Valentine's Day and Papaw and Gaga Come to Visit

I liked the idea of letting Galina color her own Valentines, so we did it again this year. Of course, Frozen was her choice! I used all of the grumpy Kristoff for Johnny's. After we colored them, we hot glued a piece of candy to each one, the top two got whatever candy we grabbed, but the Anna/Elsa card got a life saver peppermint and the Kristoff card got a sour apple blow-pop.

The Primary Presidency did such a great job with the get-together! It was very cute!

They played Twister and had a mat for the big kids and one for the littles. Very cute!

The Sunday after Valentine's Day I tried to give Galina a heart braid. She's a good sport!

Gaga and PaPaw came in time for the Valentine's Party (it was actually on the 18th because of an ice storm the Wednesday before - when we were in South Carolina anyways!). 

Johnny got to play the fishing game with Gaga...

 ...and Galina challenged Papaw to a game of Chess.

We all drove down to Myrtle Beach to go to Ripley's Aquarium. The kids loved it all!

High-fiving the diver :)

Riding the moveable sidewalk through the big tank with all of the sharks.

I had no idea that starfish ate cut up fish...

Dory and Marlin

What kid doesn't love the touch tank? These two were elbow deep for as long as Brian and I could stand it. They loved touching the little sharks in there. Johnny kept trying to pick them up.

We waited long enough to touch the giant stingrays. They feel like goop.

After we wandered the aquarium for a few hours, we ate lunch at Johnny Rockets and then walked around Broadway at the Beach. Stopped at two candy stores to make our purchases, and then just let the kids stretch their legs. 

Galina loved this one because she got to be the cat!

Galina chose this scorpion lollipop at the candy store, she did pretty good, but after a few days I think she finally let her cousin Anna eat the actual scorpion!

We took Gaga to the Onslow Pines Park one day when it was nice out and Brian and Papaw headed to a gun store. The park has updated all of its equipment, but I still remember all of the time I spent there as a kid!

We ate dinner at Granny and Pops and took this picture of the kids with both sets of their grandparents. I think it's pretty awesome!

We also drove down to Wilmington to visit the USS North Carolina battleship. We got lost in the belly of the ship and never made it on top of the ship...the kids were just done. I think we could've eaten some lunch and gone back for more, but we had decided (maybe I had decided) that we should go to the beach one more time. So we did.

I want a kitchen table with seats like these. Please.

We thought we needed to be gentle with Johnny and hand him down the steps...

 ...but, as always, he had absolutely no fear. 

At this point Galina was done, but I loved these beds...I'm sure I wouldn't have loved sleeping on them very long (and the smell...) but I think the idea is cool. My parents need a room of these beds in their house so everyone can sleep over when they need to!

Gaga and Galina

The water was like ice, it was a little bit windy, but the kids were in heaven. I think we'll spend a lot of time at the beach this summer!

And last, but not least, this cat. She's crazy. What a strange addition to our house :) She has ruined that couch, by the way. Stupid cat.