Mommy's-ami

It took 1 1/2 weeks finto our vacation for Kelley and me to figure out what Brooklynn was saying when she said "Mommy's-ami". I was telling Kelley that I couldn't figure out why she kept saying "Mommy's-mai" instead of "MY-ami" and the light bulb went off for both if us at the same time. So funny--and one month later, she sees an airplane and says they are going to "Mommy's-ami".

The girls got their own rolling suitcases for their birthday from Aunt Kelley, Uncle Oumar, and Farah-and they were ahhhhh-mazing rolling it everywhere. Occasionally we had to pick up the slack but it was so fun to watch them cart their cute suitcase everywhere (and they got quite the attention for being so adorable!). 

Watching planes!

THANK GOD this girl passed out eventually. She was veeeeeery bossy and needed a nap. 

I sat across the 2-and-2 seat plane from these girls....it was interesting for me but they LOVED it!

Camping beach-front (thanks to Kelley and Oumar making these reservations months in advance!). They girls were much more into the water pump than the ocean. 

Avery (she peed in the potty for the first time ever on this camping trip!)

Brooklynn (she was amlost 100% potty trained when we got down to Miami)

Woot! Smoores.

This little girl. She's my favorite. 

My sister-in-law asked for a picture of the kids at the beach and so we had to do a funny one.

Look at that little love in the right corner!

Not sure about this one but we had so much fun at Duffy's catching up with Melanie and Dave!

Thanks Nana! A new Duffy's shirt!

Nana took all the girls to the Everglades to see the alligators. We rode the air boats. The girls still ask for ear plugs to this day to go on the boat. 

There are 3 alligators in this picture!

Kelley, Oumar, and Farah were incredible to us. I can only imagine the adjustment Farah had with three kids coming into her stuff but she is the most welcoming, kind-hearted, sharing little person I have ever met. I can only hope if they came to us that our girls would be as amazing and accepting as Farah was with her toys. She is the sweetest and most understanding little sweetie. We LOVED our time with Farah. We are so thankful that they opened their our to our chaos (which is a LOT) and especially let me and the girls stay for an extra week by ourselves!! We made memorie that we will never forget!

Business.

My favorite part of Farah is what a LOVER she is. The girls were not always ready for the love she has to give-but she is the same lover as Jake. She wanted to hug all the time. My favorite candid moment I overheard was Oumar say to Farah "Want to see my new hug I made up?" Farah couldn't contain her excitement! It was a very unique experience to learn new parenting techniques from my sister and brother-in-law. I love and admire how they parent their little girl. They are clearly doing an amazing job with their little girl. I can't wait to watch her grow up. She's something special. 

Poppy love-bomb!

We went to a Marlin's game and it was crazy to see an indoor ball park! Bobby was super jealous he missed seeing this!

Haha! Photobomber!

This picture makes me laugh. Love catching them mid-smile/eye close! Nightly baths waiting for Aunt Kelley to give them a "treat" (glow stick!).

We met Aunt Juan and Uncle Joe (who they call "Katie Joe") to watch a Columbia soccer game. It was so fun to be hanging with them. 

I got to take all the girls to Monkey Jungle. It was SO COOL! We got to feed monkeys raisins and craisins in bowls that the monkeys would drop form overhead. I am so glad we went. Brooklynn was in monkey-heaven. I even found a small hole to hand-feed a little monkey. EKKK! I think I probably had the most fun of all four of us. At the end I told the girls they could pick something from the gift shop and Avery and Brooklynn went right to a monkey with a diaper and a pacifier and Farah went to this tiny monkey with a flower on her ear and told me that the flower looked like "a beautiful sunset". Haha! 

Watching the gorilla show!

Farah is a fish. No two ways about it. Our girls were afraid of the water. This was the last full day I was in Miami at Nana and Poppy's pool and both girls were in with their adorable cousin swimming! Yep, all three girls swimming with me! It was one of my favorite days of the whole vacation. By the end of our trip they were all such little friends and the girls were warming up to having another little one in their close-knit circle. Farah handled everything with such ease! I can't wait to get these cuties back together again soon. We miss Farah, Aunt Kelley, Uncle Oumar, (Bruin-who threw up while we were there and the girls can't stop talking about it), Uncle Joe ("Katie Joe" to the girls), Aunt Juana, Tiky (who we are also obsessed with talking about right now), Nana, and Poppy. We love you all and cannot wait to see you in February for Joey and Juanita's wedding!!!

Swoooooon! And she's wearing 2 pair of swimmies!

The beginning of our movie experience looked amazing!! By the end, not so much! Avery watched You Tube on my phone for more than 1/2 the movie. We went to the bathroom 857 times, Brooklynn dug her hands in my drink for the ice....but it was their first movie!!!

Thank you SOOOO much Nana and Poppy for such an incredible vacation! We had the best time!!