Life has been rocking along, and spring has sprung! (Sometimes it almost feels like it's skipped us and gone straight to summer) I LOVE spring and fall. I'm an in-between kind of girl. So I'm enjoying planting flowers in my pots, breaking out my flip-flops and being outside with the kiddos before it feels like we're living on the equator.
We are winding up 2nd grade. How is that even possible?!? Here's my little Johnny Appleseed making his presentation. So proud of my little man!
Timber is 4 months old and growing like a weed...
The biting and nipping is some better, which make for a
few moments like these. But he very well may take an eye out while I'm typing this. Welcome to puppyhood.
And then there's the tongue...
Cinderella came out in the theatres a few weeks ago and Jimmy called Keatyn for a "date." She got all gussied up and he picked her up at the door with flowers and all. She was so excited! Daddy sets the bar high.
I have been
begging for another trip back to Disney. The first trip, Keatyn was 1.5 years old so she doesn't remember anything. If we went back now, Trace would be tall enough to ride everything and Keatyn is still in that "magical" princess stage. The morning after Jimmy took her to see Cinderella he
casually mentioned on his way out the door to find a good time and book a trip. He called 10 minutes later and I was already searching websites. He was like "Dang woman!" I was just sitting on "go" waiting for the ok. ha! I think taking his little princess to the movie made him realize the window and we don't want to miss it! We are planning to go on Fall Break in October!! Yay!
When you're family gets so large and you go so far between Sunday dinners, you celebrate birthdays like this...
I love these 2 so much! Keatyn couldn't wait to "drive" Papaw's little car!
We headed to Destin for spring break and it was absolutely gorgeous! I love it there this time of year! My favorite is eating outside, with a view like this...
We went to the race tracks and Trace was finally tall enough to drive his own, which scared me to death, but he was PUMPED!
This is an intense face! ha!
Jimmy got bumper car duty since I'm not in a chiropractic club. Wow...can you say old?
We would run out between the golfers onto the holes behind Granddaddy and Sisty's condo and take a couple of shots. Trace hit it better than I've ever seen him and Keatyn caught the bug.
We decided it was time to buy her her own bag. She was so excited!
In all the years we've been going to Sandestin, we've never driven all the way down 30A. So one day before Jimmy's parents go there, we took the afternoon for some sightseeing and dinner at Stinky's Fish Camp. It was beautiful and yummy (despite the name. :)
Old Bay Steamer... Jimmy's favorite. "We don't need no stinkin' view" is their motto. This was the first place Jimmy ever brought me to eat crab legs. Needless to say, he was APALLED when he handed me the cracker and I had no idea what to do with it and admitted I'd never eaten a crab leg. It was back in our early dating days so he patiently cracked most of them for me until I got the hang of it. Now knowing his love of crab legs, I realize how painful that must have been. ha! Now he's gotten Keatyn hooked on them too. We actually ordered her her own little claw this time. Notice who she's sitting next to. He totally did that on purpose.
Timber got to Florida on Monday night with Granddaddy and Sisty. Bless their hearts for keeping him and then driving 7 hours with him on his first road trip. Little stinker did great traveling. Laid in his box the whole way and never had an accident. Love that little monster!
We knew we wanted to get him to the beach. But Sandestin is so crowded and doesn't allow dogs without a permit, so we headed for 30A to find a public beach access. But, it being spring break, those were pretty crowded and we wanted him to have some room to roam. So we totally pulled a "The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" and found a multi million dollar beach house that looked vacant with overgrown grass and pulled in the driveway. I'm sure the used mini van full of kids and dogs didn't give us away at all! ha! We ran, RAN down a little path that led to the beach and we practically had it to ourselves. Heaven on Earth! I was fully prepared for our van to be towed when we got back, but instead we quickly hopped in full from head to toe of sand and headed home. Mission accomplished!
This was the back of the house. Uh, yeah, our dream is to stay in something like that just once! I can't even imagine how much that thing rents for a week.
Timber loved the sand but the water was cold and the waves scared him. He was so cute! I remember throwing balls out in the ocean for Ginger and she would plunge in after them while Chase sat up against the shore as far away from the water as he could get. Miss those two so much!
Sisty has this sign in the condo and boy is it true... 4 months old and already been to the beach.
So since the condo is on the VRBO, we are always looking for improvements and ways to accommodate guests. It rents as a 2 bed/2bath because Granddaddy and Sisty's room is locked as the owners room. Originally, the guest room had 2 twin beds in it, but it's a big room that could house more. So one morning we got our heads together and decided to look for a bunk bed to put with the twin in that room. We called a few consignment places in Destin and then the girls took off on a hunt. We found this used bunk bed at a shop right outside of Sandestin and it was a full over twin plus a pull out trundle bed for around $500. It was solid wood and in perfect condition. Yes please!!
While we took the kids to the beach, the grands made multiple trips getting it home and that night the assembly began. I can't even tell you how excited the kids were!
This is the new picture we put on the VRBO site to show how the room is configured now. Not bad for a days work! That is honestly the first time I've ever been apart of searching for, finding, buying (Sisty bought it :) and assembling it (Granddaddy and Jimmy did that :) all in one day. That morning it was just a wild hair, and by that night my kiddos were sleeping in it. (It's true, it's SO much easier to spend someone else's money and watch others deliver and assemble it ;)
The last day we were there, Casey and her kids came down for their vacation. They were staying the week after but we overlapped a day. It was SO good to see these kiddos together. I love nothing more than seeing mine get to play with their cousins. It doesn't happen nearly enough! Love, love, love them!
We loaded up in my van and went to the beach and these guys had a blast!
AND Casey and I got to sit and talk for hours on the beach! It was a miracle. I cherish memories like this!!
We had originally planned to stay until Sunday but we woke up to a cold and rainy Saturday morning so we decided to head home. Mr. Thing thought he would get to ride the whole 7 hours like this...
Until he started roaming, so back in the box he went.
I had already planned to have mom and dad come play the Easter bunny since I didn't think we would be home until Sunday night. I caught them just before they went. It was nice waking up at home on Easter and then getting to go to church and lunch with the family.
Love these people so much! I am truly blessed!
