We're baaaaack!

We arrived home after a week at Tybee Island, Georgia this evening.  We had a great vacation with great friends.  The most remarkable, unbelievable part of the trip was that the kids (all 13 of them!) never ONCE had a fight, a disagreement, or tears with another kid.  Is that crazy, or what?  Now... I should be clear, for sure there were a few tears but all crying was a result of individual issues (like Peter who decided he wasn't going to nap the first few days and instead wanted to be cranky and loud about it or kids getting into trouble with their mama)... but overall, it was simply amazing to watch all of the kids play together and enjoy each other's company as much as they did!

Here is the week in pictures...

YAY!  Monique (far left) arrives from Ft. Lewis, WA! 

The night before we left... the kids picked up right where they all left off!

Cortney, Beth, and Mo about to leave...

My car... filled with the BOYS!

Very first stop at the beach... The Sugar Shack for ice cream!

And the second stop, after unloading all of the cars, was to the beach!

They look so happy! 

There really aren't enough words to describe how much all three of the boys loved the ocean...

What a crew!  (And several kids are missing.)

Cort, Beth, Sherry, Rebecca, and Monique enjoying the first night.

Luke, James, and Nico

Henry taking a turn on a boogie board.  The boys LIVED in the ocean this week!

Heading out for another round of ice cream...

Lily and James

Lunch at The Crab Shack

Feeding the alligators at The Crab Shack

A nice, quiet little lunch...

How cute are these guys!?

Happy Pete (vs "Monster Pete" as Audrey nicknamed him when he was being crazy!)

About mid-week, Pete finally got the hang of his pack-n-play again...

Thank God for iPads, iPods, iPhones, Kindles, & Nooks! 

We took all of the kids out on a "dolphin-watching cruise"
one afternoon and got to see lots of them!

Tired Pete

Cort and Gabby

Nicolas and James

Mommy and Pete

Back at the house.  Such a sunny, happy, sweet picture I think...

Pete and the ladies... again! :) 

These pictures lie.  Pete was NOT this sweet.

Another great day on the beach...

Audrey and Mo...

Rebecca and Cort... 

A message for Daddy...

Every day the kids built elaborate sand castles and water systems they invented.

Sherry, Beth, Monique, Rebecca & Cortney

Okay, so it was a lot of work.  But it was a TON of fun.  We're already planning another trip next summer!