Out and About

Took the kids to Chick-fil-a today to escape the cabin fever from the snow.  It was craziness in that place!  There wasn't a single table available and plenty of people standing around waiting for a table to open up.  I opted to get our food and picnic in the back of the van.  In typical Alabama style, it was nice enough to leave the back door of the van open and soak in the vitamin D from the sun.  Baffles me that two days ago it was in the teens, and not were sitting here without our jackets on.  Gotta love the south!!

Snow Madness 2014

It started off a normal day by taking Catelyn and Tripp to school.  I was out running errands when the first snow flakes began to fall...and then fall some more...and then a little bit harder.  I decided it was time to go home, and it was not easy.  After I pulled into the drive way I was hoping they wouldn't call school because of how much difficulty I had getting home.  Not five minutes later...school was called.  I was gone a little over an hour and didn't even make it a mile down the road.  The roads were covered in ice and everyone (including myself) were sliding all over the place.  I wasn't sure what to do, so I drove back home.  I had no idea how I was going to get the kids and there was no way Will could get them since he was downtown.  I knew the roads were completely impossible to drive on and decided the only thing left to do was walk.  I must have had on 15 pounds of clothes and a whole garbage bag full of clothes for the kids.  The plan was to take the jogging stroller and walk and get Tripp first, then drop him off at Ruth Ann's.  Then I would walk and get Catelyn, walk back to Rudy's, and all of us spend the night there.  The plan went very well and we all stayed toasty warm.  I ended up walking about 8 miles and not once did my face, hands or feet get cold- which was totally the Lord! After spending the night at Rudy's and Will staying at work (which fortunately, they were able to walk to a hotel around midnight), we were able to get home the next day (thanks to Lance's 4 wheel drive and Will finding an alternate drive home).  It was an insane experience, but so many others had it so much worse.  We were at least together (except Will- but he was safe), warm and had food and sweet company.  Once we got home, we played in the snow, drank hot chocolate, played with play dough and painted with water colors.  I felt very blessed that night to have us all four together under our own roof- safe, sound and warm.

Innocent snow. Ha!

By the time I got home.

Tyler Road, right outside the entrance of our neighborhood.

Columbiana Road- madhouse!! 

 of us back home, safe and sound, playing in the snow!

The Greatest Show On Earth

Will and I took the kids to the circus over the weekend and it was fun to experience it with them.  It was not perfect, but overall the kids had a good time. :)  Catelyn and Tripp both loved the motorcycles (especially Tripp),  lions and tigers, and the elephants.  Catelyn loved the girls costumes and Will and I were impressed by the acrobats.  It was a good family experience and I'm glad we had the opportunity to take them. :)

Family Time...

Around the hairdryer.  Sometimes you gotta do what you just got to do to get those tootsies warm! :)

Father/Son Twins

National Championship 2014

Will and I were given an incredible opportunity to fly to Pasadena, CA with the SEC for the National Championship. We had an amazing time and it ranked as one of (if not the) best trip we had ever been on!  We flew into Burbank where we boarded a bus to the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena.  It was a beautiful place with some neat history. That night we had a fun dinner with Will's co-workers and then were able to catch up with some friends we hadn't seen in years.  The next day they had a Hollywood tour planned.  It was great!!  I loved seeing all the sights and getting all the history from the tour guide.  That night was the BCS National Championship Party.  Once again, it was just a neat thing to experience. :)  On Monday (game day) Will and I got up for a run around the hotel area, which was the neighborhood of where Father of the Bride was filmed.  It was neat to run past the house and I swear any minute George Banks was going to pull into the drive way. :) The weather was so fantastic, that Will and I decided to walk to In and Out Burger to grab some lunch.  When we got back, we dressed for the game and were given a police escort to the stadium. That was awesome!!  We had tickets for a tented tailgate party where they had food set up from each BCS bowl.  It was fantastic.  Next we headed over to take our seats and cheer our hearts out that the SEC could pull it out another year.  Unfortunately, it didn't go our way, but we still had an unbelievable time!! Seriously...best trip ever!!

The Birmingham Airport showing their support for Auburn

 

 Our chocolate plate waiting in out hotel room. Yummy!

 The Hollywood Bowl

Standing by the stairs in the Roosevelt hotel where Shirley Temple and Bojangles did a dance.  Thought this was crazy cool. :)

So many neat people graduate from here.  Judy Garland, Carol Burnett, John Ritter, etc. Thought it was hilarious that their mascot was the Sheiks.  So appropriate. Ha!

 Will and I posing with the coaches trophy.  I was kind of scared of it. Ha! 

 The National Championship Party

Father of the Bride House 

Attempting to get a picture of the police escort.  Haha!

The tailgate party before the game.