Apparently, we weren’t the only ones with the idea.

Even though we had a picnic lunch before venturing inside the farm,

we couldn’t resist stopping by the concession stand and waiting in line for a homemade apple pie, popcorn, and blue icee.

With full bellies, we searched high and low for the perfect pumpkin.

We searched and searched and almost found the perfect pumpkin, until we were distracted by laughter from the nearby hay ride. A hay ride that had a line that put the concession stand line to shame.

We waited. And waited. And when it was our turn, we rode. And rode. And rode. I didn’t think we would ever make it back. But when we did, we said goodbye without mentioning the fact that we had yet to pick out a pumpkin.

After all, we drove an hour and half up north for the homemade apple pies, not the pumpkins. And plus, we had to rest up for  cheerleading on Sunday. Sunday was picture day for the “pinks”. The backdrop reminded me of something that would be hanging in a Sears portrait studio.

After cheerleading, we headed to a friends house to eat smoked BBQ and ribs.

The meal was almost enough to convince me to buy G a Big Green Egg for Christmas. It was every bit as good as it looked. Party manners prohibited me for going back for seconds and thirds.

Unfortunately, party manners did not prohibit MR from picking the pumpkin that our sweet friends were growing in their garden. I guess she hadn’t come to terms with the fact that we left empty handed at Burt’s…

When it came down to allotting time to either a) blog or b) hit the gym, I quickly decided to choose the lesser of the two evils. After all, blogging can be done on the couch (bra-less) with a cup of coffee in hand…

One of my favorite things about vacation is taking pictures of the kids wearing matching outfits eating out. We have so many places that we like to dine at in Fernandina, but Sliders is one of our favorites. Not so much for the food, but for the atmosphere, proximity to the beach, and the playground. No matter how hot it is, MR always insists that we sit outside so that she can play on the playground while we wait for our food.

I never argue with her request becuase the playground means more free time for mama. And more free time for mama means time to enjoy an adult beverage…

Time to look through the menu…

And time to take countless pictures of G,

MR,

and Huttie…

Supper is almost always followed by a meltdown as MR is never ready to go. We regroup by offering up a series of bribes and threats in an attempt to capture a picture of the kids. After 200+ pictures, we settle on this one.

And this one in which I promised the kids that we would build a pool in the backyard if they would stop fussing long enough to look at the camera and smile.

Garrett and I have a tendency to limit our weekend activity so that we can enjoy a full 24 hours of “pajama day”. This was not the case this past weekend.  We packed the weekend so full of activity, that we may need another weekend just to recover…

Friday: Friday night was spent eating Mexican with one of our favorite couples, Jamie and Ryan. MR adores their two girls and since they are all relatively close in age, they play wonderfully together. After dinner, we headed to Jamie and Ryan’s for drinks. The kids played while the grownups took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about the good ole days at UGA. Four hours later, the littlest of the group let it be known that it was time to call it a night.

Saturday: Saturday morning I got to meet up with Jamie again at a Bloom Childrens trunk show. The spring line is absolutely fantastic! After much debate about what to buy, I walked away with a precious new smocked bathing suit for MR. If only swimsuit shopping could be so fun and easy for adults! Later that day, I headed to Little Five Points for a photography class. While I didn’t get a whole lot out of the class, I did learn one thing…if you ever want to experience life out side of suburbia, head to Little Five Points. There, you’ll  find an eclectic mix of tattoos, piercings, fashions, and cultures. Right in the midst of it all, was yours truly; sporting a Lilly Pulitzer oxford, mom jeans, and a pair of Tory Burch flats.

The remainder of Saturday was spent outdoors, enjoying perfect weather. Once the kids went to bed, G fired up the grill for steaks. In typical suburbia fashion, I sat by the firepit, as I caught up on the latest edition of Southern Living In Touch magazine.

Sunday: On Sunday, we geared up for dinner with our neighbors Mitch and Velvet and John and Lori. Neither couple has kids, so MR and Huttie were prepped to be on their absolute best behavior. To say that it appeared that we (as a family) had never been out to a nice dinner would be a huge understatement. Upon arrival, Huttie had a serious blowout up his back, causing G to have to run back home to give him his second bath of the day. Shortly after his return, I sat on the tablecloth (twice), causing water to spill everywhere. Just as we got it cleaned up, MR had a spill of her own. While MR and I were on a “do not move, drink-restriction”, Huttie  found it necessary to test his vocal cords. Never before has our sweet, mild mannered boy been that loud. Despite it all, we were able to laugh and enjoy our time together. We were also invited back for round two next month at John and Lori’s house!

Monday (President’s Day): Monday was a holiday for G and with the busy weekend behind us, it became a day of relaxing and running errands (a semi pajama day). While we caught up on some things around the house, MR headed out with Aunt B to watch Nomio and Juliet at the movie theater. The outing marked MR’s first trip to the theater and her first time seeing a movie in 3D. Since I am way to ADD to sit through an entire movie, I’m hoping Aunt B will be kind enough to continue this tradition for me.

I’m also hoping for a few rounds of  “24 hour pajamas” in the days to come. MR is spending the next few days in Athens with her Gran C and Big Daddy, so Huttie Cat and I plan to take it easy until her return.

a two and half hour drive down south with a little girl who talked non stop and a little boy who giggled every time we hit a bump,

a rehearsal dinner,

a bridesmaid luncheon on Saturday morning full of all things southern,

and two sleepless nights in a hotel full of young, loud twenty somethings.

There were plenty of reminders to be quiet,

but even more reminders of the importance of family.

Thank God for baby holders,

for three sweet cousins who held hands as they walked down the aisle,

for a kid friendly dance floor,

for beautiful weather,

for children who behaved despite late nights, zero naps, and loads of activity,

and for being able to share in “Ms Lyndsey and Uncle Chase’s” special day!