May 24-June 24th...I am pretty confident this was the longest time I have spent on a trip, ever. Well, certainly since I was in college. As soon as Ely was finished with pre-k and t-ball, we (me, Ely, Molly and Luke) hit the road for Alabama. Actually, with the help of my mom, we hit the skies to fly home. This trip started out as a "no longer than 2 week" trip and grew to a full month of spending time with my family. It was wonderful.
Let me pause here and say, don't feel bad for Al that I upped and left him for a month. He enjoyed a trip to Mexico, 2 golf tournaments, a Jimmy Buffet concert and many a morning to sleep in!!
Back to the trip. Although we were primarily based at my moms house in Trussville, we changed locations 10 times in 30 days. Please take note, that includes relocation 3 kids, 2 pack n plays, 2 booster seats, and reorganizing suit cases every 3 days, on average.
A quick snap shot of our trip...
May 24-wake up in Dallas, fly to Alabama, naps in Trussville, end up at lake house
May 29-back to Trussville
May 31-9 hour road trip to see my aunt, uncle and grandmother in North Carolina (7 kids and 4 adults)
June 3- drive back to Trussville
June 5-relocated to Vestavia to spend VBS week with my sister and her family
June 9- move back to Trussville for a girls night with my college roommates
June 10-travel back to the lake for - few days with my mom and aunt
June 15- day trip back to Trussville
June 17- relocate back to Trussville
June 20- Al flies in and we take a family trip to Panama Cit7 (6 hour road trip)
June 23- return to Trussville
June 24- fly back to Dallas-sleep in own bed :)
*please note, this doesn't include a "bonus" trip for Ely when he and mom had a short, overnight trip to Chattanooga with mom.
I am tired again from just remembering all of the packing, unpacking and repacking. Despite both babies cutting 4-5 new teeth and each getting their first ear infection, it was a great way to spend the first part of the summer.
It is true, although we never get up to North Carolina often enough, it is always a wonderful time seeing my Aunt Judy, Uncle Allen and Grandmother. There is always plenty of swimming, plenty of snack and plenty of toys. Just as it was when I was growing up!
The best times of the trip were seeing Ely playing with all of his cousins and the babies getting loved on by the family. Either at the lake, in a 15-passenger van, in Trussville, or at Ashley's, Ely was able to play, play, play with the cousins. Growing up, we didn't see my first cousins often at all, so Ashley, Shelley and I all love that our kids our developing friendships with each other.
Luke learned how to walk on this trip, just after North Carolina. As always, it is so fun seeing these milestones develop. The down side is that each Molly and Luke developed ear infections. The only good thing is that I now have doctors in Birmingham and at the lake!
I was able to have a "first" on this trip for me and the kids. We went to a horse farm that a family friend owns and lives at. Words can't express how fun this day was. We pet horses, the babies got to frolic in open grass areas, Ely had his first try at driving. Had it not been for the babies naps, I could have stayed all day.
The end of our trip was made perfect when our family of five was all back together again when Al came. We had so much fun introducing the kids to the beach. Ely loved every bit of it-kicking sand, splashing in the waves, put putting at night. The babies were less than impressed but did have some smiles while playing on a towel at the beach.
As always, pictures are worth a thousand words, so here is our month in pictures.
Fun at Grammy's Lake House
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| Ely and Hudson loaded and ready to go - 45 minutes before we actually left |
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| Our pet of the trip - a lizard. It died the next day! |
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| Babies love a cold treat! |
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| Cousin bonding with Katie |
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| Molly's first tutu |
Trussville Library and Park
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| Enjoying a beautiful day with Cousin Hudson |
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| Trussville's Splash Pad |
A visit with Gigi in North Carolina.
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| This is the amazing 15 passenger van we drove to NC in! |
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| Unfortunately, the babies never warmed up to her that much! |
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| Ashley, Shelley and I have this same picture taken 25 years ago! |
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| Gigi found a friend in Katie |
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| Aunt Judy had a pool for every size! |
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| Only at Aunt Judy's can you have Cheetos pool-side |
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| Ashley is quite the makeup artist! |
Back in Birmingham for a lemonade fundraiser for the Hill's adoption
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| We had the Hills acclimated quickly to life with twins - Fruit Loops all over her floor! |
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| Ely caught a fish worthy of the "you are great" plate |
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| I love how Hudson loves his baby cousins! |
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| My one creative moment of the trip - a balloon crown, requested by Anna Beth |
Hello, Florida!
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| Back together again after 27 days |
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| Ely loved the beach |
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| Molly, not so much! |
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| one of my new favorite pictures |
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| my loves |
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| Happy as long as they don't have to touch the sand! |
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| A little time relaxing |
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| One of my favorite times |
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| Ely loves playing with the babies and making them laugh |
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| Al and Ely even took in 2 games of put put! |
The kids first visit to Peach Park in Clanton, Alabama
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As I load these pictures I realize there was so much more that we did that I haven't even mentioned - hours and hours of fishing at the lake, swimming, boating, Ely tried to get up on skiies, Dana and her kids joined us for a day at the lake, girls night with my college room mates, spending time with my sisters and mom. It was so action packed and there were so many memories, I just can't write them all down - especially so long after the trip! I am thankful that I print out my pictures so that I an cherish them forever!
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