Trip to Georgia!

Roadtrip!!!

The kids and I packed up and went to visit my wonderful friend Larysa in Georgia!  I'm so glad I got over my fears and just went for it.  It turned out to be so great!

We left Dec. 21 in the morning.  It was a rainy, cozy day.  We listened to Ramona the Brave.  Sofie and Noah both fell asleep!   So it was extra quiet.  😊 

It's only a four hour drive.  We were 30 minutes from Larysa's house and everyone needed to go potty and we were all hungry.  So we stopped at McDonald's.  While we were ordering our food, Noah had a complete fit!  I didn't understand him and couldn't figure out why he was so upset.  It wasn't until after we received our food that I finally figured it out.  I asked Kira if she wanted ketchup with her nuggets.  And Noah said, "That's the word!!"  He couldn't remember the word ketchup and he wanted me to be sure to order some.  That's what he cried about for ten minutes!!  We got everyone fed and happy again.

It was a pretty drive, especially near Chattanooga.  We arrived at Larysa's and her 5 kids and my kids played and played.  Sofie and Abby spent a lot of time coloring this giant gingerbread house.

Larysa made delicious food the whole time we were there.  The first night we had nachos and later we had homemade hot chocolate with different marshmallows.  Here's all of the kids with the hot chocolate.

The first night was a little rough since Sofie and Noah slept in the car and the time moved forward an hour.  So it took a bit for everyone to get settled and fall asleep.    But the second night was better and we all slept soundly.

Dec. 22-

For breakfast, Larysa made delicious pancakes from Joanna Gaines Cookbook "Magnolia Table."  Everyone liked them.  

They had plenty of toys to play with and lots of stuffed animals.  Noah was in heaven!

Especially when he got to play with this Jeep!  No rain today.  The weather was great for some outdoor play.

Isak got to play some basketball.  I even hopped in and played.  Kayleigh and I were on a team against the three boys (Zach, Jake and Isak).  It was so much fun.  And Larysa's kids are GOOD!   I would just pass the ball to Kayleigh and she made the basket almost every time!!

Larysa taught me this fun game Azul.

More Jeep fun...

More coloring. :)

Larysa made sugar cookies.  The kids got to frost and sprinkle them...

Jake, Isak, Zach...Charlie and Kira are in the far back.

Abby...

Kayleigh...

We did a candy cane hunt.  Larysa and I hid 100 or so candy canes and the kids found them.  

Here's the amazing Larysa!  She knows how to take care of people and make them feel special.  I felt right at home being with her.  I enjoyed our conversations and time together.

Larysa's sprinkled cookies... :)

See what fun the kids had...a trampoline!  They had this little one inside and a big one outside.  

Dec. 23 - Thursday.

We packed and took one last picture...💙💜

Sweet Larysa gave each of us a stocking filled with gifts...snacks and activities for the drive home and little Cute Titos...stuffed animals in a blanket.  She gave me chocolates and a book and book clips.  So thoughtful. 

On the drive home, we listened to Ramona and Her Father.  We finished two audiobooks!  We ate at a gas station...hot dog, donuts and a muffin for the kids...I wasn't hungry and ate when we got home.  

One last thing about our trip.  Larysa has a dog named Trouble.   Noah is terrified of dogs.  He would cry whenever Trouble was in the same room as him!  We all patiently tried to show Noah how awesome Trouble is.  We didn't force him to pet him.  And thankfully, on the second day Noah decided to be okay with Trouble and stopped screaming whenever the dog came by him.  By the end of the trip, Noah was seeking out Trouble to pet him and be with him!!  Noah still talks about Trouble and how he wants a dog now.  😂😂 

And that's the end of our road trip.  So glad we went and made some great memories.