NC Getaway

This past weekend we 'hit' the road for a little extended weekend getaway to visit our friends in North Carolina. I told Javan that once we get done packing we're going to hit the road. His response 'but mummy we can't broke the road. we can just drive on it!'

 

It was such a fun trip ... a well deserved break for us and definitely a wonderful time with Shelly and Ishi. Ishi just returned from a year-long deployment to Iraq so it was great to hear his stories about the past year. The friendship we have with these guys goes way back, so much so that we don't consider each other friends but rather family. The Rodriguez clan adopted us as their own. Shelly isn't just my friend but she is my sister. We've known each other since Lee days (1997). Shelly and I lived together, worked together and took classes together. The guys met through us and ended up working together as well. Both couples started dating the same time - actually a day apart - but they beat us down the aisle. We were all in each others weddings and Shelly and I were even pregnant at the same time! So needless to say TONS of history in this friendship.

I wish we could have stayed much longer but its a good thing we'll see them next week when they come to TN to visit!

Just some things to note from our trip:

• One extra person to pack for is a lot of work.
• Road trips with an infant and a toddler ... definitely a new experience. Not a bad one, but just interesting! Javan is awesome at traveling, Ria needs some breaking in! She did great on the first half of both legs of the journey but once we stopped and got them out, she didn't want to get back in her seat. I should have packed ear plugs.
• Its easy to plan activities for the perfect trip, but the weather will always have the last say. Thanks Tornado Warning for the lovely crack in the windshields of both cars.
• Six kids ages 10mths to 7yrs = lots of noise, whining, laughing, screaming, crying and negotiating.
• Staying up late catching up on adult talk is fun ... until you realize that 6 kids waking at the crack of dawn is not!
• Don't really on the hubby to feed the kids breakfast when the Wii is on and you're trying to catch up on sleep.
• Finally watched The Blindside - LOVED it.
• Family time is always great, but hanging with your girl is definitely refreshing - mani/pedi, shopping, chatting, eating - can't beat it!
• Smelling the ocean, feeling the sand between my toes, watching the waves crash ... well worth the 10hr drive.
• Ria's first trip to the beach - memorable!
• Watching Javan run wild on the beach and get soaking wet - priceless!

Now on to a major photo overload ....

Javan had everything he needed and was ready to go!

Wii Time

Fun at the park on base

 

 

  

Of to the beach .... we went to Wrightsville Beach in Wilmington - the last time I had gone to Wilmington was on Spring Break my senior year! 

  

 It was impossible to get a decent photo of Javan ... he was SOOOOOOOOO excited that he would not stand still.  

If smiled any bigger his face might have cracked! 

 Miss Ria's first time on the beach ... twas love at first sight. 

 First taste of the sand 

  

J asked me not to put her in the water cos it was cold, so I sat her down on the sand and she made a mad dash toward the water. 

  

  

me and my girl 

 family pic 

  

  

 Alia 

 Ramon and Ishi 

 Shelly and her girls 

  BFF's

 I love me some beach! 

 this one cracks me up ... Ria and I have our own little thing going on and Javan is running wild in the background! 

 my hottie hubby 

 boys on a mission 

 javan showing ria the ropes 

  

 wave watching 

it got them GOOD! they were soaked! 

  

 Ana 

  

  

 so much fun! 

 the guys ... are they BFF's too??? lol! 

A little easter fun 

  

  

  

  

 We're ready for another trip to NC ... it was THAT much fun.
~Veryll

Debut

Ria made her 'movie' debut yesterday ... and I didnt even know until I got a facebook message from Clay! Ha! She was used in one of our promotional videos at work:

Ria's Video Debut


She needs an agent. Any takers? :)

Boot Scootin' Boogie

It's the last day of winter .... woo hoo!!! I am so happy Spring starts tomorrow (apparently it officially starts at 1:30pm but the first full official day of Spring is the 21st ... never knew there was a specific time for this!) I just hope this warm weather we are supposed to get this weekend isn't a tease. One thing I know for sure I will NOT be planting any flowers before April. We did that two years ago, twice in fact, and both times they froze.

Anyways since this is the second to last day of winter ... lets end it with a somewhat wintery post:) 

 

I found these boots on clearance at Walmart over the weekend. I never think to check their kids shoes and I am glad I did. Ria wore them on Sunday but she hated them. Too bad cos she WILL be wearing them next winter!

The following photo series is a little boot scootin' boogie she did while trying to get them off her feet (it wasnt too hard to do cos they are two size too big!)

 

She's a determined little one thats for sure!

 

Put that camera down and pls help me!!!

 

 aaaaa.....freedom!

 

~veryll