My Spur of the Moment Trip

Last week started and I KNEW it was the last full week before school started.

Sooooooooo, if I was to EVER get to go see our Aunt in Nashville, last week was the week.

So even though Brooks couldn't get off work and go with us, WHO CARES, I'm an adult, right?

But first let me start off with 3 pictures from the FIRST of the week.

This.......is.........me

Brooks just thought he was soooooooooo funny taking a picture of me hiding up on the desk during a mean game of Hide-n-Seek for Family Home Evening.

He was laughing the whole time he was taking it.

Princess Iris has learned to color and LOVES coloring on coloring books.

Infact, she does her insistent grunts to let you KNOW that's what she wants to do and now.

This picture was taken and while she was posing her book was taken right out from under her hands and she STILL didn't notice. :)

And just because this was so sweet, I HAD to take a picture of Bronson "dancing" with Iris to music. You can SEE how much she loves her brothers.

Back to my trip.

Tuesday afternoon I loaded the 5 little-ins in the car and we took off!

(Iris travel update: she actually did great.....until the last 30 minutes, when she was screaming but that was fine because it was one of the biggest rainstorms I've been in so it was so loud we couldn't hear her scream anyway.)

We stopped mid-trip to crash on our friend's floor in the town we used to live, and continued the last 5 hours of the trip the next day.

Before we got to the hotel, we stopped here:

This won't surprise any of you, I know, but the kids LOVED doing this digestive system slide OVER AND OVER again, because when you came out the bottom, it made a sort of.......

well, you know, "digestive" sound that makes kids roll with laughter.

Here was our germ/gun shoot out. It was the "good guys" against the "bad guys".

Bronson and I were on the "bad guys" and we TOTALLY beat the others. (yes, I take great pride in beating a room of kids)

GO PATHOGENS!!!

Bronson's favorite part was the astronaut simulator. He was the only one of my kids that was tall enough and heavy enough (Camden was tall enough, but 3 pounds short. I told him it was because he didn't eat a good lunch at the rest area we stopped at. The next time we ate lunch he ate a TON! tee hee)

It was funny watching him try to walk "without gravity".

Bronson said it was fine but for SOME reason it looks a little uncomfortable to me.....

I just CAN'T put my finger on it.....

Then we headed to the hotel, which the WHOLE reason the kids were excited was for the pool.

The problem was, it was raining.

So we waited a little and went out.

Then it started raining again while we were swimming........and when I mean rain, I mean

check your weather channel.com because there were FLOODS all over Nashville from that rainstorm.

The kids had the BEST time.

I DID act responsible though, that when it started lightning, we went back in.

to this........

They all took the longest HOT baths ever.

Then we enjoyed some delivery pizza action and watched 2 hours of "Man vs. Wild" on the Discovery Channel with plenty of snuggling. Truly, an ideal night for all involved.

The next day I saw my close friend from medical school and her new baby, then headed over to Aunt Debbie's house (which btw is the BEST house w/ so much to do outside)

I DO have to note that she was exhausted from running errands the day before.....one being getting the kids all presents and the BEST snacks ever. (seriously, what would I do w/o Debbie?!!?!)

We haven't seen Debbie (and fam) for 18 months! So here she is meeting Iris.

The kids swam and also played by the pond to find "pets".

(which come to find out one hour through the trip home that they snuck a frog into the car w/o me knowing, because I "would've said no".....and they were right)

The boys thought it was cool that Austin (18 yrs.) smashed in his truck the night before......

IN THAT HORRIBLE RAIN STORM

because he couldn't SEE!!!!!!

(and to think we were enjoying it so!)

It was so nice to see Debbie and see how she's being taken care of by her family and her ward there. I love it how her Relief Society didn't even send out a "notice" or organize some big effort. Individual sisters saw a need and went to action.

I admire sisters like that, who w/o saying a word, forget themselves and serve.

Insanely enough, I loaded the kids up at 5:00 (CST) on the WEST side of Nashville and headed off EAST to go home.....(I mention that because I didn't even THINK about rush hour. Sometimes, I'm a dunce.)

We got home at 1:30 AM (EST).

It was actually a great trip. The kids were fantastic on the way home, GREAT sports, and of course, with the newly fixed A/C I could actually HEAR the kids and had some pretty funny conversations.

This trip was one of my most fun trips. I loved it.

My kids are the best.