03/29/2012

Road Trip 2012/Stop# 3

End of the leg of our 2012 road trip. We stopped at the Panama City Beach in FL before we headed back home to attend the ceremony we held for my Aunt there.

HIGHLIGHTS:
1. LOTS of seashells.
2. We were all pretty pooped, it was windy, and kinda cold.
3. We only stayed there a little while because a huge storm rolled in.
4. I had 2 buckets filled with beautiful seashells that the kids and I found. The wind picked up and I realized it was time to go. Picked up all of our shovels, cups and buckets of seashells and a wave hit me. Not only did it wipe me off of my feet, but it left me empty handed. All of the seashells we worked so hard to get were now washed away back into the ocean. I felt terrible for the kids so despite the black clouds rolling in, I quickly started stuffing whatever seashells I could find into the buckets that the kids luckily were holding.
5. While I was looking for seashells like a 4 year old kid, luckily Jose packed everything up because literally as we were walking to the car it started to rain. Before we got down the street it was a torrential downpour. And no matter how fast or far we drove, the rain stayed right on top of us.
6. Long journey home, but the kids behaved perfectly. We did easter craft projects in the car. (they decorated little foam egg characters and that was enough to keep them content the whole way home)
7. Papi drove most of the way. I couldn't seem to stay awake when I was in the driver seat (looking back it was possibly because I was carrying a brand new baby inside of me).

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03/25/2012

Road Trip 2012/Stop# 2

We stayed in AL Friday night and Saturday, then on the 25th we woke up at 5am to head down to FL. My Aunt Kathy had passed away Thursday the 22nd and just so happen to be headed down there for vacation around the time she passed. Made it there for her funeral.

HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Ava wanted to go to Keylime Cove for her bday because she loves the waterpark. We stayed in a hotel with a really nice waterpark but it was kinda cold and windy. That didn't stop her.
2. We got to the hotel Sunday and when she woke up Monday morning it was her 4th birthday. We brought decorations so we could decorate the room. We brought a few cheap presents so she'd have something to open, but her real present was that we were 5 minutes away from Disney. She opened her presents. She was overly grateful as usual.
3. When the kids realized we were at Disney they were excited. The moment that stands out the most was that Ava jumped and giggled throughout the entire opening performance. She was really happy to be there.
4. Elijah just kept screaming MICKAYYYYY! MICKAYYYYYYY!!! And was showing him his sucker. He spent most of his time waving to the characters that day.
5. 1st ride was a Lilo and Stitch ride that Joey, Ava and Papi went on while I sat out with Elijah. The kids hated it and after that wanted to leave because they thought everything was going to be scary. But quickly recovered when we went on the Buzz Lightyear ride and got to shoot the aliens and spin on the spaceship.
6. Joey ended up with such a bad headache that night that we ended up having to leave earlier than the park closed. He was crying so hard that I was anxious to get him back to the hotel to get to sleep. Between fighting against the crowd to leave, the long walk to the tram and the line waiting to get on the tram to get us back to the parking lot where our car was... it seemed like it was taking us an eternity to get out of there. As were were next to get on the tram, another couple cut us off and got on the tram. Lucky for us, we still fit on the tram. Unfortunately for the other family, they got cursed out by me for their lack of intelligence. No sooner does the little girl of that family start throwing up everywhere. Lol, I dunno, maybe they were in a rush for a reason too. OOPS!
7. The next day we lounged at the pool. The kids had a water fight with a few of the kids there. Ava was hilarious because nobody could catch her no matter how hard they tried. They had a really good time.

***Best blessing of all was the terrible cramps I was having. Didn't know it then but I was having cramps because there was a special little egg implanting itself into my uterus. 9 months from this day, we named him Elijah Michael.

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03/23/2012

Road Trip 2012/Stop# 1

Drove from IL to Muscel Shoals, Al.

HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Visited Joyce
2. Went to Spring Park where Ava (days from being 4 yrs) and Joey (almost 5 yrs) rode the roller coaster about 100 times (while Elijah 2 waved hello to everyone on the merry-go-round). Beautiful manmade waterfall.
3. They fed the ducks at Spring Park with bread Joyce brought.. but Joey ate most of the loaf. Joyce couldn't believe it.
4. Jose had a terrible headache on Saturday the 24th which was his 35th bday, (coffee withdrawal) and to let him rest, I walked around the hotel with the kids. Well they of course were running up and down every hallway... not screaming, just running..LOUDLY. I didn't realize that the floors weren't concrete so you could hear them downstairs every time they ran. All of a sudden the lady at the front desk caught up to us on the 5th floor to tell me that people were complaining of the loud running. OOPS! Then Ava proceeded to break a huge vase in the lobby right in front of the same woman. smh. Wanted to disappear.

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