The next morning we got all packed up. Doug had one last jog on the beach and I had a final walk with mom. We said goodbye a little before 10AM. This time I got teary of course. Then we drove off. Yep, really over. After some on and off crying in the car, I rebounded pretty well as we looked forward to another stop in Nashville and a few more hours of hanging with our friends there. Not to mention I made several lists thinking about things to do when we got home (grocery lists, menu list for the week, things to do at the house, etc. - lists are very therapeutic!).
We made great time again and stopped only once on our way to Nashville making it a 7 hour trip. We got to Chris & Molly's at 5:15pm. The boys were so thrilled to get outside and play with some little people their own age. Amelia had just finished making a slide show and wanted to do a performance for Molly and I. She put Koen right to work as her "helper." She told him to point to the pictures as she acted them out. Pretty adorable.
Tavin went outside with Sadie pretty early on while Doug helped Molly grill the burgers for dinner. Sadie loves bugs and worms and was happy to have a friend that enjoyed digging too. Tavin didn't realize she had a real goal in mind, but he didn't seem to care. He was so happy to be outside after a day in the car seat.
Sadie and Amelia have some great toys and a wonderful backyard. The boys had a blast with the girls and their stuff and the girls were very willing sharers.
After about 45 minutes of playing, we had a nice family cookout, then the boys got to play a little more until it was time to get Tavin to bed. Koen got to stay up a little later. It was Sadie's birthday that day, so we had a special time to sing her "Happy Birthday" and have yummy strawberry cake. Molly is such a caring and thoughtful mom. Sadie was really excited about her cake and Koen was thrilled to be involved in the celebration. Thanks for letting us crash your birthday, Sadie! After cake time, the kids played a few more minutes, then we got them cleaned up and in pajamas with teeth brushed and "Uncle Doug" read everyone a few stories. They loved it. I thought it was funny that Molly, Chris and I just sat to the side and basically watched. I guess we were all enjoying storytime. =)
The boys slept well and then were happy to play for a few hours before we hit the road for our final trek home. We left a little before 10am central time. We arrived home around 8pm Pittsburgh time. Again, we made good time. The boys did very well. We were all (especially Doug and Tavin) a little sick of being in the car, but we all pulled through with good attitudes. It felt great to get home and stretch our legs. Koen helped Doug unload while I put Tavin to bed. Tav was so excited to be in his own room. I think it took him 2 seconds to fall asleep. After Koen finished helping Doug I laid him down and after a refreshing shower and just one book, he crawled into bed exhausted as well. Yes, the vacation is really over. And although I miss my family terribly, there is something great about coming home (even if we don't live near the ocean). We are so thankful for the beautiful weather week, the time with family and the visit with friends. Maybe we'll have to do it all over again next year!
No comments:
Post a Comment