Last and Final Batch from Bama Trip :)

 Well, I still have a TON of photos from our trip to Bama, but I'm just going to put the rest of them up on our SmugMug site when I get the chance. There's just too many!! 

 Our friends', Chris & Laura, were so sweet to meet up with us for a little play date at this park. Joss was in slide-heaven. There were big slides, little slides, curvy slides, bump slides, so many fun things to play on. We'll definitely have to go back there. 

 It was sooo cold this day, so we couldn't stay out here once the sun started going down. Then we took the fun to a Burger King playground indoors, which was also a big hit. I'm pretty sure this was one of the times Joss said "I like living with CC!!" :) 

 We finally got to spend some more time with AUNT BEV this week too. She came up mid week and played hooky from work, and then she came back on the weekend (thanks for all the extra running)! LOL--Emit loved these little glasses :) 

 Sometimes it is so hard for me to get out and be away from the boys. Down here I really don't have anyone other than Dallas that I leave them with. Every now and then we go out to dinner after they are in bed or something like that, but I get really, REALLY nervous when I leave them with someone. I feel very safe leaving them with my folks for sure, but when I'm away from them I also get this huge sense of guilt from being away like I'm missing out on something new they are doing or something they are experiencing for the first time. 

 I remember sitting in a coffee shop on one of the last days of my trip (letting my mom and dad play with the boys on their own for a bit) and just feeling completely lost sitting in there all by myself. Don't get me wrong I felt revived and ready to go another 10 rounds, but it was weird. I am totally exhausted most days after chasing them around all day and trying to keep things in order and peaceful, but it is a part of me now. I'm a MOM. I'm THEIR mom. And I LOVE it!!!! And I don't want to miss a second or try to speed it up one bit because it's already flying by so quickly. 

 Both of the boys really started enjoying the fireplace by the end of the trip (once they got over being a little freaked out by it, I think). Emit always wanted to come and sit by me when I was near it. But he didn't want to sit in my lap...he wanted to sit beside me. I'm sure it is because he could feel the warmth much better that way, and it made him feel like a big boy. They learned how to stick their hands out toward the fire (not close enough to touch it) to warm their fingers. It became a little game. Emit's saying his version of "Cheez" in this shot below. 

 CC came home from work on this day READY to play :)

 Playing hide and seek with Bev!

 Notice they boys have upgraded their jackets!? Joss now has the little camo one and Emit inherited the Tigger one. Joss needed a bigger size and something a bit warmer. Emit's now adds a nice extra layer. 

 He was having a ton of fun rolling in the leaves :) 

 We invited my cousins' kids to get off the school bus and come play a bit this afternoon. Joss thought them riding the bus was SO cool! When they left to go home he asked them if they were going to get in the bus. My parent's house is right around the corner from my old school, so they get to see a line of buses every afternoon coming and going to the school. 

 I just love this picture of Joss below. His adoring look at Dalton is priceless. Dalton is the oldest, and in everyone's mind the COOLEST dude around. Joss had been waiting all day for them to get here to play with him. 

 I just LOVE this shot of Emit below. It was actually just me being silly. I was holding him and I held the camera out in front of us and snapped a shot. Bev and I were laughing and saying maybe I should just point and shoot more often, without looking :) 

 When we all turned in to popsicles outside Bev treated all the kids to face painting (she recently graduated from Clown College--for real--in case you hadn't heard). Joss didn't quite sit still very well, but she still got a good bit on him. He wanted to be a Green Cat (no idea why... that's what he chose)!

 All the kiddos and their faces :) Don't you just love Emit's little Baby Clown face (pacy and all). 

 Bev and Kevin got Joss an extension set of train tracks and some new trains for his b-day (he got to open it early). He thoroughly enjoyed playing with these with everyone. This particular night he got to stay up extra late and played so nicely with CC. I have a picture of my dad on this night sleeping with Hippo next to him on the floor. When Joss was getting ready to go to bed he went over to retrieve Hippo and my dad moved a bit with a bit of a snore/growl kind of thing right when Joss was reaching for Hippo. LOL--Liked to scare my poor baby to death. He jumped back a bit and then dashed in real quick to rescue Hippo from Poppy and jumped back to the safe zone :) My mom and I were about to die laughing. Joss was okay once he realized Poppy wasn't "gonna get 'im!" 

 Our last day together was Bev's birthday, which was also the day we did our big Thanksgiving meal. The food was amazing (as always), Auburn won the SEC Championship (WAR EAGLE), and we all had a wonderfully relaxing weekend. It's always a bitter sweet time though right there at the end of the trip. And stressful on me to get all my bags packed and squeeze in every little thing I can (in 50 lbs a bag)...UGH! I want one of Hermione's little hand bags (any Harry Potter fans out there?). Or like Bev said, if you're wishing for magic just wish for the ability to 'apparate' and traveling would be a cinch :) 

Mom, Dad, Bev & Kevin....thank you once again for a wonderful visit! We had a great time and wish we could come and go whenever we wanted to. Thank you for helping us get over there. Can't wait till next time!

Love you guys!!!!!