Thursday, January 17, 2013

It Doesn't Take Much

Hunter is a "home-body", especially after our Christmas vacations. He loves coming home from TN and staying home to play with his new toys. I headed back to work on the 3rd and he wan't due back to school until the 7th. Nannie gladly took us up on the offer to let him stay home with her. Both mom and Hunter had an agenda. One of the days home, they went to work on a Gingerbread house and train. They then went to work on a foam Gingerbread house. Hunter dragged out the Tinker Toys and was able to create a new creation with Nannie. I came home after that first day and they hadn't moved from the front table. The second day at home, they went to work on Hunter's new Lego City Mine Set. This was a large task but they were able to accomplish it together. Mom had planned on taking Hunter out for lunch and to do something fun, but he begged her to stay home and play. Mom loves staying home, so there were no complaints there.
Mom's visit has been great. The kids have enjoyed every minute of playing with her. It has been nice to have her here. She has been able to relax and truly enjoy the kids. I am hoping to send her back with a little sun on her cheeks and rested. So far, we are successful.















Beach Babies

With Nannie in town, we were able to get Adam to take us to the beach. In fact, Mackenzie woke up that morning and looked at me with her big blue eyes and said, "Mama, I want to go to the beach after nap." That's all she had to say to convince Adam to take us. I promise I didn't put her up to it. That was a thought all on her own.
The weather was perfect. The water wasn't that cold, which is not a good thing this time of year. For those of us who live in Florida, we know that warm water in the winter means warmer water in the summer which means a more active hurricane season :( We weren't there for long, but we enjoyed every minute. They are definitely Florida kids. The love the sand and the water. The sound of the ocean is one that we can all enjoy, but it relaxes me more than anything.
















Saturday, January 12, 2013

Cruisin'

Our trip back to Florida was a long one. Thank goodness for Nannie, audio books (my sanity), and room service. I had hoped to make it back in one day, but with us recovering from the busy week in TN, I was exhausted and had to make it 2 days. As soon as we stopped to get gas in Sarasota, I knew we were closer to home...warmer weather. LOVE FLORIDA!!! I don't think I could ever move back to the cold weather.
Once we returned and had a few days of settling down, I put Mackenzie's new ride together. This was a great gift sent down from Pops and Annmother. Hunter wanted to help her learn how to ride. It was cute to watch him sit and try to let her take control and learn on her own. He wanted to take control. It will take her a while to get the hang of it, but it is super cute and lots of fun.



Papa's Little Lady

Before driving south, we went to visit Papa again. We decided to pick up lunch as a treat. Mackenzie was pleased to see him. Papa has a tendency of eating off of others plates these days. Mackenzie had to remind him a few times that he was eating her fries. No one messes with Mackenzie's chicken and french fries. It was good to see him and soak up a few more minutes. I will miss him, but look forward to seeing him again in a few months. We love our Papa!







Thursday, January 3, 2013

Snow, Snow, Snow

We woke up to snow one morning while in Tennessee. The kids ran into Nannie's room to wake her up and spread the good news. They were more excited to see snow than they were for Santa. Love these little moments.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Christmas with Papa

After dropping Adam off at the airport, we headed back to Nannie's for a quick rest. Mackenzie had fallen asleep on the way to the airport. Adam kissed her good-bye, but she never woke up. Once we got to Nannie's house, she ran to the downstairs door and said that she wanted to go and get her daddy. The remainder of our visit she kept asking for her dad. Every time that pulled on my heartstrings. She didn't get to tell him bye and that threw her off thinking that he was still in Tennessee. She is a daddy's girl for sure.
After a few hours of rest at Nannie's, we headed over to the Hearth to celebrate Christmas with Papa. Sara had fixed a few appetizers and some yummy chicken tortilla soup. The kids played in the floor of the sunroom with Briley's new train set. Papa was a little confused and overwhelmed with all of the action, but was able to recognize us all. Linda and Dave even dropped by to visit with Daddy while we were there. He loved watching the little ones run around and play. Mom, my sisters, and I enjoyed the feeling of us being a whole family again. Even though we weren't in our home, we were together. Wherever we are together, is now going to be our "home". The walls that surround us are not important, but the people who are with us are. Memories made are ones that we will keep close to our hearts.