Hope ya'll have some time on your hands because this is going to be a long one.....but oh so good :)
Making a cross country flight with 11 month old and a 2 1/2 yr old isn't for the faint at heart. This challenge is only escalated when said 11 month old has a nasty case of explosive diarrhea in the Denver airport. Jody & I decided to look for the positive and considered it a gift that it happened during our layover and not in the air. The cute little get up, that she is wearing in these first photos, never made it to Florida......yes it was that bad.....straight in the garbage they went.
Moments before the great poop eruption of 2014 {So sad she's grown out of those
Freshly Picked moccs}
The condo was quiet when we arrived {it was close to midnight} but by morning it was buzzing with excited little voices......reunited and it feels so good! It never gets old seeing my family love on my babies.
These 2 are kindred spirits......type A, strong willed and spicy.....both will love you with all that is in them and fight you to the bitter end.
and this one {the mellow observer} that wispy hair, sparkly eyes and chubby bod......he's a dream boat!
The morning's were easy & slow... the afternoon's spent around the pool or at the beach ... and the evening's we shared some delicious meal.
Grace & Vann were not the least bit interested in the pool {To their defense, it was kind of freezing}. They much preferred watching the wild ones from the comfort of the pool deck.
The wild ones couldn't get enough! By the way..... I highly recommend those water wings {
puddle jumper brand } they are AMAZING!
These 3 jokers were on grill duty.....
The grill master and his 2 trusty assistants {I use the word assistants lightly.....they watched and drank beer}
There was lots of laughter......and natural smiles from my mom :)
Still swimming {theme of the week}
Did I also mention that these 2 are TV junkies. This is what is looked like when they weren't swimming....kind of cute.
My mom & Harrison are missing from this next sequence of photos because H was terrified of the ocean. Poor kid sobbed the closer he got to the water and, after 15 min, mom took him back to his beloved pool.
I can't get over Grace and her precious little suit......and those chunky baby legs {dying}
The last night we were all together, in Amelia, we made a valiant effort to take some family photos. On a sliding scale of 1-10, I give our attempt a solid 5. We did get a few winners, which always makes it worth the tears {from Harrison.....posed photos aren't his jam}
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| Annyson, Kristy, Sam & Vann |
This photo is a Christmas miracle......it's rare that the jokers pose for a serious shot. Nailed it fellas!!
After a fun week together, Sam's family headed back to Valdosta and the hubs & I snuck away for a wedding. While I was soaking in the goodness of old friends......
this was happening back at the condo :) What a joy to leave your kids for the weekend and know they are making memories with their cousins.
I've known these girls since I was 15 and, even though it hasn't always been pretty, they are the real deal. In good times and in bad they will show up.....and we pick up just where we left off. That's rare and such a gift.
We put Jody on a plane back to Seattle, after the wedding festivities, and the kids and I headed to Valdosta {that's in GA}. There is something really comforting about where you grow up and where you know you have family.
I loved being in my mom's house for her birthday......
to see my sweet aunt smooch on my little girl......
and spend time with my Heather. {She scheduled her visit, from Nashville, to coincide with my trip..... heart of gold}
We spent a day in the country visiting my Grandma.....
and a day in the sun with cousins.
{it was loud with 2 Bubba's}
Then there were the quiet afternoon's, when mom was still at work, that we just played in the garage....
{Harrison even let sister have a ride in the cozy coupe}
and all week long I crawled in bed next to this guy, exhausted from a day of playing hard.
It was such an enjoyable 2 weeks and my cup was full when I left.......ready to sustain me until our next visit.
