Spring Break- Six Flags & Breakthrough Day

Because I was sick over the weekend, Monday ended up being our first "official" day of spring break. To make up for lost time we didn't waste our travel day--we started out the morning at the Six Flags in Arlington near us and ended the day at our favorite hotel in San Antonio...the one with Shamu on the elevator doors!!  Perfect for building anticipation for the next day!!  Our drive was even made fun by checking out a restraunt in Austin for dinner that we had seen on the show Diners, Drive-inns, and Dives. 

Our day at Six Flags was SO SO SO perfect and exciting.  The weather was a little overcast making it beautiful outside.  We knew Natalie had grown tall enough to be eligible to ride a whole new class of amazing roller coasters but we weren't sure if she was quite ready--the king of them all is Titan!!  It is the huge coaster we see whenever we get there (my very favorite of ALL time) and the one her cousin described several years ago as "makes the blood come OUT of your face."  I think she might have meant rush to your face, but for a long time Natalie took it LITERALLY and thought blood really poured out of your face...plus a lot of people briefly black out on Titan from the extreme G force.  So Natalie has had it built up in her head that Titan is super scary and despite becoming the Queen of rollercoasters and being super brave she really wasn't sure she was ready to tackle such HUGE ones quite yet.  We didn't want to push her and have a bad experience but I know David was really hoping she would be up for it....It was exciting to start the day with so much ANTICIPATION....

The next series of pictures are SO perfect--they captured one of my favorite moments of the entire trip.  Natalie said she wasn't ready for Titan so David asked her what she thought about the new Texas Giant ride--it also has the taller height requirement but she doesn't really know anything about it and didn't have any of the fear built up in her head about it.  We walked over to let her check it out and think it over.  She was still pretty sure she wasn't ready for Texas Giant either...maybe next year she told us...but we decided to check her height anyway...

I love the look on her face here--it looks like a mix of excitement that she is officially tall enough AND a look of nervousness that she is tall enough!!

David was giddy and trying to gently persuade her without pushing too much...I love this...

He wants her to be his "roller coaster pal"

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this...

Looking up at the coaster---thinking about it---what little girl doesn't want to please her Daddy above all else!!  And I know she wants to for herself too!!

With decision made, they both dashed off before she could chicken out!!

And a farwell wave---as if they might not return...or maybe just a good luck wave!

Poor Stephen was pretty NERVOUS for Sissy...he REALLY didn't think she should do it!

But running into a GIANT Angry Birds coin game made him forget all about it!

Since I am pregnant, I can't even take turns and do any of the fun rides---but I have to say I had a BALL with the cutest, little guy I know!!  Honestly, the entire week of spring break he was quite near perfect!!  Perfectly adorable and happy, listening, and being pleasant about pretty much everything--maybe only one brief exception.  What Mom can ask for more than that.  I love, love, love this cute boy of mine and feel so blessed to have such truly amazing kids!!

Cuteness!

This is the picture David took of her in line and what he posted on facebook (pretty obvious that he LOVES this)...

She's agreed to Texas Giant for the first ride. We're in line now. "Daddy I'm so scared!"


Front row baby! She was screaming the whole time "get me off this thing!" Then right when it ended "I'll admit it. That was awesome! I've got the guts for Titan! I've got the guts! Let's go on Titan!"

***
The exit for Texas Giant is in a gift shop--so Stephen and I were waiting in there to congratulate Natalie when she got off.  While we were in there Stephen found a fun rubber band gun that he adored (I will have good memories of him LOVING that thing for the rest of our trip) and I happened to see these necklaces that I couldn't pass up....

Big grins of excitement after her accomplishment of Texas Giant and getting over her fears; and she LOVED the necklace and the fact that Mommy got it special just for her. 

So beautiful.  Kind of funny that I should see a necklace like this at a gift shop in six flags that I was only in because she was going on her FIRST ever HUGE coaster.  Swimming and roller coasters have been a huge part of her gaining confidence back after chemo...so kind of a special coincidence. 

And I got this one for me--a little harder to see because the pic is blurry, but it says HOPE!!  Nothing could be more perfect for me!!!

Did I mention that I had the cutest date in the park...

This is Titan--Natalie is AWESOME!!!

Here she is on the first row again--which is quite a bit more intense than the other seats!!

Her reaction as we saw her come off the ride...

So cute that she is SO proud of herself!

Doesn't it feel great to be braver than your fears and to have an awesome time!!

And this is Stephen's high five for her!! I love that that my kids cheer for each other--there isn't much sweeter thing for a mother.

I did buy this picture--didn't steal the image--just too lazy to scan it in right now.  Pretty cute!

This is the first time Stephen was tall enough for this ride--it is a fun one and I think he really liked it.

The park was SUPER crowded and so we decided after Natalie's two big rides to let them do the teacups--one of their favorites together--and then head off to the rest of spring break in San Antonio.  What a great day--a whole new world opened up for her--a whole new world of coasters at least.  David was SO proud and has his new "roller coaster pal!!"