Spring Break '09

For spring break this year, we went to Orlando and Tampa and enjoyed time at Sea World and on the beach. It was a very relaxing trip (well, relaxing in the Ryan "way" - busy, but fun!). Nicole couldn't make it on this trip as she had mid-terms and that wouldn't be good, so we missed her!

This is looking out of the plane window at sunset - there was a jet in the distance.

We were in The Villages for a day, and we love to tootle around in the golf cart. The trees and landscaping there are so pretty.

Um, yeah. Can you believe he flies planes for a living?

Nana, Cary and Austin went golfing for the afternoon - they had such a great time and Austin was happy to be golfing after a long winter.

We then went to Sea World - I really love going here because it's not a crazy pace; you can see the park easily in a day and it's a very pretty park. And, the Ryan family loves animals!

Casey and I fed $5 fish (yep) to stingrays - it was so weird because you put the fish between your fingers and the rays suck it out like a vacuum.

The dolphin tank..

A leafy seahorse - very pretty and eerie at the same time.
While everyone else was riding the crazy roller coaster, Austin spent some time with this little guy - he was so cute!

OK, sounds corny, but I got a little teary eyed at this one. I should've been a whale trainer.

Beth and Andrew met us for the afternoon - they were also visiting Orlando parks.

This is the kind of floor Casey would like in her bedroom! It's an aquarium below and above you! Very cool.

We ate dinner in at Sharks Underwater Grill - it was a great way to end the day. (Sorry for the blurriness)
This was a great hotel room that Cary found for us in Orlando. The kids had their own bunk beds (to the right) with their own TV.
We also visited Aquatica, Seaworld's waterpark. I'm not much of a waterpark fan, but I loved this one! The pool had a huge sandy beach with a million lounge chairs, so it was easy to have your own space. It was laid out real well with a lot of ranges of slides and lazy rivers.

The wave pool

A very scary slide that felt like you were dropping straight down to the ground. It twisted around at the top and then dropped you. The kids and Cary loved it! I went once and it took the little lifeguard guy to keep convincing me to go!

The was a great tube slide that took you right through one of the dolphin tanks. You can see the slide behind the dolphins.

We went to Jennie's for a day to celebrate Chelsea's 13th birthday. Mom, Ed and Grandma Dot drove down for the day also and we had a great time together.

Fresh pedis!

We then headed to the beach for a few days - the Pippins met us on Sunday afternoon.

Casey and Austin spent hours riding the waves in their tubes. The pool was right behind us and it was so nice for them to go back and forth between the pool and the ocean.

I just love this pic. Case and Aus all tuckered out.

We think Case got a little delirious from all the sun - we found her like this packing things up to head home! A shower cap over head decorated with several headbands.