VACATION! (part one)

Day 1 (Friday, July 2nd):  This day was our travel day.  Well, it was suppose to be our travel day.  Turns out my pathfinder was STILL in the shop.  We were told we would have it by 1:00.  I spent the morning packing up and preparing for our trip.  I finally heard from the guy at the body shop around 2:00.  He said it would be ready around 4:30.  Then he called me right back and said that an airbag indicator light had popped up and they were going to try and clear it out, but if they couldn't then they would have to send it to Nissan and that would mean the car wouldn't be ready until Monday (at least).  HOW MUCH MORE INCONVENIENT CAN THIS GET?!?  He said that he would call back in an hour to let me know if they could clear the light.  I decided to use this time to have a quick visit with our family friends David and Becky Perry.  (I pray for David to feel love and peace.  I have thought of him constantly throughout this trip.)  While E and I were over there, the body shop called to tell me that they were going to have to send the car to Nissan.  So, the decision was made that we would rent a car to make the trip home to Alabama. 
Etta and I went by the house to get Keith and we all went up to the body shop (which, conveniently, has a Hertz Rental in it).  The body shop offered to pay for a compact rental until Monday and anything above that (upgrade, longer rental period) we would be responsible for.  We rented a minivan.  I was secretly excited about having this thing for the road trip.  Especially since Keith was still asking me as we left there if I was sure we didn't just want to make the trip in the sentra to save the money.  Seriously?!?!?!  The SENTRA!  The three of us, a dog, and ALL OF OUR CRAP.  Keith was CONVINCED we could (and should) do it.  I could only imagine how cramped we would be for that long drive.  So, minivan it is!! 

We went home in Friday rush hour (make that Friday rush hour on a holiday weekend) and loaded up the minivan and FINALLY got on the road around 6:00.  Etta was tired/cranky/fussy/whatever and she SCREAMED for probably an hour before she finally passed out.  We stopped at one point to switch drivers, get a late dinner at a McDonalds.  I let Etta play in the playplace while we waited for our food.  Then, when we piled back into the minivan, I fed her a cheeseburger while sitting in the seat next to her.  After her (second) dinner, and since I was now sitting next to her, she was quite content.  She stayed awake for awhile, but was quiet, eventually falling asleep about an hour before we arrived in Headland.  I think we pulled in the carport at about 12:40am.  The whole house was asleep.  Except Kimi.  We said a quick hello to her and we (Keith) just unloaded the essentials, I changed E into her jammies and then turned out the lights and she went right to sleep in the pack-n-play.  Keith went to bed too.  I needed a shower. I finally got in bed a little before 2:00am

p.s. I LOVE the minivan...  I never wanted a minivan before... but I love that thing *sigh*

Day 2 (Saturday, July 3rd): Etta got me up around 5:45, but I just changed her diaper, gave her a binkie, and put her back in her port-a-crib and she went back to sleep until 7:45 when she (and now I) was up for the day.  My mom was the first to get up and scoop Etta up.  No one cares about poor me anymore, it's all about Etta!  haha!  :)  Etta pushed her little stroller around and around the house.  Soon, Aunts Tammie and Jeanne were up and they got some Etta snuggles in, then Pops was up and he got some Grandfather "snorty kisses" in.  Then E had breakfast, the rest of the crowd got up (Etta and I had to wake Keith up at 10) and we sat down for brunch.  The brunch crowd included: mom, pops, kimi, tammie, jeanne, my cousin nick, nick's girlfriend nicole (I'm not kidding), my nana, and the three of us.  After food, we hung around outside for a while.  Kimi showed me her rented Prius (her car was just wrecked last week when she loaned it out) and I showed her my rented Town and Country.  :D Then, Etta went down for a nap and the rest of us got in the pool!  Etta napped for nearly three hours!  THREE!!!  After her nap, she had a snack and then Keith took her swimming.  She practiced jumping into the pool and actually did it twice (well, kinda.. I have some video... coming soon).  The whole afternoon was spent poolside. 

Then E had a bath, had dinner, and went to bed around 8:00.  We all showered, ate our own dinner ("every man for himself"), watched a little James Bond on CBS, and then one by one people disappeared to their beds.  I seem to be the last one up typing this out.  I should also go to bed, my eyes are beginning to cross. 

Day 3 (Sunday, July 4, 2010):  HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!  Today was another day of hanging out.  :)  We mostly just lounged by the pool and Etta had a red popsicle (which promptly ruined her yellow swimsuit). 

When E went down for her nap, Kimi and Mom and I went to an Antique Mall in Dothan.  We had fun wandering around and I got really inspired to try my hand at some cute children's art. That night, Kimi and Momma and I watched Twilight.  Mom actually liked it! 

Day 4 (Monday, July 5, 2010):  This morning Rae and Will came over for a visit!!  I had not seen Rae since... well... I guess since last August!  It was SO great to see her and fill up my little Rae battery.

Will was dying to get in the pool as soon as he saw it, so Rae let him swim (after she found that she had all of his swim stuff in the car)!  Etta and Keith got in on the action too.  E didn't actually stay in the pool long because it's a little cool before 10 in the morning. 

They had a quick bite to eat with us and then had to get on the road back to Auburn to meet a repair man.  Etta took a THREE HOUR nap.  Kimi left  for Destin soon after E woke up, and Nana and I went on a shopping trip to Fred's while Keith and Etta went swimming/played in the rain. 

We went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner and Etta ate about half of a basket of tortilla chips and then half of her burrito and half of her rice/beans.  This girl LOVES Mexican food.  She's obviously ours,  ;)

After dinner, mom and I took Nana back to her house in Dothan and then we went on a search for the second Twilight movie, New Moon.  We found it at Wal-Mart, but by the time we got back home that night we were both too tired to watch it.

Day 5 (Tuesday, July 6, 2010): VERY lazy day.  Mom and I spent ALL morning watching New Moon.  I mean, ALL MORNING!  haha... We had a lot of distractions and pushed the pause button a *few* times. 

Etta and Keith went swimming in the morning.  Then she took another THREE HOUR NAP.  After her nap (and after our movie), Mom did some chores around the house, and Etta and I played on the porch while it rained.  Then, around E's dinner time, Mom and I went to see the third Twilight movie, Eclipse.  When it was over, she said, "okay, I'm hooked.  I need to read the fourth book so I can know what happens."  I ended up telling her most of the plot of that book on the drive home. 

Day 6 (Wednesday, July 7, 2010): ......



VACATION! (part two) coming soon!