We're Home!!!

We made it home today around 1pm. As you can see, we were all excited to be home. Our cat Max was glad to see us. We had fun visiting the Eldridge's in Houston.

Here are some final photos from our trip starting with our visit to the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, Florida. It was a very nice museum with a good variety of naval aircraft dating back to the first Curtis sea plane plus it's free to the public. We all rode the Blue Angel motion ride. Andria should have taken her dranamine.





This is a photo of the condo hotel in Gulf Shores, AL as we departed. If you look closely, you can see the parasailer. Well, thanks for tuning in to our blog and sharing our vacation adventure with us...

End of our Vacation

We have begun the last day and trip home. I'm actually looking forward to being back home after 15 days! I'm really a homebody at heart. We have been in houston the last two days visiting our friends, just hanging out. We floated around their pool some yesterday. We also went to the Veteran's Memorial gravesite and visited my dad's memorial there for the first time. It was a beautiful cemetary. Pretty nice, since it's almost father's day. He died Nov. 28, 1999, when I was pregnant with Cameron. Now, it's pack up the overnight bag and head back to the airport for our short 1hr flight back to San Antonio. Yeah!!

Check out the Family Beach Pics

We got our family beach pics posted online. Check them out at www.sun-shots.com and put 726 as the passcode in the client section.

Gulf Shores Summary by Andria

Well, we are traveling back to the BIG state today. I am catching up on the blog as we leave Gulf Shores, AL to Houston to visit our friends, the Eldridge’s for a couple of days. Hard to believe but today is the only day we rented a car on day 13 of our trip! We got one because we wanted to backtrack a little and go visit the Naval Air Museum that is in Pensacola, FL. It was an hour drive from our condo in Gulf Shores, So we had a little Jeff day as he was in hog heaven looking at all of the planes and the boys enjoyed climbing into a lot of cockpits, including Blue Angel planes. This is the home of the Blue Angel

I’ll catch you up a bit on what we did from Sunday to Thursday. Not much variety actually but so very nice to have no agenda and be lazy. Monday we had the boys go to a kids camp for a few hours and we had a mini date. Jeff lounged on the beach reading books. It was nice to have a little time not having to watch the boys in the water. Together we spent time playing games, watching a couple movies, going to the pool and beach. I loved having no where to be and could get back in bed and read a book if I wanted to. The boys are at a good age for traveling because they can entertain themselves pretty well. Monday night we played Blacklight Volleyball and that was fun. The hotel had set up 8 big blacklight vertical lamps to see and you used a glow in the dark ball. First time the boys have ever played and they liked it.

Wed night we had hired a photographer to take beach portraits. I’ll post a link where you can view them. I’ve always wanted to do this but since we live 2.5hrs from the beach, it’s always too far, too much to coordinate, etc. So, before we left I hurriedly got white outfits together for us all. At the condo, I thought I’d fluff them in the drier some but was horrified when the came out to find brown marks all over the clothes! Yikes!! I think it was some rust in the drier. Anyway, thanks to anti-bacterial wipes (great tip) they came mostly out. The boys did great and the only problem really was me, or should I say my hair. The photographer had to keep stopping to let me get pieces of my hair out of my face. I had it all nice and straight before we left the condo, but immediately stepping out into the Gulf humidity my hair grew at least six inches! Jeff kept trying to pat it down and threatened to spit-shine it for me.

I’ve enjoyed our vacation. Everyone has gotten along-oh minor squabbles here and there but nothing different from being at home. And flying sure beats driving for sure. It’s a three hour flight to Houston. After today it will be a total of 13hrs flying time for the whole trip. Jeff’s happy because he gets his flying time in. He puts it on auto-pilot and listens for his air traffic control commands on the headset. I don’t wear a headset-they annoy me and make me a little claustrophobic. Plus I don’t like listening to all the air traffic jibber jabber. Most of the time his hands are free and he’s snapping pictures right now, actually. The boys are asleep, thanks to Dramamine. No barfing episodes this trip, thank God! I’m still having flashbacks to last summer’s trip with the beef jerky in Denver.

I’ve also enjoyed the break from beads, although I did get to visit a little bead store today and got some neat beads, so I’m ready to get back to it and get the creative juices flowing again. The boys had fun burying each other as you can see.

Signing off for now, Andria

Moore's Leaving Gulf Shores

Well, we have had a wonderful time relaxing by the beach here at Gulf Shores. Cameron and Elliot have learned to skim board while Mom and Dad perfected their lounging technique. We had a photographer take our photos last night on the beach. This is a sample that he took with our camera. Today we are visiting the Naval Air Museum at Pensacola then flying to Houston this afternoon.

Saturday, Heading to Gulf Shores

We woke up early on Saturday because we were going to head to the roof of our hotel and try to catch the space shuttle take off that was scheduled for 7:15am. Unfortunately, it got postponed so Jeff was bummed. We got all our stuff packed up and headed out for a delicious breakfast in the hotel. It was a nice treat because mainly we ate cereal/yogurt in the room most days. Then, catch a taxi and off to the airport.

We were all set to go, seatbelts on, headsets on, when Jeff discovered an issue with his radios. So, back into the FBO the boys and I went to wait. He had planned ahead for the little issue and brought extra supplies so he had it fixed in 20 min and then we were off. It took us about three hours to fly to Gulf Shores, Alabama. This is the kick-back and do nothing phase of the trip that Jeff and I have been looking forward to.


When we had made our trip plans, they told us at the airport, they had a crew car they would loan us for a day. Our resort is about 20 min away from the airport. Well, they couldn't lend it overnight to us, but a guy drove us. He was so nice and even stopped at Walmart to let us get some things. We're staying at the Beach Club Resort and this place is pretty stellar with several pools, and boardwalks right to the beach. They have their own restaurants and stores as well and some family activities. Here's a photo of Gulf Shores...

The boys were excited to have "a little apartment" as they call it. It's a one bedroom condo with a kitchen and bunks that close into a closet in the hall that they think is pretty cool. Our condo is on the first floor with a patio that looks out onto the pool and ocean beyond. The boys went out last night to check things out while I feathered the nest. Next thing I know, Cameron comes running up with his bounty: he clubed a fish with a big stick in the ocean! I think he's watched a few too many Man vs. Wild shows. Man, I'm surrounded by testosterone.

The boys bought some skim boards and have had fun testing them out. Here are some photos of the action...

Last Days in Orlando

Thursday we had fun with my step sister, Missy, and her family coming up to the hotel for a visit. We hung out by the pool, ate lunch and played in the game room. The kids had fun and I got to catch up with mis.

That night we met Luisa and her kids for dinner and then the boys and then headed over to Downtown Disney. I wanted to squeeze in a trip to Magic Kingdom (can't let those passes go to waste!) so the boys and I decided we would take the disney bus over to MK. Well, over an hour and a half later we finally arrived. Lessons learned on how to use the trasportation system. We got on the wrong bus, anyway, we made it in time to see the light parade and fireworks. It's a little challenging getting around without paying our hotel's huge taxi prices. We didn't have our own rental car, but glad that Jeff's boss from work let us use his some and Jeff would drop us off or pick us up in between his conference duties.


Friday, Jeff was done with his conference so we all headed out for the water park, Typhoon Lagoon. I love water parks. The disney parks are all so well manicured and I enjoy looking at all of the landscaping. They had a long lazy river that went around the park and it was nice laying back and looking at all of the meticulous plants shading the water. There was also a cool snorkel area where we could don snorkels and look at fish and sharks. The boys thought that was very cool and they picked up snorkeling pretty well.

Then, we headed over to our niece's birthday party. Analisa had a little swim party with her cousins to celebrate turning 8. We had a fun afternoon playing in the pool and hanging out.

Thursday in Orlando

I've been so busy I haven't had time to post! But you knew that was coming. Whos ISN'T busy when they come to Orlando? Fortunately, Elliot bounced right back after his 12hr stomach bug and Monday we were off and running to Epcot. Jeff came with us and it was fun spending time as a family. Now, I haven't been to Epcot since I was 10yrs old. The boys are just the right age where all the country stuff and technology learning is new and interesting to them. We saw a really cool 380 degree film in the China area that was very cool, I thought, and then we rode the new "Soarin" ride that is like you are sitting in a hangglider riding over California. When you are "flying" via big screen over the pine trees, there is a pine tree scent that puffs out of your vent right above you. We all got a kick out of that ride. It actually wasn't too hot that day and even had some clouds roll in, which you are happy about in the heat of Florida sun.

That night we went to a Pirate dinner show. We had a blast at that and the boys even got picked to be in the army that fights the bag guys at the end of the show. It's the kind of show where you are sitting and they serve you the dinner while all the action is going on in the middle on the big ship. Our pirate was the "green" one and we would cheer when he did something cool. Made for a long day, though and we all dropped into bed around 11pm. I was noticing though, that our boys really don't get that cranky when it's late like that anymore. I remember when they were little, they would just break down and cry if they were so tired. But, now what gets on my nerves the most is when I'M tired and they keep on laughing, wrestling and giggling. How come no one puts mom to bed?

Tuesday we spent another day at the parks: Hollywood Studios. My sister in law, Luisa, came by and picked us up with her two kids, Analisa and Connor and we went to the park together. The heat definitely kicked up and it was a pretty sweaty day. Fun stuff though as we got to do the Star Wars ride and they were giving a "how to be a jedi" demo out front as well. The boys were into that since I had just bought them custom Light Sabers at Downtown Disney. Of couse we also saw the cool stunt show and lots of other stuff. Then we went to Downtown Disney (for the second time) and spent another couple hours at Disney Quest and the boys ran around like hoodlums. Where do they get the energy? Fortunately for me they had a little area with a couch and computer and I could take a rest. My feet were killing me-the day before I left I had cortisone injections in my foot to help with my plantar faciitis.

Wednesday was also a fun day and I made a vow to "stay in water" all day. The boys and I went to Blizzard Beach all day and had fun splashing, sliding and playing while Jeff was back at the hotel going to his conference. We didn't do the big tall slide (I forgot what it was called) because Elliot didn't meet the height requr. and frankly I didn't want a gush of water up my butt. But we did all the other slides. Pretty creative having a water park themed like a melted ski resort! After that we played a round of the winter-themed mini golf while we waited for our ride. Jeff took us to dinner after that and then we came back to the hotel by 7:30. Jeff had to do some work so we popped the boys in front of a movie and I got to go have a couple hours by myself. I went down to the quiet "spa pool" and read my book and went in the hottub. Nice....

Sunday Morning

Well....it was a looonnngg night. I am sitting now out on the patio of our hotel room and it'a about 10am. Jeff and Elliot are still sleeping. Elliot had some sort of stomach bug and was throwing up from 6pm last night till 6am this morning. Fortunately, Cameron slept through all the trauma, but Elliot, Jeff and I were up every hour at least. Poor little guy. I hope he's better today. He woke up about 6 and then was so confused he peed in the trash can we had by his bed! I'm sure the hotel staff already love us because we have set out two bags and a trashcan outside our room with nasty stuff.

Moore's go to Florida - Day 2

Andria writing: We left New Orleans today, and I’m writing now as we are enroute to Orlando. I think we just passed over Mobile, AL. I was actually pretty impressed we were all up, dressed and having breakfast in the restaurant by 7:30am! Guess our internal clocks are all set to “school time” even though that ended on Thursday. The photo is in front of the old terminal building that was damaged by Katrina after we landed.

Our quick trip to New Orleans was fun…we stayed in the French Quarter and tooled around the Jackson Square. The boys went into a Louisiana history museum while I saw on the sidewalk and watched a little jazz band play away the afternoon. Of course, we then had beignets at Café De Mond. I love looking at all of the unique iron railings and numerous art galleries. But there are also the shops with all kinds of things you are suddenly aware of and embarrassed about when you have your young kids with you! I had to explain what all the tarot card and fortune teller people were. As we were eating lunch, we witnessed a 70ish purple haired man wheel up his shop and set up. It took him like 30 min to set his table, chairs, signs up. Then one of the other scammers (a smoking 40ish man with an extra large paunch named “Jeffy”) approached him and tried to talk him into moving to another corner. He probably was jealous of his more colorful setup (and hair!) Anyway, we watched as Jeffy reeled in a couple of suckers and layed out his cards in exchange for money. We had to explain all that to the boys and how they were scamming with their pile of baloney. I haven’t walked around the French Quarter since I was 20 and in college. It’s funny, I actually got to chat on the phone to my old high school friend, Neal, while standing in the square. Last time I was there was when some friends and I visited him in college.



The hotel had a wonderful pool on the top floor with awesome views of the city. We splashed around a big and I’m always amazed at the little things kids get a kick out of: who gets to push the elevator button, using the key card to open your room door and how in the world do they get a pool on the roof?? Here we are taking off from Lakefront Airport.


While flying around has become second nature to us, I realize not all of you know and can visualize all the details of this kind of traveling. So, while I’m stuck here for another 3 hours looking at nothing but air and clouds, I’m going to share some details. So since there are no McDonalds or Valeros to stop in and go to the bathroom, what do we do? Well, we have friends called “Little John”. I even took a photo for you as I had the pleasant job of emptying it this morning. One is labeled “boys” one is “dad” and one is “mom” with its own special attachment called the “lady J.” One or both boys will usually go each flight just because it’s cool and different, and they like to mark their territory. We also brought the little toddler potty for desperate situations just in case. Even though the boys are 6 and 9, you just never know! Fortunately it remained unused.
Usually in any given day or flight we try to fly no more than 3-4 hours total. But since we are at the beginning of the trip we are doing two 4hr legs the first two days. The airports we land in are small and terminals are called “FBOs”, and I have no idea what that stands for. Many of them are old, smoky and have a few pilots sitting in recliners shooting the breeze and passing the day talking of their glory days. The New Orleans one was brand new because the old one floated away from hurricane Katrina in 2004. It was tastefully decorated and had treats in the bathroom! There were mints, perfume, mouthwash and monogrammed towelettes. We took a cab (it was actually a roomy suburban with a dvd player) to and from the hotel. We packed one small overnight bag for all of us just for this one night. It never fails though that we have all kinds of other bags: my purse, book bag, 2 backpacks, flight bag, laptop bag, and small cooler. It’s embarrassing. When we land in Orlando (actually we’ll be landing at the Kissimmee airport south of Orlando) we’ll unload the whole kit and caboodle, and they will usually bring over a golf cart to help us load up.

….Later that night now Jeff writing: We made it in to Orlando early this afternoon. There was some weather in the area, but we were able to make it in safely with the help of air traffic control and our in-cockpit weather system. We had a pleasant afternoon swimming in the huge pool. Elliot was not feeling well, so he and Andria went back to the room while Cameron and I played basketball. Well tomorrow, we plan to go to one of the Disney waterparks. Here's a couple of photos at the resort. Bye for now.

Moore's go to Florida

Well, we are off on our summer 2009 adventure. We had a nice, smooth flight to New Orleans. We landed at the Lakefront Airport, which is right on Lake Ponchatrain. We took a taxi and are staying at the Omni in the French Quarter. We arrived around 1:30pm, so we had a nice lunch while listening to a jazz band play in the street. The boys and I toured a museum of Louisiana history, which was interesting. Then we got our required beignets, which are like waffle cakes but shaped like a large roll...very yummy. We then went for a dip at the hotel pool on the 7th floor and enjoyed the full moon and city lights after dark. We are off tomorrow to Orlando. We hope to publish some pictures then...