Louisiana

We had a big weekend ahead of us and many miles to cover on the way to Trevor's wedding.  We left a few days prior, so we would have some time to stop in Louisiana on the way.  It was nice to see family and have some time out of the truck.  Lizee and Pops had a huge dirt pile for the boys to play in with their trucks.  They played for hours before it was time to call it a night.

Ridley visited with everyone and modeled the adorable outfit Aunt Emily had given her.  She is definitely filling it out these days, and I love the baby rolls she is getting.

Time to hit the road

The boys are going to spend some time with the grandparents over the next week. We have been talking about going to visit for the past few days, and Ryland is excited! Our bags are packed, and we have crammed it all in the truck. I ran back inside for my phone charger, and I came back out to see Ryland dancing on the console.
Reed is ready to make the few hour trip. He will play with the dangling toys for a couple minutes, and he will fall fast asleep.

Cooper is ready to go. He was thrilled just to get in the truck.

We didn't make it very far after a bite to eat, before Ryland was out. Don't you love the cool sunglasses?

A peaceful trip home

The drive home was so peaceful. I waited until it was nap time before hitting the road. We made a quick stop at the gas station, and we were off. Ryland didn't make it far before he was knocked out, and Reed wasn't far behind.

Since Reed is still facing the rear, I snapped a shot of him in the mirror.

The boys slept all the way to Dallas. Ryland woke up when we passed Hwy 75, and Reed woke up when I took him out of the truck at home. Perfect!

Being silly in the car

After a great nap on the plane, Ryland was awake and ready to play. The only thing holding him back was the 1.5 hour car ride to Grandpa Dave's house. Dang! We decided to play paparazzi with my camera. He really started being silly with his blanket. What an entertainer!

Packing for trip

We all are heading to Louisiana this weekend, so we had to pack our stuff. I started folding and putting Ryland's things in the suitcase. I ran to the laundry room to grab a few things. When I returned I saw Ryland standing in the suitcase and the folded contents throw out on the floor. He was very proud of his accomplishment and grinned with pride.

After all the work of packing, what else could you want to do? Cooper decided to take a nap in the bathroom, and Ryland decided he would take a little rest as well. He plopped right down on Cooper.

Flora-Bama

It has been a few years since I last visited the Flora-Bama. The last time I was here I was on a girls' trip with Suzanne, Kym, and Jessica. Little did I know I would be back with my son on my next visit. Ha!

The Flora-Bama had really changed over the past few years. A hurricane basically wiped it out, so it had to be mostly rebuilt. It doesn't have the same old charm, but it still has great drinks and an awesome view.

We decided to be silly and take a family photo while at the Flora-Bama. Nice bodies for John Chris and Ryland.

Ready for the beach

OK, we are finally ready for the beach. Swimsuits, sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, towels, drinks, snacks, buckets, shovels. I think we finally have everything together. We headed out for a day of sun and fun.

Are those clouds coming in?

Before we could even get out to the beach and put our stuff down, the clouds rolled in, and the wind started blowing.

We decided to just hang out and see if the clouds would blow by quickly. It was a great opportunity to take a couple of quick photos.

Ryland did not seem to care about not making it to the beach before the storm. He was very happy playing with the hose and faucet.

He has got it figured out. He knows you turn the top handle to make the water come out, but he isn't quite strong enough yet.

He is one happy boy!

Slides

The resort where we are staying had a great playground on the fourth floor deck. John Chris and Ryland had a blast sliding. We had to be careful sliding when we were wet, because you can fly right off the end of the slide.
Right inside from the playground was an indoor pool. The boys had a great time playing on this slide as well.

Don't worry. We checked the weight limit first! It was pretty hilarious to see the slide rock back and forth when the dads took their turns. Poor slide.

Even though Ryland went completely under the water, he was having fun. We slid over and over, and he never seemed to get tired.

Ryland and Jackson had a great time finding new things to play with in the condo. The warming drawer was a huge hit. After we pulled both of them out of the drawer, you could see little footprints on the bottom. I am sure the housekeepers will be wondering, what in the world went on here.

Ryland wanted nothing to do with this float when it was in the pool. He actually had a complete meltdown when I put him in it earlier today, but he has decided it isn't too bad out of the water.

Good times

I slept in a little this morning to try to catch up on the last few nights of less than 5 hours of shut eye. When I woke up the boys were out on the balcony looking out at the beach. I thought it was a sweet moment, and this is one of my favorite pictures from the trip.

Ryland and Jackson are ready for an evening out on the town. Well, at least a nice dinner.

Mommy time. All alone.

I was really behind with work, and I had several appointments on Saturday morning. John Chris needed to make a trip to Louisiana to help his parents with some home repairs. It was impossible to get everything done if I went to Louisiana or if he stayed at home. We decided that he would go to Louisiana and take Ryland and Cooper.
It was so weird being home without all the boys, and the house was way too quiet. I was able to get a ton of stuff accomplished. I am completely caught up with my paperwork. My appointments went fantastic. The house is picked up. I cleaned out my desk, my arts and crafts chest, the downstairs closet, and gathered everything for the taxes. I even had time for a facial. Wow, I can still be productive!
At the end of the weekend, I was very excited for my family to come back home. I know I got tons of stuff done, but all I really want to do is to hug and kiss my boys. This house is empty without them.

Ski trip

John Chris and I went to Breckenridge for a little snow, wind, and pain. John Chris loves to ski, and we had a little time to get away.A quick snap shot before we glide down the mountain.
Brad and Chanda came along to enjoy the slopes.

Proof that I am an amateur. Here I am snow plowing down bunny slope. One of the hundred times that I fell. I had no idea that skiing was so physically difficult. I thought this was a vacation. Oh well at least I can wear pants to hide my many bruises!

By the time we had to leave, I had caught on and was having fun.

A look down on the lifts and shops.

The lodge where we stayed had a great hot tub, breathtaking views, and a very warm heater.

Absolutely beautiful!

Mom's ride is ready

The second week I had my new SUV, I ran into the garage wall and scuffed up the front bumper. This seems like it has become a terrible habit of mine. This makes the 3rd time for me, and I don't know what my problem is. We had the front bumper repaired, and it is ready to be picked up. Thank the Lord!
After driving home from Louisiana last night, I realized how much I love the DVD player. It is normally a 4 hour trip, but due to massive rain, holiday traffic, and several wrecks the trip took us about 5 and half hours. At one point Ryland was having a complete meltdown, John Chris was yelling, and I was crying. There we were packed in a truck with all of our stuff in the cab, so it would not get soaked, completely stopped on the interstate, Cooper in my lap, rain pouring down, and Ryland having a fit.
I would have given anything for that darn DVD player! Anything!

Sam Moon field trip

Lindsey, Sarah, and myself were talking about Sam Moon over the weekend, and Sarah commented that she had never been. We decided to make it a field trip. It was pretty challenging to get all the car seats installed, strollers folded, diaper bags packed, babies strapped in, and mommies buckled up. We drove out to the new store that just opened on our side of town. After several unloading minutes and diaper changes, we were ready to go and check it out.
None of us could find anything that we just had to have. Ha!
So back to the car we went. We all loaded back in and headed back to the house. It was funny because I swear it took us longer to load and unload than we actually spent in the store. I could not imagine have 3 little ones of my own. Total craziness!

Auburn weekend

John Chris and I went to Auburn with Brad and Chanda to cheer on the Tigers. We had a great weekend even in the pouring rain. Brad is a hardcore fan, so we started tailgating very early. I was shocked at the cult following of Auburn, and I even wore a War Eagle shirt!

The weather was pretty nice during the day while we were tailgating, but just as we were walking up the ramp to our seats the rain started. It poured! The majority of people huddled underneath to wait out the rain. I am so glad Chanda thought to pick up some ponchos.
The rain let up, and the crowd started filling the seats.

Don't you love our ponchos? They rock! We stayed dry and happy.

The game started out a little rough for Auburn, but they got it together and beat West Virginia.

Thanks to BJ and Laura for letting us crash at their apartment!

Missing my boys

John Chris and Ryland have gone to Louisiana for the weekend. John Chris was invited to go alligator hunting, and he could not pass it up. He took Ryland to the grandparents' house in Ruston for some country fun. I miss the boys, but I am sure they are having fun.
After I finished the weddings, I spent some me time. I decided to go shopping. Wouldn't you know that after a few hours I realized that I had only bought things for Ryland. I had to catch myself and redirect my looking. I did find a few new things for me, and I topped off my time with a much needed pedicure.
I miss my boys, and I can't wait until they come back home.

He is finally home

Ryland finally made it home this afternoon. I could not wait to see him and give him hugs and kisses. John Chris came home a little early so he could spend some time with him also. We missed him so much!

John Chris and I enjoyed our trip, but it was hard to be away from him for the first time. Thanks to the grandmothers and grandfathers for taking such great care of him.

Anguilla again

Absolutely beautiful! John Chris and I made our fourth annual trip to Anguilla. We stayed on Shoal Beach East again, and it was amazing. The beach was perfect and the water was clear and cool.
John Chris and I walked the beach a few times each day.

We were on one of our walks, and I thought about writing a little message to Ryland. John Chris and I jotted a note to our little man.

We spent a day on a nearby uninhabited island called Prickly Pear. It was a 20 minute boat ride to the island paradise. The only building on the island was a restaurant and bar. We had lunch and drinks and then relaxed a while. Prickly Pear is known for awesome reefs right off the coast, so we decided to go snorkeling that afternoon. It was like swimming in an aquarium. We saw tons of colorful fish and a large starfish.If John Chris and I ever have a billion dollars, this is where we will be. Our dream paradise in the making.

Paradise.

John Chris and I are about to have our 3rd wedding anniversary, and this is the spot we got married.

John Chris snapped this shot from our balcony with his new camera. We were having a little rain storm, so we were sitting on the balcony. We had been watching this dove for a couple of days, and he just snapped this shot at the perfect time.

One of my favorite things to do while relaxing in Anguilla is reading. I never seem to have the time at home, so I enjoyed reading a little. This year is was "My Sister's Keeper" and "Sundays at Tiffany's".