Day 6 all things come to an end...

Today we travelled northwest. Originally we planned to drive to Atlanta and spend the night. But we decided that winter weather heading west was a problem. So we drove 668 miles northwest. We drove through four states, stopped about 5 times, and was in the vehicle more than 10 hours!! Where in the world are the Dillard's? If you guest back in northeast Mississippi, you win the game!! we made it safe and sound, and sane! The kids were mostly very good the whole way. I was proud of them. Lee did a fantastic job of driving and I didn't go crazy in the back seat entertaining babies...well..., mostly! ha.
I've enjoyed this little game with you all. Thanks for playing along and reading my entries! Hope it was a little bit of fun.
The excitement for today included a fun stop at Bass Pro Shop, seeing all the wild dead animals that are stuffed there, and  the boys played the laser gun shooting game. And, when we got home the heat was out and it was 52 degrees in here! YIKES. Thankfully, a man in church was able to whiz on over and fix it very quickly.yippeee. Now, for a decent nights sleep in my own bed. Hoping baby sleeps better too.  It's suppose to snow a bunch tomorrow. we shall see......

day 5

our last day was wonderful. we spent the morning at the beach. The boys played football, looked for sharks teeth, and shells, and talked to the sea gulls.  Had  a late lunch a mc ds, and then back to the motel to pack up and shower. That night we ate at red lobster. not much action really. lol. We also really cheated and had ice cream for dessert. Oh, well. We can eat healthy another day.. hehe.

Here are some pics of the kids enjoying 78 degree weather at the beach.

And Brennen was having so much fun sleeping. What a sweetie!!

Jack Frost

I hate winter. Sure, if you live in a place that has snow, or Christmas all year, it might be nice. But, here in the south, we don't get snow that much. We get cold dreary weather, with lots of cold rain. or ICE. ice is awful. It causes wrecks, power outages, and slippery sidewalks. Dangerous business. I am a warm weather gal, I inherited my dads cold feet. So the whole winter is spent looking for signs of spring. I wish the days away. Thankful each one is getting more and more sunlight.
     But even I know beauty when I see it. So I will share some of it with you. It really was a pretty sight, even though its not my favorite thing.

And, also, I saw some daffodils the other day..................

Gracelyn-Joy turns three

My baby girl is getting so big so fast. Here are a few pics from her party. only a couple of friends were able to come this time. Family was all sick. But all the weeks of planning and hours of cooking and prep were still worth it. I got most of my ideas off Pinterest. isn't that a wonderful idea place??? btw, the strawberry cheesecake bites were incredible!!!! I made the yummy cake and made the little strawberries with marshmallow fondant. a chore, but worth it!!! I also made her cute dress. She loved her special day.

day four

well, today was Sunday. It was absolutely perfect weather. Since the website said the beach was just a mile down the road, I decided during nap to take the four oldest boys to the beach so they could play football. well,  that mile was more like two!! But we made it safely. The sun and clouds and cool breeze and 70 degrees temps made it fabulous!! Everyone hit the beach today. wasn't hardly room at all to sit. I looked for awhile for a sharks tooth, but no luck. We found a few neat shells. The boys played some football, too. Then Lee texted that Brennen was missing me. So we headed back. My knee was out, ,and I had a few bunions on my feet by the time we got back.. But I hope it worked off a few of the pounds I have gained since being off my diet. UGH.
        We also had our very first from -the -tree -to -our -mouth ,perfectly ripe ,Florida oranges! They are soooo juicy and wonderful. Nate made OJ with his.
Here is a pic  of my room this morning. Sweet. QUIET.

 Neptune Beach, FL.

Tomorrow is our last day at this spot. Then it is time for some back home excitement!! I am ready to get our fur kids back. I sure hope they remember us. By now it has been an eternity and they don't think we are coming back. sad.

Day three

I am laying in bed now. Next to me is a sweet 9 month old baby boy, breathing softly as he sleeps. In the  other bed Nathan and Andrew are asleep. Today was busy. We bought some shoes this am, then headed to the beach. The boys played football, Gracelyn-joy happily found shells, and i laid back and  soaked up some warm Florida sunshine. It was great...until GJ rubbed her eyes with a sandy hand, and Brennen face planted into the sand too! Thankfully no lasting problems.
     We ate a late lunch at Tonys brick oven pizzeria. Fab food! We have eaten there before. Fantastic. They throw the dough up in the air, cook it in a brick oven,(bet you couldn't have guessed that), and it is wonderful. I had the veggie delight calzone. Its HUGE! Filled with veggies and ricotta And mozzarella cheeses. Dip it in sauce and you have a taste of heaven on earth!! Needless to say, I ate every bit of it.
pic a little blurry. lol.

      We came on back to the motel and stayed. I took a little nap. We had supper in the room. Now all is quiet. Tomorrow is the Lords day. It is suppose to be a wonderful day. We will really soak in the warmth. Going back to Mississippi will definitely be a bummer after this. Especially with all the winter weather.
       Now its time for sleep. Another day awaits!

The fur kids

 

We had a photo shoot to capture how the boys are growing, and how handsome they are getting. The brothers, Finn and Bubbles, are 3 months old now. Going to puppy kindergarten, and stealing the show there while getting lots of attention.

 

 

 Finn

Dixon is almost 6 months old now. He is doing good. such a cutie. Reeces' little friend.

 

Bubbles, the newest member. My friend bought him when we got Finn. But after two weeks realized she wasn't home enough for these people loving dogs.

Happy Birthday Boys

Andrew was 7 Nov 28, 2014, and our Jack was 5 Nov 30. our first costume party. It was so much fun. Andrew was an awesome black jaguar, complete with tail and ears. Jack was a policeman, and Caleb was his bad guy. Caleb was a good sport, making Jack so happy.

Gracelyn-Joys costume was easy...a princess, of course!! I was a Queen, complete with white long gloves from my wedding, and my tiara....to match Gj .

Nate was an indian, his dog, S'mores, was a flower. Even pregnant Breeze was a butterfly!! Brennen was a Koala cub. Cute little Cubbie . Such fun we had. Happy birthday, BOYS!!

day two

This morning, we woke up, and packed up, and headed to breakfast. And, of course, if you see a Shoney's, stop and eat!!

We laughed at breakfast, because Caleb, almost 14, got a kiddie cup, but was charged and adult meal price!!!!

After we stuffed ourselves, we headed East, mostly on Interstate 10. We travelled 294 miles. On our way we stopped at our first gas station that had 3 restaurants  inside. This one had a Wendys, Dairy queen, and Subway. Who couldn't find something to eat there??? we were the side show to some peoples lunch, In a good way I guess. An older man couldn't quit staring, counting the kids, and smiling some more. He said we were the prettiest family he's seen in a while.
The only excitement today was Gracelyn-Joy had to potty on side of road. LOL. So, any ideas where we landed today? You guessed it. Right near Jacksonville, FL. It's called Neptune Beach. We found more cheap rooms at a Days Inn about a mile from the beach. Can't wait to hit the sand tomorrow. It is suppose to be 70 degrees. Can't wait to locates some shells and sharks teeth!!

First day

We left our house about 8 am Then we took our three fur babies to the vet to be boarded. Bless them. Then we headed south. We drove 432 southeast. We ended at a motel called Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort. Thanks to trusty hotelcoupons.com, we had GREAT walk in rates. We actually go the last two rooms!!😳 it was about 5:30 pm. Then we ate at burger king, got a few things at wal mart, then headed back to the motel. What a place it is! In summer, it is really hopping. There is. Huge blowup slide out in the emerald green waters, beachfront playground, outdoor pool and lazy river. Face painting, smores, and even outdoor movies! Are you getting any ideas about where we are yet???
     But for cold day, they had a super heated indoor pool and lazy river. The steam rose off the water. The boys had a blast. Sadly, the room wasn't heated. So I, clad in my coat and two towels wrapped around me, watched them play. Teeth chattering!!
The return to the room was a mad dash in 30 degree weather! Lol. We had ice cream, of all things, then wat hed some tv and went to sleep!
    Have you figured it out yet??? If you said gulf shores, you'd be wrong!! We were in panama city florida!! Just for the night! We are on the move again.  Stay tuned...⛵️🚙

Where in the world are the Dillard's?

Life has been a rollercoaster lately. Burn out. Stress. Life. So, what does a body do when you get to feeling like you can't think straight? You go to the beach! WHAT!! In February?? Absolutely. Escape the cold icy winds and flee for refuge in the sunshine state! So I packed us up today, and we are leaving in the morning. Only one day of planning. Crazy, wild fun. So we will be heading south in the morning. Keep a watch here. I will be trying to post each day about the happenings our family comes across in the next few days!!! Along with catching you up on birthdays, christmas, and our puppies.