
Love this smile!
They have a splash pad beside the main pool and this was Claire and Ressie's favorite thing.
They had so much fun playing together!
Cousin pic before we headed out to have some fun at Pier Park! Abby wasn't happy, but look at Jacob kissing Ressie...sweet things!
One night we took the kids out on the golf course and Stanley and Bert gave them some golf tips.
Caught Hannah rolling down the hill...Jacob was running to the top because he thought it looked like fun.
Nea, Abby and I supervised. I was a beautiful night!
We had a couple of fun beach days. It is utterly exhausting to get everyone ready and to the beach with all the stuff we need to bring but it is so worth it!
Mimi and Uncle Stan helping Emily boogie board.
All the kids had fun in the sand, but especially Hannah, Ressie and Claire. Hannah refused to go to the water until the last 5 minutes of our last day on the beach, but once she got in she loved it.
This girl loved the water! She was happy in the sand too, but if an adult was heading to the water, she was with them.
Papa Stan let the kids bury him in the sand and they thought it was sooooo fun!
She was 4 1/2 months on this beach trip. 4 1/2 months of pure sweetness!
Nappin' with Papa
Love bug.
Team Watts' silly beach picture!
Ressie called Abby "Abba" and it was the cutest. Ressie liked to help Abby play with all the toys on her exersaucer.
Several nights after dinner we would just go down to the pool right outside our condo door instead of walking across to the big pool. Two of those nights we had the whole pool to ourselves, which was fun! Mimi was telling the kids a story while they waited for the grown ups to get ready for the evening swim.
On Thursday night Daddy, Stan, Kate, Bert and I headed to the movie theater to watch the new Jason Bourne movie. Nea had left for New Mexico that morning and Mom stayed back with the sleeping kids. Bert and I don't get a lot of chances to go to the movies these days with such small kids, so when we get the opportunity we jump at it. We all enjoyed the movie...it was a fun night!
Sibling love!
Uncle Stan reading to Ressie Roo and Claire Bear.
Renea brought this huge roll of paper and the kids got to work on a mural all week. They had so much fun with it! Emily was the most dedicated artist, but the other kids loved drawing on it too for shorter periods of time.
Mimi bought the kids shirts and had her friend Tomi embroider their names on them. The shirts turned out so cute and I think the 6 kids in the picture below are pretty amazing too!
Love my babies! So thankful for weeks like this! I have a friend with a two year old and she said about their beach trip that there is nothing relaxing about taking a toddler to the beach. Sometimes during the week I would dream of when the kids could get themselves ready for the pool (put on their own bathing suit and sunscreen), swim on their own (right now, we can't take our eyes off them for more than one second) - I find myself thinking that those days must be so great. So relaxing. But, even as those thoughts pop in my head, I know that I will miss these days of having a 6, 4, and 2-year-old and a 4 month old. These days when they're are so little and needy. These days are tiring, beautiful, stressful and fun. And I wouldn't trade them for anything.
Our family of 6.
The whole gang minus Brett! Thanks so much to Mimi and Papa Stan for making this week happen!
So many great memories were made this week! Thankful for these people and our week together!!
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