Is it just me, or does it seem like Kaitlynn had endless birthday celebrations this year?? Despite the celebrations we already had, Kaitlynn's actual birthday landed during our family vacation to Gulf Shores. So, of course, that means we had to celebrate. AGAIN!
We woke up to the early morning beach sunset and Kaitlynn was ready for presents! A couple of her cousins trickled into the condo while she was opening her gifts.
Kaitlynn opens some pacakages on her actual birthday.
Her classic surprised expression when she saw the American Girl logo on the package.
Matching "Dollie and Me" outfits for Kaitlynn and her doll Anna. Oh, was she excited!
BIG hugs for Granddaddy for her birthday gifts!
Here's Kaitlynn and Anna in one of her matching outfits.
Another matching outfit, this time it's PJs.
After Kaitlynn opened her gifts, we went about our day with tons of fun at the beach and resort pools. Later that evening, we surprised Kaitlynn with a birthday ice cream cake from the local Dairy Queen. It was her favorite -- Cookies 'N Cream. Yummy!
Kaitlynn's birthday cake.
Her favorite flavor AND favorite colors!
And of course, we all had to sing "Happy Birthday" to the new 6-year-old! I just love watching her when she knows she's the center of attention! She was so excited to spend her special day surrounded by family and her beloved cousins.
After a long day of birthday fun, sleepy eyes all around -- even Anna! LOL.
Mommy and Kaitlynn birthday selfie. Love my big 6-year-old!
Wrapping up our family vacation was SO tough! It was sad to realize we wouldn't be waking up to the soothing sounds of the ocean or be a few steps away from all of our cousins and family members. Our time spent in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores was so enjoyable and the days went by way too fast!
To ease the heartache of leaving, we made sure to work in a couple fun stops before saying goodbye. On our last night in Gulf Shores, we took the kids out to the local Dairy Queen for some fun summer treats. We all enjoyed our ice cream, some a little more than others...
Enjoying our DQ treats and eats.
Marissa vs. the waffle cone, LOL!
We were later joined by the golfers of our group, Granddaddy, Jeff, and Connor. They had been able to work in a quick 9 holes of golf on that last full day in Gulf Shores.
Connor got to drive the golf cart, big smiles!
The golfin' crew in Gulf Shores.
Lots of Morgans around that DQ table.
The next day, it sure was tough having to pack up and say goodbye. We LOVE our time together as a family in Gulf Shores. We started planning our next trip before we even left, ha!
Madison, Kaitlynn, and Marissa. Most people wouldn't be able to tell which girl belonged to which family! :-)
Our Lamberts crew, what a blast!
Waiting on dinner rolls.
This year at Lambert's, we had the BEST waitress named Sam. She was hilarious, playing several tricks on us throughout our meal. One of the tricks was a little candy box she offered to the kids, but when they opened it a mouse popped up! Connor loved it so much that he played the same trick on a little boy behind our table. I couldn't resist taking some videos of our fun at Lambert's.
Connor and our awesome server, Sam. She was SO much fun!
Our waitress Sam introduced us to Big Booty Judy, another server. Hilarious!
On our way out, we thought it was fitting to get a pic of MeMe and her grands next to the MeMe sign on the Lambert's wall.
Well, that's all folks! It took 5 separate blog posts to tell the full story of how much fun we had during our Gulf Shores family vacation. We're already ready to go back next year!
Thanks, MeMe and Granddaddy, for helping us to make unforgettable memories that we will cherish for a lifetime!!
On the road back home. All smiles but still sad to be leaving. Until next time, Gulf Shores!
Every year when we take a trip to the beach, we make sure to snap a few photos of our Morgan family. This year we were blessed to have Charlotte's parents, Regina and Charles, join our crazy gang as well.
Our entire gang!
Our annual photos include a picture of Granddaddy and MeMe with their 7 grandkiddos. It's so amazing to see these pics year after year. I still remember the first round of pics when our babies were still BABIES. The oldest is now almost a teenager and the youngest is starting kindergarten. How can this be?
Granddaddy and MeMe with their Grands.
Michelle and her girls.
Chris and his kids.
Caleb and Gracie, love this!
And now the entire Warhurst/Morgan/Rogers family. That's a mouthful!
Michelle and Chris
Jeb, Alli, Makenna, Madison, and Marissa.
Jeb's sweet girls.
Jeb and Alli, always photogenic.
Now for the Courtrights.
Me and Jeff
Ben and Charlotte, always photogenic but also clowning around!
Ben, Charlotte, and her parents.
Charles and Regina. I think they liked the beach and hopefully we didn't scare them away! :-)
The original Morgans. I'm so blessed to be a part of this family!
It's hard to believe that two young kids fell in love almost 50 years ago and here we are all today as a result. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your strong example of marriage and for creating this amazing family that we're so lucky to be a part of!
What a great week in Gulf Shores! But it's not over yet. I have one more part to share, stay tuned!
As I mentioned in my last post, the cousins this year were obsessed with the resort pools in Gulf Shores. They LOVED hanging out at the pools, and there were so many to choose from. There are 3 main pool areas that are all quite large with slides, expansive decks, and fountains to play in. Then there are 3 different indoor pools as well as a rooftop lazy river. Every day the kids had a new favorite, but they enjoyed them all and definitely preferred them over the beaches this year. Despite what appeared to be a rainy forecast, we had sunny skies during our entire stay and we were so thankful for that!
Morgan cousins in front of the docks, on their way to enjoy one of the resort pools.
Group pool pic - so much fun!
And now for a silly pose :-)
Jeb and Alli.
Ryah, Madison, and Kaitlynn.
Michelle, Chris, and Gracie.
Marissa loved it when Jeff threw her up in the air.
Kaitlynn loved it, too. Look how high she is!
MeMe and Granddaddy enjoying the pool.
Kaitlynn and Jeff.
The cousins were so happy when they discovered this slide at one of the pools, and they all wanted to slide together.
After a few attempts at a "cousin train" down the slide, Uncle Jeff stepped in to show them how it was done!
The skies were so sunny that occasionally the kids wanted a break from the heat. No problem at all -- they just went to one of the 3 indoor pools and had just as much fun there. I tell you, we love this place!
Enjoying the indoor pool for a break from the hot sun.
Back to the indoor pool one evening after dinner. Never a shortage of activities for these crazy kids!
The lazy river at the resort is very unique in that it's only 18" deep. It's perfect for the kids because they can move around very easily in there, and the adults don't have to worry too much for their safety. There's even a little hut area in part of the lazy river that looks like a swim-up bar, and the kids loved playing there as well.
Kaitlynn and Marissa in the Lazy River.
Ryah and Makenna.
Connor, Renee, and Madison.
One evening, we went onto the rooftop pool deck to watch an outdoor movie that the resort was showing for the kids. While the movie was being set up, the kids went over to the lazy river to swim. Next thing we know, my brother is telling me to go check on Kaitlynn because she has apparently set up some type of bar with beer bottles and everything.
Sure enough, Kaitlynn and Marissa had collected many empty beer bottles and cans (left from some of the day's guests) and were filling them up with pool water and trying to serve them to other guests, a.k.a. "customers." Oh my!
It was a little disturbing to hear our precious littles offering other guests some "beers" but they sure had fun and even continued the activity the next day. Our little entrepreneurs, ha!
Kaitlynn and Marissa's "bar"... oh my.
They quickly corrupted the rest of the cousins!
The next morning, they were back to bartending. These girls!!
I have to admit, pool time was by far our favorite activity in Gulf Shores this year. We love the beach, but there's only so much of the sand and strong current that we could take, ha!
But speaking of the beach, we did manage to make the most of the beautiful scenery with some family photos. That's up next, stay tuned!
