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Daisypath - Personal pictureDaisypath Happy Birthday tickers

Sunday, November 25, 2018

fun in the sun

We may be in the middle of the Fall right now, but it seems like we were just in the middle of summer and celebrating the 4th of July. The girls love the 4th, but don't love the fireworks. Because of our dislike of loud fireworks, we did what we do every year and enjoyed some quiet, but pretty sparklers.




We still try to make a trip to the zoo on occasion throughout the summer, when it's not unbearably hot. On this particular visit it was just Cece, but we were able to get up close and personal with some of the coolest animals at the zoo. You never know what to expect on any given visit, but this one was better than normal!




One thing we try to focus on throughout the summer is for the girls to keep up with their reading. It's easy to get caught up in all of the summer fun and forget, but things like the summer reading program at the library help to keep them motivated. During one of their visits to the library over the summer Cecilia was reading to her Nana and a library employee overheard her. She came up to her and gave her a ribbon for getting caught reading at the library. She was pretty proud of herself.


For the moment the girls got out of school for the summer they were looking forward to our vacation. We were headed to Myrtle Beach for dance nationals. Every other year our dance studio takes our competition kids to a national competition, usually somewhere vacation worthy. So roadtrippin' we went, but after many, many hours in the car they just wanted to get their toes in the sand. We had a few free days before the dancing started and that time was spent strictly at the beach.





These girls couldn't get enough of the waves, which were pretty impressive. Made me nervous watching them out there, but they were having the times of their lives..and getting along with each other so wonderfully! When they weren't jumping the waves they were building sandcastles. We stayed for hours!






I had to finally pull Olivia away from the beach to get ready for her competition. It was time to see all of her dance buddies and do one of the things she loves more than anything...dance! The girls had a few dances on the first day and they did a great job. The competition was tough, but they handled the competition with grace.




After a long day at the competition we enjoyed some shopping and dinner. There is no shortage of touristy things to do in Myrtle Beach. The kids were fascinated with everything. I, on the other hand was not as impressed with the huge crowds and busy restaurants. I love the beach, but aside from that Myrtle Beach is not a place I will plan to visit again anytime soon. But this trip was all about the kids and they were having the times of their lives!





The next day it was back to the competition. It was time for our big production numbers to perform. These big groups work hard all year knowing they are going to be up against some pretty tough competitors. It was fun watching them perform. Yes, it's a competition, but these girls just have fun dancing. They are creating some pretty great memories along the way too.




After days of dancing the kids just wanted to relax. What better way to unwind than to immediately hit the beach! Olivia's cousin dances too and they were staying just down the beach from us. We met up with them and enjoyed a final afternoon on the beach before getting ready to head home.

 


If there is one thing I learned on this vacation it's that my girls are fearless wave jumpers, and if they had their choice they would have stayed at the beach all week long. We were in Myrtle Beach for a national dance competition, but the girls were also there to have fun with friends and make memories. There was no shortage of great memories made on this trip.



Our summer picked up where it left off once we returned from our vacation. Cecilia spent some of her days back with her old babysitter Holly. She doesn't get to see Holly and her old friends much anymore since she started going to full day school, so she enjoys getting to see them in the summer. Cecilia is the oldest kid Holly still watches on occasion, so she is often the helper. Helping Holly cook is probably one of her favorite things to do.



Most of the time the girls spend their summer days with their Nana. She finds fun things to do with them and one afternoon she took them downtown for lunch from the food trucks. The got to enjoy the cheesiest grilled cheese sandwiches they had ever seen!




Even though Olivia was on a break from her regular soccer season there were still some fun opportunities to keep up with the game during the summer. Her soccer club hosted a mock World Cup tournament and she was lucky enough to be paired with a semi-pro player who was home for the summer. Along with some other kids they managed to make it to the semi-finals. It was a lot of fun and a good way to keep up with soccer during the off season.




After a successful trip to dance nationals in Myrtle Beach the dance studio hosted an afternoon at the water park for the kids. They closed down a neighborhood pool for a private party and let the kids celebrate their accomplishments. If the girls went down the water slides once, they did it at least 50 times! I even joined in on the fun. It was the perfect way to reward them for their hard work.







There were still some things to squeeze in before the summer began to wind down. A Tin Caps game is always a must each summer. We try to make it to at least one game, and this year it was our only one. The girls got free tickets for participating in the summer reading program at our local library. An evening at the ballpark is always a good time!




Towards the end of the summer Olivia and Cecilia did a mini cheer leading camp at our old high school. They spend the day learning cheers and stunts and then get to perform at one of the upcoming football games. This year they did a little preview performance. With both girls being pretty small they are always the ones that get chosen to be lifted during the stunts. They love it! I just hold my breath!



Each year our dear family friends invite us up to their lake house, but we always struggle finding time to go. Well this year, we made time. The lake is always so relaxing. Mixed in with the relaxation was some water sports. A nice boat ride, flying around the lake on the jet ski and a little paddle boating made for a fun day.





Before starting to pack up the school supplies for a new school year the girls took a quick road trip with their Nana to Muskegon, Michigan. I think it was their first visit since their Great Nana Cleo had passed, so it was strange to visit without getting to spend time with her. They still managed to squeeze in all of their favorite things like a trip to the candy store, the local ice cream shop and of course beach time! 




It was another great summer, but like all great things...they must come to an end! Time to go back to school!