We were thrilled to welcome Nana to our home today - it was so wonderful to have her here. Both Lyla and Cade were so happy to visit with her and play with her all afternoon. 

We can't help but be amazed at her continued strength and overall happiness…it's hard to believe she is in her 90s….she still looks like the picture of good health I've known her to be all my life. I keep preparing myself for that to change each time I see her, but I'm always so happy to see that she's exactly as she's always been. 

Lyla was particularly fond of Nana - everyone is, of course. But, there was something special about how bonded she is to her. It's as if she's a little bit overcome by Nana - as if she's magical somehow. At one point, I noticed she hid beneath Nana's chair… just trying to get her attention. 

Everyone (even Cade) loves getting a look at pictures. 

And, of course, we were thrilled to see Aunt Sue and Sue Beth. I don't know how I missed getting a picture of Sue Beth, but here is Lyla snuggling with Aunt Sue. Lyla was so pleased to get a new book from her today.

It was so sweet when Lyla brought her toys down from playing in her room with Sue Beth to show Nana. They played together on the couch: 

What a wonderful visit with one of the most spectacular human beings I've ever know. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude that she made it all the way here to see us. 

We love you, Nana! And, special thanks to Mom, Aunt Sue, and Sue Beth for helping facilitate the visit.

Chronicles of PCB 2013

Well, our first Family of 4 vacation was not the smoothest, but it was a tremendous bonding experience for the 4 of us. 

The night before we left for the Beach, I became sick with vomiting and diarrhea, and Lyla also had a bout with vomiting around 4 a.m. She was crying when Mimi and I went into her room to check on her: "I want to go to the Beach!" Poor kid - she thought our trip was going to be cancelled because she was sick. 

Mom was here helping me get things ready while Lance worked his last shift before we were supposed to leave around 5 p.m. It was an excruciating day - I felt awful, and there's no way we could have gotten packed if it wasn't for Mom. 

It was a tremendously rough ride there - Lance became sick, and Lyla and I vomited in the car en route. We were unable to make the first planned leg of the trip to Birmingham, instead staying just outside of Nashville after a vomiting episode in the car from Lyla. But…we pressed on the next day and we made it. Lance was a diligent, committed Daddy - he was determined to get us to Florida and drove the entire way. 

Here, Lance is putting Lyla's freshly washed carseat back in the car after we arrived in Florida. Needless to say, pictures of our trip didn't start until the second day as we were all so ill. We improved quickly, though, and we were ultimately able to enjoy our vacation together. 

Here are a few pics of our favorite parts of the trip: 

We spent an evening visiting Pier Park - the perfect Beach Vacation place for kids, complete with seemingly antiquated rides. Lyla & I rode the ferris wheel, both kids enjoyed the carousel and Lyla & Cade loved riding these little cars together.

We also enjoyed taking  a little "Whoo Whoo" ride around the park in the train: 

Note Cade's black eye on the left here - our condo was adorned with several glass top tables, coffee tables, etc. By the end of our first evening there, he rammed his face into the dining table, resulting in this black eye. Needless to say, we had to make a few adjustments (and hide a few tables in the closet) to avoid more injuries. 

One of the highlights of the trip was "sand crabbing" at night. Lyla absolutely loved using her flashlight to try and find crabs in the sand as soon as the sun went down. Both kids did a great job of hanging in there with missed bedtimes and lack of routine. Of course there were a few fits here and there, but all in all, they really enjoyed the overall experience: 

One of the "lowlights" of this trip was a pirate ship tour. The ship was hot, the kids were running rampant, and none of us had the greatest time, as you can see in the following pictures. We were pretty happy to make it back to dry land. Needless to say, not sure we'll be doing that again any time soon. 

The kids loved it when we made (eggless) ice cream for them in the condo, and they got to eat it with an ocean view. This is one of my favorites: 

We did a lot of "sanding" in the evenings after the sun went down. The kiddos enjoyed going downstairs and playing in the ocean and sand when it was a little cooler outside. I think this is Lyla's most beloved vacation activity. 

Sweet "Love Bug": 

Our sweet girl: 

Lyla and Cade loved eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch (a cereal Mommy would NEVER buy at home) every morning while watching Max & Ruby. When we got home, Lyla asked, "Mommy, where's that cereal we ate at the Beach?" Ummm….

And, I love how Lyla discovered her reflection here: 

Another trip highlight was visiting Gulf World, a local "zoo" for sea animals including sting rays and dolphins. Cade enjoyed watching the sharks and turtles: 

The best part of the afternoon was watching a dolphin show: 

I think it's funny that no matter what wonderful experiences you give a three year old, they always come back to the toys and games that are the very simplest and most beloved. Lyla wanted to "play people" on the deck with Mommy & Daddy: 

Another "sanding" evening: 

We were able to get some family pics on the beach:  

What a first vacation! I

I love how our little family pulled it together to make it happen. That's my favorite memory of the entire trip.