I'm Back, Baby!

Well, it's been a hectic couple of weeks, but I'm honestly astounded that it's been 2 whole weeks since my last post! Last Wednesday (July 29th), my 4 oldest kids flew back home accompanied by my parents. Granny and Papa - as the kids call them - came for a vacation with us. I had a moment of panic that afternoon as I glanced at the clock to notice that their plane was due to land in about 15 minutes, estimating that I would see them in about an hour. That's when I realized that my parents' usual routine of renting a car at the airport might not work this time because they had to bring 4 children instead of 2. Most rental cars only seat 5 total. Was I supposed to meet them at the airport? They didn't tell me. They also didn't tell me they were going to rent a bigger vehicle. Communication is not always our strong suit. I called Nick to ask him. I called my sister to ask her if they said anything to her about it. They didn't. I left a message on my dad's cell phone hoping he'd turn it on when they landed and call me. I called his phone about 30 times in the next 30 minutes. He never turned it on. Nick came home to see what I wanted to do, but he knew he wouldn't have much time to get to the airport and back before his evening set at OHOP. So, we waited. We waited so long that I figured they would have called if they needed us to pick some of them up. About half an hour after I estimated they would be here, they trickled into the house from the rental minivan. Everything worked out fine.

I was thrilled to see my 4 oldest, tan and tall and wearing new clothes. Bags, backpacks, shoes and toys were strewn from the doorway, through the dining area, and into the living room. Their little brothers and sister were greeted with hugs, kisses and gifts. I managed to squeeze them all in between the chaos.

The next day, even before lunch, we loaded up both minivans and Nick's car and headed for a rental house on the Gulf coast for the week. What a fun adventure we had! Who knew 11 people (and a big puppy) could be so comfortable in a 3 bedroom, 1 bath house with approximately 1500 sq. ft.? I will post pics and details later this week. Today, I have other priorities...
it's Rocky's 10th birthday! So, there is cake making, present wrapping, wii playing, movie watching, and joy having to be done!
Blessings to all of you!