where was i?

Oh, yeah.

In the midst of renovation and in need of rejuvenation.  So off we went to Loozy-anna for a week.  Sometimes a girl just needs to touch home.  Sometimes her home needs to touch her children. 

It was a short visit.  A flurry of days spent with various friends and family, but true quality time without schedules to follow or other places to be.  The best kind of visit.  Thanks to my grandparents, my aunts and uncles who welcomed us so openly and most of all to Davis's godmother Emily, who greeted us at Mom's house the night we arrived with a hot meal and a helping hand.  A godsend to be sure. 

The boys had a blast!  They spent good playtime with cousins that they don't often see and spent some time getting to know aunts and uncles they hear about but don't know very well.  Peter learned (again) that going to Granny's results in tractor rides and getting all the cookies he wants.  Going to Aunt Myra's necessitates a stealth mission to find the candy stash.  Alas, even without candy he got his choice of cupcake, cake or petit four.  He asked me to leave him there, and I think it's because he knew he could eat all the Hershey kisses he wanted if I was gone!  I just laugh because I remember how much I loved going those very places for those same reasons, among many others.  As long as they are the ones saying yes, I just grin and nod.  As I confessed to my aunt, I can't stock that stuff at home because I'd eat it all.  They may as well enjoy it while we're on vacation.  Just like I did right alongside my boys...

My granny with my boys. 

Sweet Elizabeth -- as we left her house Peter said, "I love Elizabeth." Who can blame him?!

Davis Blue Eyes

Did I mention that he met his match?

I wanna go too!

The trip back to Nashville is noteworthy; I drove the entire way home instead of sleeping over in Birmingham.  I stopped more than usual because I needed more caffeine than usual.  11 hours on the road, 667 miles in one day.  I was in mile 638 before I heard the first whimpers of complaint from the backseat.  Whatever I did to deserve that, I wish I could bottle it. 

I, on the other hand, could do without ever hearing the audio version of the Berenstain Bears ever, ever, ever again.