Road Trip 1 - Fairhope, AL

One of the reasons I wanted to go to part-time was so that I would have more time to spend with my family & friends. So....... our first trip was to down to Fairhope, AL to see my best friend Stephanie & her family. It was such a wonderful trip and so much fun! Stephanie & I met as sorority pledges our Freshman year at Troy University. Winter quarter we both moved into the sorority house & lived there all 4 years of college. After graduation, we haven't lived in the same city, but that makes the visits to see each other all that more special. I just love spending time with Stephanie & I love that our boys are so close in age. It was a great trip with many laughs & many memories made with great friends. I miss them so much already! I love you guys!

The boys enjoying a morning snack in their pajamas Friday morning

Friday morning we took the boys to the park
Having fun swinging

Trying to figure out how to ditch the moms to go pick up girls

Discussing stock options over lunch (or fighting over toys)

Friday afternoon, once the boys woke up from their nap, we planned to take them on a train ride. Both boys LOVE trains. We had talked about it all day & they were so excited. Our first warning that something was wrong should have been the empty parking lot. We show up with 2 very excited little boys only to be told that the train was closed that week for track repairs. Really?!?! (An update on their website would have been nice.) We felt like the Griswold's on Summer Vacation showing up to a park just to be told it's closed. (No, we didn't hold the poor lady hostage & make her take us on a train ride. But she did have to witness my child lying on the ground pouting. She might have preferred being taken hostage.) Maybe next time Silverhill Train!

Playing some soccer golf in the yard

Sweet sweet precious Grant. Oh how I just love this handsome little boy:)

Saturday morning we took the boys to Kangarooz which is an indoor inflatable center. (Thankfully, they were not closed for repair.) Jake & Grant had so much fun!

Refueling after Kangarooz

Saturday afternoon we took them to the Fairhope Beach Park

Grant & his mom

Playing in the sand

Stephanie & I with our boys

Best Friends

Playing a little golf

Stephanie & I went out to dinner after the boys went to bed

The boys playing together one last time Sunday morning (I love how in all of the pictures they appear to be playing so good together. And 10% of the time, they did. Actually, Grant was very sweet and for the most part shared all his toys. Jake, not so much. He is going through a very bossy stage. They would be so sweet to each other & then turn around & start fighting. So funny!)

May 2009 (4.5 months)

November 2009 (10.5 months)

August 2010 (1.5 years)

February 2011 (2 years)

Happy 100th Birthday Grandmother Maddox

Today is my grandmother's (my mom's mom) 100th birthday. Happy Birthday Grandmother Maddox! To celebrate this amazing woman, on Saturday my cousins through an awesome party for her in which over 80 of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren & great great grandchildren attended. Now, I must admit, none of the pictures shown here are mine. I had my camera, but was not able to take any pictures because my child's 3rd personality was on display. (Yes, he has 3 personalities. Personality 1 - Friendly Jake. This Jake is sweet & friendly. Personality 2 - Shy Jake. This Jake is very shy & will barely look at anyone. Personality 3 - Crazy Jake. This Jake runs around like a chicken with its head cut off.) But enough about my crazy kid, we were all there to celebrate my remarkable grandmother. Thank you to my sister Lindsey, cousin Diana & her daughter Melissa, whose pictures I all swiped off of their blog or facebook.

Now if you think that I love to make things, you have never met my cousin Pam. She has a whole room that is floor to ceiling craft supplies. It puts Hobby Lobby to shame. She is so creative and made all of the decorations for the party. The party was also hosted at her beautiful house.

The invite The entrance

Birthday Cake!

Food table

The ballroom

Table Display

Such a beautiful woman

The Birthday Girl

Our family (minus the spouses)

My nieces with my mom & her mom! My niece Maddox (on the left) is named after the Maddox family

The hosts! Julie (Sherri's daughter), my cousin Sherri, our Grandmother, my cousin Pam & their mom my Aunt Myra

The Maddox kids with their mom (minus my Aunt Emma who is smiling down from heaven). From left to right: Aunt Sue, Aunt Kate, Grandmother, my mom, Aunt Myra, my mom's twin brother Uncle Mike & Aunt Becky

Jake hanging out in the arcade

Pam's husband Mike played football at Alabama

The snack counter

Jake's 2nd favorite room, after the arcade, was the theater

Even Robbie fell in love [with the room, not the decor:( ]

Happy Birthday to such a remarkable woman!