Discovery Cove - Snorkeling

For the rest of our day at Discovery Cove, we just went snorkeling on their reef and swam with fish and rays.  It was pretty cool.  But first, we had to teach Rori how to snorkel!

She eventually got the hang of it but chose to just hold her breath for most of the time.  I think the idea of breathing while having your face in the water was just a little too weird for her.  She did use it sometimes though, and she had fun seeing all of the fish and rays.  Most of the time she stayed with Ryan, even though she was wearing TWO flotation devices. lol  Sometimes they swam next to each other, with her hand on his arm, and sometimes she rode on his back as he swam. 

Swimming in the reef was awesome!  There were several different kinds of rays and tons of fish.  Some of the rays were HUGE!  And we had an underwater camera/camcorder, so we took lots of pics and even got some video...

In addition to the rays and fish that they had in the coral reef, there were areas that had other, more dangerous animals.  We were able to swim right up to windows that had sharks, lionfish, eels, and barracuda just on the other side.  I didn't get any pics of the barracuda, but here are the others...

*shudder* The eels creep me out!!!

Here is a video of the sharks from underwater...



Even just standing in the shallow water gave you some cool experiences.  The rays swam right up to the edge of the water and you could just bend down and touch them.

The day was beautiful and the morning was perfect!  Later in the afternoon, though, the storm clouds began to roll in and pretty soon, we were in a downpour.  Since we were already getting plenty wet in the water, a lot of us, especially the girls, really didn't care!  Rori just wanted to keep swimming and playing with the fish!  I was getting tired and found a covered chair so I could lay back and rest for a few minutes. 

When the girls were finally ready for a break from swimming, we decided to eat our late lunch.  (We were so  glad we had waited and stayed in the water during the lunch rush!)  We kept hoping the rain would let up, and when it didn't, we still thought about going back in the water, but in the end, we decided to call it a day. But even with the rain, we were having a fun time!

Our day at Discovery Cove was amazing!  We had a great time, even when it rained. ;)  And even though we might not be able to go to Discovery Cove the next time we go to Florida, we definitely hope to go back eventually!

Discovery Cove - Swimming with Dolphins

One of the special experiences we had in Florida didn't have anything to do with Disney.  We went to Discovery Cove the last time we went to Florida, too, so we knew what to expect and that we wanted to go back.  Last time, Acadia was just one year too young to swim with the dolphins, but this time, she was definitely old enough, so she and I had the amazing chance to interact and swim with dolphins.

We arrived early so we would be among the first to get our dolphin swim.  I liked beginning with it last time and wanted to do the same this time.  It worked out great!  We had the first time slot and were able to start our day with Astra and Hutch, two bottle-nosed dolphins.

It was wonderful!  I loved it last time and I loved it this time.  This time it was even more special because I was able to share it with Acadia. 

We were in the water with the dolphins for about half an hour, during which time, they taught us about the dolphins, such as their diets, breeding program, training techniques, and so on.  They let us ask whatever questions we had and answered all of them.  It was really neat!  Here are some highlights of our experience...


This time, it was Aurora who was too young, so she and Ryan stood on the shore and watched (and as you saw, video recorded) our experience.  But one thing that they didn't do last time, and we were very pleasantly surprised with this time, was at the end of our session, when they invited Ryan and Rori down into the water to take a picture with us as we posed with Hutch.  While they were there, both Ryan and Rori got to pet and feed him, which was so far beyond what we expected, especially since they hadn't paid for this experience.  It was so nice to have us all be able to share this part of the experience together, what a great memory!

After we completed our dolphin swim, we ate breakfast (Breakfast and lunch are included for everyone there and it was delicious!) and then got ready to go snorkeling on the reef!  That is up next, so stay tuned!

Disney - Water Parks

Florida in August is hot.  Hot and humid.  We spent most of our time at the main Disney parks but definitely enjoyed some time at the water parks, too.

Blizzard Beach:

We had a lot of fun on the water slides at Blizzard Beach.  Rori even went down some by herself!  We just made sure Ryan went down before her so he was there to help her when she arrived at the bottom.  We also enjoyed the lazy river.  The girls and Ryan walked and swam along... I drifted lazily in an inner tube. :)

We also spent a day at Typhoon Lagoon.  We especially like the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon.  Some of the waves are just so-so, but then it switches to the monster waves that are simply huge!  Acadia liked to swim out to the deep part and then ride the wave back to the shallow area.  Rori liked to have Ryan hold onto her as the water crashed into her.  Ryan just liked it all... especially all the screams when people saw the wave coming. lol

Typhoon Lagoon also has a shark tank that you can snorkel across.  Acadia was the only one to do it this time.  I had already dried off from the day and we were about to leave the park, so I didn't want to get wet all over again.  But I do remember doing it last time and it was really, really cool!

Part of the day we split up.  Ryan and Cadi did some of the bigger attractions while I watched Rori have fun at KetchaKiddie Creek.  She had a lot of fun!

One of the rides that Ryan and Cadi went on was the Crush -n- Gusher.  Acadia had really been looking forward to this one.  It is a waterslide that has enough water force to push you up over inclines.  She went on it a couple of times, once by herself and once with Ryan.  She loved it!  Rori watched and waited from a pool nearby...

The waterparks were great!  They kept us cool, gave our feet a break from all the walking, and were tons of fun!

Swimming Lessons

Last month, I had both girls take swimming lessons.  Rori had been taking them since last Fall, but Cadi hadn't taken them for a few years.  I figured it would be good to give her a refresher course.  They both did great and loved it.  Acadia ended up with the same teacher Rori had had most of the year.  Rori loves her!  She is so good.  And I'm glad Acadia got her because she did a great job helping Acadia overcome some of her fears and bad swimming habits. 

Rori is now at the highest level she can be at for her age.  She's ready to go to a higher class, but they make the kids wait until they are 6, so she has a whole year.  But that's okay because we didn't have time to sign up for more classes this summer, and next year I will want her to retake the same class she's been in, to freshen up on it before moving on. :)

I took my camera on the last day of the session:

Pool Video

Okay, we'll do ONE video...



The sound is muddled because I had the camera setting on "underwater", so the mic is protected.  :)

Water Cam

I do believe this will be our final Yosemite photos post.  So if you're sick of all the pics, that's good news for you.  If you aren't, go back and review the ones I've already posted. ;)

On Memorial Day, you may recall, we spent a bit of time playing at the pool at the resort where we were staying.  I mentioned that I had taken pictures using our new water camera/camcorder.  The following are some of those pictures...

lol, that last pic of Rori flying from Ryan to Cadi makes me laugh everytime! hahaha

At risk of sounding like a commercial or something, I really like this little water camera!  We bought it because I knew we would want to take water pictures when we go to Disney later this year.  (Most particularly for the day we go to Discovery Cove to swim with dolphins!)  Last time we went to Florida, we bought 8 disposable water cameras, then had the film developed and 1) it was expensive, plus 2) the quality wasn't great.  I decided if we were going to spend the money to get photos, we might as well spend that money on something permanent that would produce better pictures.  This little Kodak I found does that and more - it has a zoom and it takes video!  So, for the same price that I expected to spend on cruddy one-time use cameras, I got a great new waterproof digital camcorder.  Our Yosemite trip was our first time testing it, and I'm very pleased! :)

This is the end of the photo posts, but I may still put up a video or two. ;)

Swimming Lesson FAIL

This morning, I got Rori all suited up and headed to the community center for swimming lessons just like we have every Monday since September.  She's doing awesome and is in the highest level she can be in for her age group.  She loves swimming lessons and has a great teacher.  As we waited on deck for her name to be called, it wasn't.  ???  I have her scheduled and paid for through July!  What's up?

Oh. wait.  I had to put her into the 9:30 class and we were standing there at 10:05 instead.  Oops.  I totally forgot about the time change.

Swimming lesson FAIL!

Rori was very disappointed.  So, as we were changing back to go home, I told her that I was sorry she was having to miss lessons today, that it was my fault, and that we could get a treat for her instead.  Immediately, she brightened up and asked for a puppy!!!

LOL  Way to try to take advantage of THAT situation, kid!  But no.  I was thinking more along the lines of an ice cream cone. lol

In the end, she didn't want anything.  I guess if you can't have a puppy, nothing else matters. ;)  So, she's home watching a movie now.  lol

Photo Catch Up

Before my camera died, I took lots of pictures of Rori participating in her various activities.  Unfortunately, I did not upload them before the camera died, so I had to wait until I had a new camera to retrieve them.  That's all taken care of now, so let me share with you some of the highlights:

Rori loves swimming lessons!  These are some of the pics taken on her first day...



She is also enjoying soccer.  These were taken during one of her practices...



Her favorite activity is gymnastics, but I didn't have very good pictures of that.  I'm looking forward to taking my camera today to see how it does taking pics there (the lighting is horrible for picture taking).   I'm also interested to see how well it does at the pool.  Parents watch the lessons from behind a glass window, so it will be interesting to see how the pictures turn out.

Splish Splash!

The girls and I went to the pool today.  We ran into our bishop who was there with his grandkids.  The last half of our swim was nearly filled with Cadi and Julie in a waterfight with him.  lol  It was pretty fun! 

After our swim, when we were changing in the locker room, Rori was playing in the locker.



She kept closing the door, then I'd say, "Where did Rori go?  I can't find her!"  And then she'd giggle, push open the door, and say, "Here 'e is!"  And then she'd start it all over again. lol



As we were leaving, Rori kept sucking her thumb!  She never does that!  I think she was half chewing on it, actually.  I think it's just her teeth bugging her but it was kind of suprising to see, so I took a quick pick.  It's not the best, but it is what it is! ;)



We had a nice time.  Unfortunately, it's not nearly as hot yet as it will be today, we really just went for fun not necessarilyy to "stay cool".  Now we've got the A/C cranking and the girls are watching The Spiderwick Chronicles since we didn't get to it last night. :)

It's Party Time!!!

Today was Acadia's birthday party and we had a BLAST!  Everyone met up at the community center and we went swimming for about an hour.  Cadi and her friends had lots of fun floating down the lazy river and going down the water slide.  This was also Rori's first time to the pool (Yes, I reliaze that since it took me TWO YEARS to get her to the pool, that makes me a horrible mother. lol) and she LOVED it!  Though, that's no surprise; she absolutely loves the water.  Cadi's friends all took turns helping Rori, it was very cute!  Ryan was the "designated father" and stayed in the pool with the kiddos (mostly making sure Rori was safe) while I tried to take as many pictures as I could. ;)

*Note to self: Next time check the setting on the camera, I think the normal setting would have been best.*  I'm sorry the pics are a little grainy.  Really, I'm very sorry because I would have prefered them turn out a little better! lol  But they are still decent. :)













Here's quick video of Rori in the pool:



After swimming for an hour, we all dried off, changed, and after many, many minutes (it took so much longer than I expected to get a dozen little girls - including Rori- out and changed), finally made our way to our party room.  There we had cake, soda, and opened presents.  :D















*Plug for anyone who lives around here:  You know this community center - it's a FANTASTIC place to have a party!  The person I worked with in booking it went way out of his way to make sure we had a great time!  He checked in on us often even though we didn't use their "party package" and therefore we weren't supposed to have a "host/hostess" and he was so helpful and friendly!  I would totally recommend renting their special events room for a party - you don't even need to purchase their party packages (we didn't because we wanted to bring our own cake and that made it very affordable).   We felt like we had excellent service and the whole thing was a lot of fun! :) ... Okay, end of plug. lol*

It's a good thing we have indoor pools here...

Acadia has been in swimming lessons for the last couple of weeks and yesterday I took my camera.
This was the scene on the way to the pool, just prior to leaving, we had a nice Thunderstorm come through...



Did you see the rainbow?  It's a little light in the pic but in real life it was brilliant!  We could see all of the colors, they were so bright!

Swimming lessons is always fun...






Rori likes watching the kids swim.  I think next time we'll enroll her in a Parent-Tot class.  She'd love it!





Thursday is her last class for the session.  She loves the last day of class because they get to go down the waterslide.  Hopefully I'll remember my camera and get some good pics. :)

Long time no post

I don't have a really good reason for not posting... just not much to post about. So, this may be random... Maybe I should make it an official "random" post... nah, I'm feeling too lazy to go change the title.

•It's been hot. Really hot. We broke records here. Before this year, there had only been 3 days when it had reached 100 degrees in the month of June. Well, we've almost doubled that. We just had two days of 100+ degree temps. And I'll just say... We survived! Yay!!! The A/C is so nice! It doesn't cool the whole house, but it does cool the family room well and that's where we spend our time.

•Cadi started swimming lessons yesterday, again. Ryan had to take her because I had a Dr. appt. It was his first time making it to a swimming lesson. Hopefully he'll get to go to a couple more next week. Cadi likes swimming lessons and keeps getting more and more confident. She's not using her goggles as much - which is a big improvement! She likes her teachers and trusts them and that makes learning so much easier for her.

•My Dr. appt went well. I have been having the normal nasty side effects that usually come at the end of the pregnancy. Swollen feet (the heat hasn't helped), pregnancy rash, contractions, heartburn, etc. The rash has been one of the most annoying things so she gave me some suggestions on how to get through. I've got lotion with aloe now and I'm using a mosturizing body wash instead of soap in the shower. When it's really bad, mostly at night, I'm taking Benadryl. Last night was much better and I feel a lot better knowing I can at least lessen the itch.

•From now until Earendil comes, I'll be seeing my doctor weekly. We're in that final month! In 2 weeks, I start my self-inducing tactics. Power walks, bowling, the driving range, etc. Then in another week, I'll add foot/ankle/calf massages. I REALLY want to have this baby in July! Can you tell? lol

•I have always had a problem with flip flops. The thing that goes between your toes always hurts me. However, I am unable to fit in any of my shoes. Well, there is one pair of sandals I can squeeze into, but that's it. So yesterday while I was at the store buying my Benadryl, I also bought my first pairs of flip flops! I am so excited! First of all, they are shoes that fit! Secondly, I am hopeful that I will get used to flip flops during this period of time and then I can continue wearing them just for fun! :)

•Acadia calls me Preggo. Seriously, she does. But I think it's cute and I let her.

•I have spoken on the phone with one of my on-line friends. We've dubbed our on-line friends "vfriends" (for virtual friends). But now that we've spoken on the phone, we aren't just vfriends, we're real friends! She's super cool and I hope someday to meet her in person. We've got some other vfriends that we hope to meet too.

•Ryan started classes this week. He's got a 3 hour lecture two times a week plus a 3 hour lab once a week. Then on top of that, he's taking an on-line class. Both of the classes will be ending about mid-August. Which means that the final projects and studying for the finals will all take place right around the time we have a new baby in our home... who planned the timing on this?

Okay, I think that is it for now. I won't wait so long before I post again!

Splish Splash

Last night was the final lesson of this session of swimming lessons.  And as expected, YAY Cadi finally passed level 1!  And all because she finally puts her face in the water!  It's amazing how much easier it is to learn to swim when you can get over that! lol

I've got some fun pics and video.  The first little bit they finished up the testing they were doing last lesson.  But once they were done, the fun began!  The teacher said, "Who wants to go down the big slide?!?"







 After she went down the slide no less than 5 times, she switched to playing on the "lazy river"...







At the end of play time, the instructors handed out the certificates for completing the class. Cadi's instructor told me, "The first day I met Acadia, I told her my name and she said, 'Hey, that's the name of a prophet!'" Then he told me he is LDS too, I asked his name, it's Joseph.

I was kind of proud that she is unafraid to talk about the church, even though I thought it was funny that she mentioned that instead of her Uncle Joseph, who always plays "Monkeys in a Barrel" with her, lol.
 
The next session is in two weeks - and we're moving on to Level 2... Good job, Cadi!!!

Swimming Pictures

Last night I took a couple pictures and video at swimming lessons.  This Thursday will be the last lesson for this session.  She will start lessons again in a couple of weeks.  Next session she will be moving up a level... Yay!

Water Baby

Today was Acadia's first day of swimming lessons this year.  This year we are taking lessons at the new community center... and it is NICE!!!

Acadia is still in Level 1, she just does not like putting her face in the water.  She'll do it for a second or two, but not long enough to really swim.  It's too bad, because that is really the only thing that is holding her back.  But the good news is that she picked up today right where she left off last summer.  And she told me that she is willing to just "obey" the teacher, even if they ask her to put her face in the water.  From the looks of lessons today, she did pretty good, and I'm hoping this means she might even move on to Level 2 soon.
Here are some pics and even a quick little video I took.  Since the video was taken from behind a glass wall, sound is optional.  In fact, I paid NO attention to what was going on around me so I hope that the conversations were appropriate, lol.