Where to start? From the beginning and tell you about it in painstaking detail? OK. ;)
We headed out Saturday morning--not as early as my cunning plan to get up suuuper early and drive while the baby slept. But she did really well, and it only took us a couple of hours longer than normal.
We stayed at the lake house {which, Jason pointed out, should be called the river house since it's on the Tennessee River, but that's what we call it}, and it was just beautiful. Besides the people, the water is probably what I miss most from home. {I just wish we could pack it up with us like the giant jar of Golden Eagle syrup we brought home! Yum!}
Just to tempt me to move out there permanently, I believe, Dad had added a hammock to the back porch. Heaven.
Sunday was all kinds of fun as my brother and sweet niece flew down to meet Baby Girl. We hadn't seen my niece in about a year and a half, and it had been over a year since my brother, dad, and me were all in one place, too. It's tough being a spread-out family sometimes! {Sorry about the closed eyes shot, Dad.}
After taking her to my home church that morning, we made the tour of the family, and she met her great-grandfather, great-aunt and uncle, great-great aunt, and cousins galore. Then my pal Debra {who left me at the library to return to Georgia earlier this year} made the trek to see us as well, and we had a lovely visit with her!
Dad and I milled around Tuscumbia for awhile on Tuesday, and I was simply blown away by the hydrangea bushes. {Sadly, out of the 500 or so pictures I took, I didn't think to get one of my favorite flowers.} I heard a rumor that they bloomed early this year, and I assume that was just for our visit. Now we'll see about convincing Jason to tear out our scraggly bushes and plant a few of those instead.
On Wednesday, we headed to Winfield to introduce Catherine to her other grandparents {pictured here with Grams}, uncle, and great-grandmother.
She also got to stay in a hotel room for the first time. This was special and included napping with Mommy in the big bed, Sesame-Street-watching, and other such forbidden-at-home activities. Several red-letter days in there for Miss C!
We headed home on Friday, taking a slight detour through Tuscaloosa.
I have to admit, I got a bit {ok, a lot} emotional thinking of Catherine and her pre-ordained roommate, Georgia, arriving on campus in 2030 just like their mommies did in 1998. Introducing my girl to the place that meant so, so much to me was incredible and made me so grateful that God has brought us to this point in our lives.
{Catherine is asking, Why is Mommy crying? And what is up with all this houndstooth? You'll learn, my girl. Roll Tide.}
We were going to see how far we could make it that night, and that turned out to be Jackson {hotter than a pepper sprout}. I was so jazzed that I could have driven halfway through Louisiana, I think, but Jason had an "unfortunate" mocha experience and needed to stop sooner {I knew we should have opted for Heritage House instead of Starbucks!}. But he felt better the next day, and we made it home Saturday evening, very thankful for our safe travel!
Overall, Catherine was a superstar while traveling, only getting fussy toward the end of the long days. {Sophie helped.}
But, really, who can blame her? She's just expressing on the outside what we're all feeling on the inside after being in a car for 13 hours. She also got pretty attached to her pacifier {hope that doesn't come back to bite us}.
Her other "big" thing on the trip was perfecting the art of rolling over {at least from her back to her tummy}. She did it for the first time in her crib the night before we left, and, after that, there was no stopping her. After tons of clapping and "yays!!!," now she looks at you like, "This? Just rolling over. It ain't no thang."
Poor, neglected Fred perfected the art of photo bombing.
All in all, we had an amazing time, and we were reminded of how precious our long-distance family and friends are. Can't wait to go back again!
I recognize those faces in Alabama! Just barely missed you, as we were at Tuscumbia Sunday night. So glad you had a nice trip home, and I believe Henry and Catherine will be at Bama at the same time..yes, they will! Roll Tide!
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