Love These Kids!

Paul is spending a lot of time with Paula.  He usually goes to Gallatin every other night.  Sometimes the kids and I got with him depending on what is going on.  We went to Mom's tonight while Paul had a good visit with his mom.  I took this sweet picture of the kids and sent it to him to show her.  He said it made her smile!

Singing In The Rain

Katherine loves her Minnie Mouse umbrella -- she even uses it when it's not raining!  We had some rain here this afternoon so it was the perfect excuse to play in the rain!

 

One Last Roll...

When I first heard that they were going to allow the Toomer's Oaks to be rolled one last time I knew I wanted to go and take the kids.  It was something I remembered doing growing up and I wanted them to have that memory as well.  When I mentioned it to Paul he wasn't too excited about the idea until I suggested we go to the beach as part of the trip.  That sealed the deal!

I was blown away by how many people were there -- over 100,000!  By the time we got to campus and found a place to park the A-Day game was well underway.  We decided to not worry about going to the game, but instead soak up the atmosphere at Toomer's Corner.  I was electric.  Luke got to throw a roll of toilet paper and see all the crazy activities.  Katherine was not impressed with all the hub-bub.  Andrew and Mandi took close to 500 pictures and I honestly haven't had time to look through them all so I am just posting ones I took.

We did make our way over to the stadium after the game.  They have autograph sessions on the field.  It is one of the only times people are allowed on the field.  We took lots of pictures there which was cool.  I was also glad to get to see the granite paver Andrew, Mom and I purchased on the Alumni Walk.  I couldn't get a great quality picture of it. It is pretty cool.

We spent most of the afternoon hanging out on campus and then decided to eat at Niffer's for supper.  Well, that was everyone else's idea as well -- an hour and a half wait!  Was not worth it this trip so we found a Mexican place in Opelika we used to go to which worked out great.  We definitely beat the crowd and were able to walk right in and sit down.  After supper we said our good-byes to Andrew and Mandi and we went North to Birmingham to stay for the night.  It was a great day!  Although I was sad to see the trees in such bad shape it was nice to experience one more time before they are cut down later next week.

Rainy Day Activities

Today was supposed to be a rainy day so we made plans that didn't involve being outside.  We hit the outlet mall first and did some shopping.  I got the kids quite a bit to round out their Spring/Summer wardrobes.  Mandi was a big help with online coupons!

The next stop was an Arcade.  I hadn't been to one in years and the kids had never been.  They absolutely loved it!  They loved playing all the different games and winning tickets.  The rule was when all the tokens were gone that was it, no questions asked.  They did pretty good when it was time to go.  They carefully considered their options when cashing in their tickets for prizes.  We will definitely hit the Arcade again!

We grilled steaks for supper tonight and started packing up since we are heading out tomorrow...

First Time Bowler!

Luke learning the ropes from Uncle Andrew

All smiles!

After supper Andrew and Mandi were going to a Young Auburn Club social which was bowling.  Paul and I really didn't to go so Luke and Mom tagged along.  Luke absolutely loved it!  He was pretty good, too.  He had so much fun and I think he really enjoyed his one on one time with his Aunt and Uncle.

When Katherine realized her brother had gone somewhere without her she was not happy!  We had to go to Target to pick up some aloe for her back and some other things we didn't get here with.  We let her raid the $1 section - she picked out a new plate, bowl and silverware.  After that we went and got frozen custard which was delish!

Photo Session

So sweet...

Mandi and I thought it would be fun to do our pictures on the beach again.  It has been two years since we have done it and the kids have changed a lot.  The beach remained very windy which made the sand fly everywhere and our hair go crazy.  Things were rolling along pretty well for the first several poses and then Andrew's camera battery died!  Never fear - I had our camera which pales in comparison in terms of  quality, etc.  Wouldn't you know after a few more shots that camera battery died, too!  So, we resorted to taking the few last pictures with our cell phones.  On first glance we didn't think we had any suitable pictures, but we found a few that turned out ok.  We definitely liked the location, scenery, etc -- just need to charge all the batteries next time!

We went to supper at Dewey Destin's which is a nice seafood place. Luke actually ate mahi-mahi and liked it.  He also liked the french fries and hush puppies, too!  Katherine, as per her usual didn't eat anything except crackers.  What are we going to do with that girl?!?!

A Little Too Much Sun...

A trip to Ft. Walton wouldn't be complete without breakfast at the Neighborhood Cafe.  Mandi had to work today, bu Andrew took off.  The food is always so good there and Luke loves the Mickey Mouse pancake. The kids couldn't wait to get to the beach so we got ready and loaded up shortly after breakfast.  The weather was warm and mainly overcast today.  When we got to the beach we realized we did not have any sunscreen.  We all just assumed we wouldn't be out long and we would be ok...

The kids had a blast!  Katherine could sit and play in the sand for hours and hours.  Luke became a little more adventurous when it came to actually getting wet.  The wind is really high so we were told not to get in past the waist.  That wasn't an issue for me as the water was too cold!  Luke and Mom played in the water while Paul and Andrew flew kites and helped dig in the sand.  We were out for a couple of hours until it looked like we were getting ready to get rained on.  We packed up and went back to the house for showers and sandwiches.  It wasn't until after naps that we realized how red Katherine's back and shoulders were.  Her little cover up didn't do much covering up. Luke was fine since he had on a long-sleeve swim shirt and longer trunks.  I am a bit red as well.  Hopefully the sun exposure won't bother little bit too much.

Mandi got to leave work early which was great.  After naps we got dressed for a little beach photo session...

We're Here!

Luke and Paul played catch

Katherine loved the park1

Supper at CowTippers

This girl is picky, picky!

We made it to Andrew and Mandi's around lunch time.  We stopped at the grocery to pick up a few things.  Both Andrew and Mandi had to work today so we hung out at their house and went to the park.  They are within walking distance of a nice park so we went over there for them to play.  I got a quick walk in on the track while Paul watched the kids. Katherine and I played in the sand while Paul and Luke played catch.

We went to a neat neighborhood burger joint for supper and then got ice cream. It is nice and warm here today.  It is so nice to be away relaxing for a few days.  The beach is on the agenda for tomorrow!!!

Hitting the Road

This girl is cool!

Bedtime with Mommy!

Today was exhausting!  I had to go to the lottery drawing for the Magnet School.  We found out a few weeks ago that Luke scored high enough on the entrance exam to be eligible.  Unfortunately, there are not enough spots for the number of students that test in so the county does a lottery drawing.  Luke's name did not get drawn for a spot this year and he is #38 on the wait list so the chances are nill that he will ever get  in.     We were a little disappointed but honestly we would have been shocked if they had drawn his name.  There were about 80 kids that tested in for Kindergarten.  So, now we have a big decision to make - our neighborhood public school or private school.  We have to make the decision quickly, too.

I went to work after that which has been very tedious lately.  I worked until normal time, picked the kids up, ran by the house to do a few last minute things while we waited on Mom to get here.  We loaded her stuff in the vehicle and headed to Nashville to pick Paul up. It was almost 6 before we got on the road.  We were so excited to be getting away, but it has been a long day.

We stopped for supper at Cracker Barrel in Columbia.  Luke has been asking to go to the Barrel for awhile now.  And, what road trip is complete without a stop there?  We are staying the night at our go-to hotel in Montgomery.  We will be Florida bound in the morning!!!

Tulips!

An attempt at a family picture

Picnic on the grounds

The flowers were gorgeous!

The kids aren't much for pictures lately

 Cheekwood has a tulip exhibit right now--over 55,000 bulbs were planted.  We decided to take advantage of the great weather and headed over there after church.  Mom went with us.  She still has her family membership which makes it so nice!  We stopped and picked up a picnic lunch and ate on the grounds when we first got there.  The kids were excited to see that the trains and treehouse were still there.  The flowers were absolutely gorgeous!  I have never seen so many different types of tulips -- all different shapes and varieties.

After Cheekwood we might Viriginia at a park.  We have not seen her since Luke's birthday party in January which is entirely too long!  It was a quick visit but I am glad we got to see her.  We spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for our beach trip!

Gone Fishin'

Kids' Project Time

Story time with Nene!

We have had a good weekend.  I worked yesterday for awhile.  The kids and Paul went to Home Depot for their kids' project.  They had fun making bird feeders.  I got off work in time to go to the farm for lunch. Jon and Kristen had come to visit Paula and they brought everything to grill hamburgers.  It was a beautiful day.  Paula loved seeing the kids and sitting in the sun.


Luke got a fishing pole and tackle box from Santa this past year.  He has been asking every few weeks if he could go fishing.  Since the weather is warm enough we decided to go this afternoon.  There is a creek and pond by Mom's.  Katherine, Mom and I went along for the walk and scenery.  Although they didn't catch anything they had a good time!