What a difference a day makes!

It seems like it was just yesterday that Ricci and I went to the hospital to have our second baby! And in a few hours, my sweet Cricket will be eight! Where on earth does time go?!?

She has just recently gone through quite a growth spurt, and every morning she appears differently than when we said goodnight to her the evening before!

Cricket, we're so very proud of you and the young lady that you are becoming! We love you and hope you have a wonderful birthday!

An evening on the town...

As a small token of thanks for watching the girls while Ricci and I were away, we treated our friends, the Steves, to attend the symphony with us for the symphony's Heart of Romanticism performance, which featured the Brahms Symphony No. 4 paired with Dvorak’s Cello Concerto that some call “the grandest of all cello concertos.” It really was amazing!

It was a very fun evening, and it was so amazing to watch the children as they watched the musicians. The evening was fun, and I have to say that watching the guest cellist was helpful in making the evening memorable. Let's just say that he looked a tad-bit like Fabio and was very enthusiastic with his playing that cello...amazing talent...and if I had that talent, then perhaps I would behave the same...still he is/was 'worth writing home about'!

After the symphony, Ricci took us to Rembrandt's for a late-night coffee and treat...hmmm! These days are sooo much fun! To quote Aunt Katherine, "Isn't life so much fun and worth living?!?"

And today we had the pleasure of witnessing a special marriage between two very special people. Now...as a wedding coordinator for almost ten years, I have to say that I've witnessed many'a'marriage (and they all do start to blend together), but this one was all-the-more special, and I had to fight back the tears when both fathers stood up and prayed for the couple! Oh...to see the evidence of this covenantal family being extended! What a special weekend!

Fillin' up on my Family Tank

I talk to Mom and Jen multiple times a day, and at times it does seem like they're right down the road (or at least I like to pretend!), so when we realized that all of our hubbies were either out of town or REALLY busy, I decided to take a jaunt down there...on a whim!

I'm one that will actually plan to be spontaneous, so already this trip was unlike me! But...it was so much fun! And I wanted the opportunity to spend some time with Jen before they move. Ricci's been super-duper busy, and we knew he wouldn't be at home many nights this week; Daddy was out of town on a business trip, and with Nate deployed...we had the perfect makin's for a girls' trip!! We grabbed some essentials (Cricket was sure to grab her Clifford tent), packed the car and took off! Shockingly, we got out the door early!

Okay...I dislike gadgets, but I think I'm ready to cave on getting a GPS thing in the car. We planned to stop and have lunch with Uncle Charles in Dothan, but since it was a spur of the moment trip, he was on his way to the state capital...he's the mayor, ya know! So we decided to take our time and stop when we felt like it, so of course we had to stop at the Summit in B'ham; then Cricket rallied us together for a run to Cracker Barrel, and.... this just shows you how relaxed I was...the girls said they saw one to the left, so I turned to follow their directions! Someone has since told me it's there, but we didn't see it! So we drove on...until we were so lost that even I couldn't find my way out of this gorgeous subdivision! So I called Ricci at his office, who turned on a tracking device on my cell phone, told me to turn this way/that way/and boom...we were back on the Interstate! Scary, huh?!? But hey...it worked!

We found our usual Cracker Barrel near K-ren's house, had a fun lunch and then got back on the road! Of course, Ricci called us immediately after we drove past exit 205 and said, "So you didn't want to go to the Peach Park without me?" Again...scary!!! He even told me where we were parked at Cracker Barrel! Whew...today's technology! Can't live with it; can't live without it!

Once we got to Jen's, Mimi was there, and she grilled us an amazing dinner...I can't remember what kind of fish, but hmmm...it was good! We stayed with her for a couple of nights and then moved over to Mimi's and stayed with her. (Although, Annie had already learned that life was sweeter at Mimi's...as an only grandchild! She and Mimi enjoyed some early morning chat/play time together...thanks, Mimi, she loved every second of it!)

One morning the girls went to Story Hour at the library with Drewby and Sarey...clearly you can tell that Lovey and Sarey got into the "Princess" theme of the day. Drewby and Cricket were havin' nothin' to do with it! AngelWings just enjoyed helping take care of baby Quinny!

And one afternoon we went bowling, which was Cricket's and Lovey's first trip to the bowling alley...lots of fun was had by all! Poor Drewby; he's sooo out-numbered by girls!

Early one morning, Lovey and I were the only ones awake, so we sneaked outside in our jammies, got in the car, and went to the donut shop that's been there for as long as I can remember...more than 30 years! Hmmm...the donuts are still just as good! I had forgotten about the traffic being as thick as it is right there, so I strategically placed the car so that we could get out in our jammies and check out our options...again, hmmm! We each picked out a donut and some more to take back to the others and then headed on down to the park down near Giuseppis and Chip's house (like my description? I can't remember it's name) The seagulls enjoyed our being there!

I love making memories with each of the girls!

One day Mom and I took the two middles out to lunch at the Crab Trap...the girls' lunches came served in two, cute little pails with shovels...the perfect conditions for making sandcastles!

Oh! These two had so much fun! They were both in their own worlds! And Mimi and I had fun watching them!

Tinkerbell...having so much fun!

Killing time until we met up with everyone else, we rode the trolley through the Destin Commons...after a little stop at Starbucks and some shopping through Williams~Sonoma, of course!

What can be more fun than riding on a trolley?!?

A little run through Publix with my two sleeping babies...had to get some extras for our picnic at the outdoor movie night at Baytowne! We met up with Jen and the rest of the kiddos and also Greg and MaryAnn & Co. Bad news...Sharon was working that evening! Good news...she was working at the Starbucks right beside us! Trust me...we kept visiting her!

The movie we were there to see? What movie? We were practically the only ones there, and the kids had so much fun running around; Greg was spotted going in this and that "restaurant" (still have no idea what he was doing!); the kids kept going down to drive the miniature boats; us gals kept chatting; it was all fun and games until Cricket went downhill...quickly! No one could console her, and Greg was so sweet to take care of her and help us all get back to our cars...by the time we exchanged kids, cars, etc. and got home to Mimi's, sweet Cricket was running quite a fever! Ughh! So that night I barely slept (kept checking on her...in her Clifford tent, of course!) and got up early the next morning to "make a beeline for home" as Ricci told me to do! So Meems helped us get all packed up again and set up to head home. Of course, I think I had to stop more this trip than when they were eensy-teensy; I had to stop to get drinks to keep me awake, Tylenol/ibuprofen for Cricket, snacks, etc.! And of course a super-duper fast run inside the winery...I have friends with expectations, ya know!

We moved peeps around in the car a little....we set up the blankets and such next to Cricket so that she could rest on the way home; Lovey was excited to be moved up a seat; and AngelWings was thrilled when we said she could ride up front...for the first time ever!

What a help this gal was...sitting up front like a grown-up! As we got closer and closer to the interstate in LA (lower Alabama), I cautiously stayed at my lower-than-normal 55mph, came down a hill, and boom! I was the only one on the road, so I knew that the cop (urgh...makes me mad to even type it!) hiding behind the broken down, yella schoolbus was after ME! Of all the nerve to give a momma with a sick baby a ticket for going 59 (I was going down a hill...come'on!) in a 40mph area...WHAT?!? I NEVER saw a 40mph sign! Urghhh! That blows my "never gotten a ticket"! As soon as I pulled away from the rude putz, I cried like a little girl! Then I called Ricci and asked him what would happen if I got another one on the way home! I was still at the bottom of AL...and had to drive all the way to the top! Cops were everywhere that day! I still haven't heard why!

Yes, AngelWings was ever so helpful when I had to pull out my license and registration...and all of the other million things she helped me do to get us back home safely! Thanks, MaeMae!

It was nice to be back at home; and Ricci was waiting for us when we got back home; we got Cricket all settled in, told Daddy about our trip (as if we didn't call him every second giving him the blow-by-blow!), and whew...we were back at home again!