The Cha Cha Slide

A fun way to pass the time - aka, get the kids pumped full of energy right before they climb into bed :-)

A rare family picture

We really need to be better at taking pictures of all of us!

And me and my oldest daughter. 

Roessler Reunion

We had such a blast at the Roessler reunion this year.  It has always been an amazing time with family, but this year just seemed so much more relaxing and fun. A true vacation for the Sarions. I think in large part to due the girls getting older and travel being a much easier process.  No diapers, no bottles, no special baby gear.  Just two sisters who entertained each other on the flight, successfully shared a bed and required a little less parent support along the way.  Plus, it was a year to celebrate us all after some tough health scares.  We spent most of our time going back and forth between pool and beach, playing games, enjoying cousins, listening and telling stories and eating some great meals.  We explored the area a bit with a trip into Charleston and we worked our way down Rey's list of fast food restaurants (Chick Fil A, Dunkin Donuts).  Can't wait to do it again in two years!

The first night after a long day of travel for all.  We made our way down to the beach to enjoy the sunset.

Didn't take long for all the kids to jump in - clothes and all!

So much time spent at the beach.  We built castles, homes for the small sand crabs, collected SO many sea shells and splashed in the water.  

Mermaids!

Mermaids with decorated tails!

This kid LOVED the waves.  She just wanted to jump and jump and jump. 

Our little fish.  They have become such strong swimmers and it was nice not having to get into the pool with them each and every time they wanted to swim.

We ran into the Grahams in Charleston and the girls all had a great time playing the fountains.  We explored the market and each picked out a souvenir - Maya a starfish necklace and Laurel a butterfly.

And then we just spent time hanging out with family.  I don't have a ton of pictures of this, we forgot our big camera and my phone does not take good pictures indoors, but here are a few.

Lots of stories.

 There is nothing better than a comforting hug from Grandma.

And the highlight of each day was the bedtime story told by Granny Pat.  The girls still tell these stories at home.  Maya woke up with a really bad dream a few nights ago and had a hard time getting it out of her head.  I asked her to tell me Granny Pat's Chicken Story, which she did.  It was just what she needed to distract her mind from the scary dream and fall back asleep.

Mariner's Game

Work offered discounted tickets to a Mariner's game so we took advantage of the offering and took the girls to their first baseball game.  Maya showed some interest in the game itself, but Laurel couldn't have cared less.  Luckily, the stadium offers all sorts of other exciting things for kids to enjoy.  We visited the Mariner Moose, enjoyed all sorts of junk food and explored the full stadium.  They even got special certificates for attending their first game. We took the light rail to the stadium, which at some point Laurel dramatically claimed was, "the only fun part of the whole day."  I think this was when she had reached her walking limit.  Once we made our way back to our seats and bought some giant snow cones she was much happier!  Overall, a super fun afternoon!  

Enjoying some hotdogs for lunch.

Checking out the field - no, these were not our seats.  We sat way up at the top.

Watching some pre-game activities.

Leaving the stadium with a new Moose stuffy.