The Circus Came to Town

I haven't been to the circus since I was little-- that's when I saw my first unicorn (I swear to this day it was real!) SO this year, when the circus came to town we decided to take the girls.

Jenn, Jade, Analeigh and Emmie came along too. So did Grandpa and Grandma. And Afton's friend Whitney.

We saw elephants, ate snacks and bought everything they were selling. It was awesome. The girls were amazed.

I still love the circus.

Second Grade!

Afton started Second Grade. This has been the easiest transition from summer to school we have had yet!

Setting up her desk at "Meet the Teacher" 

Her teacher!

Showing Maisy around the school 

She was excited to have Mrs. Kou as her teacher. Her class is filled with old friends. Afton described her first few days as 'awesome'. She says she her teacher is 'so nice, she doesn't even want to leave school.' WOW!

  
It's going to be a fabulous year.

Destin 2013

Last minute (well a few months out, but for Destin, that's last minute!) we decided to go back to the beach. Summer just doesn't seem like summer without a trip to ocean.

We took our regular route, through Louisiana, with a quick stop at the Lake and Cafe Du Monde.

Our usual condo was booked, but we found a similar one. A cute low-rise condo with a pool, right on the beach. 

We spent the week soaking up the sun, sand, and water. 

We had family photos take on the beach one night. 

Both Afton and Maisy adopted hermit crabs. As of now, we still have one left alive! (Maisy's crab Shellsie is living happily in a large glass aquarium on a shelf in the playroom.)

One of my favorite days in Destin was renting a boat for the day. We saw beautiful water, found shells, and just enjoyed cruising around. 

To wrap up the trip, we surprised the girls with an evening on a real pirate ship. 

It was such a fun trip. Maybe this will be an annual trip after all!