TN/KY Road Trip

We were blessed to spend Memorial Day weekend on the road as we set out on a trip first to Memphis and then to Ft. Campbell, KY to visit family.

Our original plan was to leave early Thursday morning and drive straight through to Memphis, TN. Then at the last minute, we decided to leave the night before and drive through the night while the kids slept in the car. We figured it would make the trip more bearable for them (and for us) if they could spend the first chunk of hours asleep.

We left home around 11 pm and made it as far as Mason City, IA with no problems. Then at about 2 am, a deer jumped out in front of us.

After what we witnessed last year, I was sure I was going to end up with a deer in my lap. My heart stopped as I pulled my blanket up over my head and braced for the worst, but God protected us. The impact wasn't too bad, and the damage was contained to the front end of the van.  The passenger side headlight was dangling down to the ground and the hood was smashed up, but the worst damage was the cracked cap on our radiator. We thought our trip was over before it had even started.

iPhone photo of the car at the time of the accident

Daylight view

Thankfully, I am married to a man who doesn't let a little thing like a broken radiator at 2 am stop him from achieving his goals. He limped the van to the nearest 24-hour Wal-Mart and worked for the next three hours rigging up the radiator cap with epoxy. The kids were awake the whole time (2-5 am), but did very well coloring and eating early morning snacks. After plenty of epoxy and prayers, we once again hit the road, determined to make it to our destination. The van made it all the way to Memphis without overheating or showing signs of any other problems. Great job, JP!

JP fixing the van in the Wal-Mart parking lot

Once in Memphis, we were thankful to have a place to stay with my Aunt Jean (my mom's sister). Sadly, her husband, my uncle Hoyette, lost his battle with cancer just weeks before our arrival. We couldn't make it down for the funeral, so I was thankful to get to see her now and share a cup of coffee. The girls brought a smile to her face, too. 

From there we went to my Mee-Maw's home for brunch. Time with Mee-Maw is always sweet and always way too short for me. She is not the strongest she has ever been, but she seemed to be doing well for a 90-year-old still living independently. We ate together, then JP took the girls down to the pond in her complex to feed the ducks while Mee-Maw and I sat on the porch and drank coffee. The whole time we talked, her eyes were watching the path waiting for her sweet great grand-babies to come back. She couldn't keep her eyes off of them, and they adored her, too. Even Rosie didn't show any signs of being shy or hesitant around a face we rarely get to see. 

I love my Mee-Maw

We were only able to spend a couple hours with Mee-Maw, and then it was time to get back on the road and continue on to Ft. Campbell, KY, where my brother Micah and his family are stationed right now. Once we got there, we realized we didn't have the proper documentation needed to get on base! Security is tight for obvious reasons. Thank God for JP's dad, who kindly drove to our house, found the documents we needed, and faxed them down to the base for us. 

We arrived just after nap time and the kids were all bright-eyed and excited to see their cousins!  

First activity on the agenda: swimming! The temps in KY were in the 90's.

So, stranger, come here often? 

Saturday morning we went on a tour of the Army base. Life on post is something you can't really understand until you've seen it firsthand. We were surprised at how large it was (even though Ft. Campbell is a relatively smaller base) and how Army families had everything they needed within the base walls (stores, food, entertainment, schools, parks, pools & splash parks, daycares, etc.). Micah and Missy live in one of the newest, nicest neighborhoods on base and are blessed with a beautiful 4-bedroom home for their growing family. We got to check out the building where Micah works and get a small taste of what every day life is like for the whole family. 

Later that night, the kids had fun playing around on power wheels. :) 

Ruby and Malachi were so stinkin' cute together. 

This picture cracks me up -- hang on Malachi! 

Rae was slow and steady on the John Deer. 

Sunday was a kick back, relax, and enjoy each other day. That night we went to the bowling alley on base, which is always fun with seven kids under the age of six!

JP helps Ruby bowl a spare

Malachi guarding the bowling balls

 Micah & Jeremiah

This is what bowling with seven kids looks like :)

This is my family's scoreboard. Rosie has the high score...mine is the low one. :) 

The next day was Monday, Memorial Day. It was a really neat experience to be on a military base on a day set apart to honor those who have sacrificed everything for our freedom. We decided to visit the Don F. Pratt Museum on base, a museum dedicated mainly to the history of the 101st Airborne Division, or "Screaming Eagles," who are based out of Ft. Campbell. Across the street from the museum is an outdoor park that displays a bunch of military aircraft and equipment used by the division.

The kids all wanted to wear their shades...and hold hands. How cute could they be? 

JP & Micah in front of a helicopter

Everybody say, "Don't shoot me!"

Shortly after taking this picture I saw the sign that read "DO NOT CLIMB." Oops. 

This is an Iraqi tank that was captured by the 101st Airborne Division during the Persian Gulf War.

There wer little flags all over the park with messages to the soldiers. The one Zach is looking at says, "Thank you for your sacrifices." 

The kids looking at a Memorial to fallen soldiers. It was the perfect opportunity to talk to them about what Memorial Day is all about. 

This is a model of a 5th Group Special Forces soldier within the museum, which is what Micah is. 

I'm thankful for all of the opportunities we had to talk to the kids about the sacrifices these soldiers make every day and the ultimate sacrifice so many have made for our freedom. It also opened up doors to talk about Jesus' sacrifice for our eternal freedom, and the truth, "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." 

We planned to leave Monday night around the kids' bedtime to drive home through the night, so the kids filled up the little time they had left together with dress up and more swimming. 

Left to right: Anna, Rae, Malachi, Ruby & Zach

Rosie drinking from the sprinkler

Freeze, Jeremiah!

Leaving was extremely difficult for the kids, especially Zachary and Malachi. As we said our goodbyes and handed out hugs, Zach started bawling his little eyes out. He could barely speak to say goodbye. Malachi started crying too, and according to Missy, they cried after we drove away, all the way through brushing their teeth, and were still crying when they went to bed. She gave them little guardian angel coins their grandma had given them when they had to give up their cat to hold as they fell asleep, bless their precious little hearts.

I was surprised that my girls were not more emotional about leaving. They fell asleep about an hour after we left and slept all the way through the night, not even waking up during gas stops. We got home around lunch time on Tuesday.

 I'm extremely grateful that we had the opportunity to make this trip. We never got to visit Micah & Missy when they lived in North Carolina, and I've always regretted it. That's a whole big chunk of their lives that we'll never be able to relate to or picture in our minds. Seeing their life and their home at Ft. Campbell allowed us to get a taste of what everyday life is like for them right now. They are such an amazing family with unbelievably sweet and respectful children. I love them and look up to them in so many ways. 

Rae's Dental Escapades

At the age of five, I finally took Rae to her first dental checkup. I admit, up until this point, I had not been very diligent at taking care of my children's teeth. We brushed, but sometimes we skipped. We don't floss. We don't have fluoride in our well water and we don't take supplements.

I shouldn't have been so surprised, then, when the dentist told me that Rae had FIVE cavities. Five! I couldn't believe it. I felt like such a horrible mother, not to mention a terrible example of how to properly take care of the bodies God has given us.

I took her in for her first filling and everything went fine. Rae had a doctor that explained things clearly and was gentle and friendly. We made another appointment to have two more done and that experience was awful. Rae got a different doctor who was rough, didn't communicate at all, was poking her with the novocain needle for what seemed like forever, and didn't seem to care that my poor child was doing her best not to scream and writhe in pain. I left and swore I'd never go back. Now we are on the search for a pediatric dentist to complete her last two fillings. I don't want her being scarred for life over going to the dentist.

What have your child dental experiences been like?

Pregnancy Update

I am now 17 week along in my pregnancy with baby #4. I felt the baby move for the first time on Mother's Day, and now I notice it all the time. He/she seems very active!

Yesterday I had a checkup and the nurse couldn't find the baby's heartbeat. The doctor tried next and for a long time he had a hard time finding it, too. Eventually he found just the right spot, and I breathed a big sigh of relief to hear that wonderful "whooshing" noise. I really wasn't too worried since I had just felt the baby move that morning, but it was still comforting to know that everything is fine.

I continue to feel very well, even though I do still feel exhausted at the end of the day. My belly is popping out a little bit now; enough that I can't hide it anymore, but not enough to make me look "pregnant"...just "chubby." I'm still wearing my regular clothes, and I still haven't gained any weight yet.

It's kind of strange to me that at 17 weeks, JP and I are still mostly undecided on name choices. We have two boy names we can't decide between and even more girl options. I think we both "feel like" this baby is a boy, but after three girls, we know not to count on it! We'll find out for sure on June 19th, though -- ultrasound day! Yay!

Disney World Vacation 2012

Can it be? Am I finally sitting down on the couch with a glass of sweet tea and two hours of silence ahead of me? Am I really going to blog about our Disney World vacation, FINALLY?

Yes, my friends. Believe it. It's true. :)

It's been a very busy month since our dream vacation. I wanted to get this all down sooner so I wouldn't forget any details, but I've just been too busy and/or too tired. By the time the kids go to bed, I've been completely wiped out, and when they are taking naps, I have so much to do around the house that I can't bring myself to sit in front of the computer.

Yet here I am. Better late than never.

Our trip was unbelievable. It was the kind of trip I never thought we'd get to take in our lifetime. To me, going to Disney World was something rich families did, and we didn't fall into that category. JP's mom & step-dad (Gail, aka: G and Larry, aka: Bompa) surprised us with this trip at Christmas as a way to honor Grandma Dellas after she passed away. One of her regrets in life was that they didn't do many family vacations or travel much, so G & Bompa decided to pick up that torch and run with it. We happen to be the very grateful beneficiaries of this decision. :)

The vacation started on a Friday night at a hotel in Bloomington. Our flight was early in the morning, and we had to catch a 5:30 am shuttle from the hotel to the airport. Sleep was a little hard to come by with such a big day ahead of us, but everyone was happy and excited in the morning, even with the early wake-up call.

Rae & Ruby on their first plane ride ever! Ruby slept most of the way. :) 

Rosie did great on the plane ride down. I was especially grateful for the vacant seat next to me so she didn't have to sit on my lap the whole time. We read lots of books, colored and ate snacks to pass the time.

We arrive in Orlando around lunch time, grabbed some food and headed to our amazing villas.  Each family got their own 2-story, 2-bed, 2-bath villa with a full kitchen, living room, & dining room. It was like having our own apartment during our stay. The resort had a huge water park with a pool, lazy river, splash pad, two hot tubs and two water slides. It was awesome.

That night we went to Downtown Disney for dinner. Downtown Disney is basically an area outside of the park grounds full of fun and unique restaurants and shops, plus a couple small rides (carousel, train ride, etc.) The kids loved all of the Disney character statues and sculptures and seemed to get a "taste" of what was to come the following day.

Rae & Ava by a Snow White Lego sculpture

Our princesses with Sleeping Beauty

The next morning was the big day -- Disney World! Before we left, I had made the girls all matching princess dresses to wear to the park. We got lots of smiles and pointing from people around the park -- they were pretty darn cute!

The Magic Kingdom was everything you would dream it to be. The adventure began right in the parking lot for the kids. When you park, you are still 2 miles away from the park, so you have to take a tram and then a trolley ride to actually get to the Magic Kingdom. The kids loved it, and it was fun to watch the excitement grow on their faces.

G & the girls on the trolley ride

The first thing you see when you enter the Magic Kingdom is the iconic Cinderella Castle. I got teary-eyed just walking around and watching the kids, because it really was something I never dreamed we'd get to experience. We got to go on the famous tea cup and Dumbo rides, as well as some newer attractions, including the Toy Story ride, after which the kids got to meet Buzz Lightyear.

We took a small break from the kid rides to experience Space Mountain, and to our surprise, Rae was *just* tall enough to go on the ride. She was up for it, so JP took her. I don't have a digital version of the picture they took during the ride, but Rae looked absolutely terrified. She said she had fun, but probably wouldn't do it again. :) What a brave girl!

Ava, Rae & Scott on the tea cup ride

Ruby & Florie on the tea cup ride

G, Rae & Ava on the Dumbo ride

The kids meet Buzz Lightyear, and proof that Vinnie actually was on this trip! After meeting Buzz, Vinnie said he dreams really did come true. :) 

The whole family in front of the Cinderella Castle

We went back to the villas for a quick nap later in the afternoon, then returned to the park in the evening for what turned out to be the most "magical" part of the Disney World experience. Besides going on a few more rides (including Rae & Ruby's favorite, Splash Mountain), we got to experience the famous electrical parade, light show and firework display. It was truly awesome, and a very special and memorable experience for all of us.

Ava & Rosie waiting for the parade to start. You know you're on vacation when the kids get giant suckers at 10:00 pm!

Watching the electrical parade

The girls were *so* excited to see Cinderella!

Rosie got really snuggly two hours past her bedtime.

After such a fun and exciting day, we all needed some time to rest. So on Monday, we decided to stick around the villas and hang out at the pool all day. The weather for the whole trip was amazing -- sunny and 80's with a light breeze. We spent the whole day swimming, splashing and being lazy in the lazy river. I think Ava & Rae could have stayed in the lazy river all day and all night. They liked to swim in it, though, not ride on tubes. G & Bompa also rented us all a cabana for the day, which was a great place to beat the heat, eat some snacks, and get re-sun screened for more fun in the sun.

Being lazy on the lazy river.

JP is a fan of the lazy river, as well. 

Ava & Rae in their element

Snack time in the cabana

After a good night's rest and copious amounts of aloe vera, we set off on Tuesday for a day at Universal Studios Orlando. Universal was awesome for a number of reasons, but what really made it amazing was that a friend of a friend hooked us up with VIP passes to the park. Not only did we get free valet parking, but we were escorted to the beginning of every line for any ride we wanted to go on. Some rides had wait times as long as 45 minutes, but we got to bypass all of that mess. It was amazing. At Disney World, we probably got to go on about 10 rides. At Universal, we went on more than 20 rides, and some of them multiple times!

The whole family in front of the Universal globe

The three stooges: Vinnie, Ruby & Florie

The Simpson's ride made us all sick to our stomachs!

There weren't quite as many rides that they kids could go on at Universal, but they did have a whole Dr. Seuss World area with some really fun, memorable rides for the kids, plus they got to meet a few favorite characters.

Dora!

Thing 1 and Thing 2!

The Grinch! (The 4 younger kids were too scared to get their picture taken with him.) 

That night after a short rest time, G & Bompa treated us to a delicious steak house dinner. We all crashed that night, our hearts and bellies full to the brim.

The next day we squeezed in one more splash at the pool before heading to the airport to catch our flight home. Rosie was so brave at the pool, venturing out into water as deep as her neck (with Mommy close by, of course), ready to try anything her big sisters and cousins would try.

It was really hard to come home to the cold weather and every day routine after such a fun and beautiful vacation. Nothing could have been better -- it truly was a dream come true. G & Bompa, thank you so much for making an experience like this a reality for us, but especially for our children. You gave us memories that will last a lifetime, and we are extremely grateful for all you are.

And thank the good Lord I FINALLY got this post done! Whew! It only took a month, LOL! It's probably full of typos I don't have time to look for, so please forgive any you find. If you made it to the end, thanks for reading! :)

I'm Alive

I'm so sorry...to all of you who check this blog, I promise I am alive.

Someday when I'm not extremely busy or utterly exhausted, I will get you all caught up on everything including...

• Our amazing trip to Disney World
• Rae's dental escapades
• The pregnancy
• Our super awesome garage sale
• My super not awesome Mother's Day

But for now, I'm going to bed. :)