Monday, we started off the week by playing with Miss Amanda, Liam and Elliot. They are our friends from Tuscaloosa but currently live overseas to be workers. It is always so much fun to play with them each year when they come back to visit.
Jaden had baseball practice that night. This team is so good!
Here, Cora is slipping him some chicken through the backstop!
Tuesday morning we made blueberry pancakes!
Brody and Levi came to play for a couple of hours. They all have the best time together. Cora just tags right along with them!
We had a fun afternoon just being at home in the sunshine!
We made homemade pizzas for supper! This guy can cook a pizza on an egg!
Summer Snow for dessert!!
Thursday, we went to Papa Joe's farm!
They loved riding the tractor, tilling up the land.
This is where I grew up. I love coming here on random days and just soaking it all in again.
Jaden took the last picture!
Papa Joe and the boys hauled a load of corn to Moundville and we watched the auger take it up and drop it in the silo.
Papa Joe just hated having these kids around today! ;)
They had the best time exploring everything!
After all of our hard work, we met Nana at Summer Snow for a treat!
Then, we headed off to Chaganoona! (That's what the kids called it.)
Supper, of course, was at Stickey Fingers. Brad cannot go by there without stopping to eat!
We stayed the night IN a rail car! It was so much fun! And more roomy than you'd think.
It was about 9:00 when we got there, but there was so much to see, we couldn't go to bed yet!
We had to go out and explore a little.
Finally at 10:45, they shut all the lights off and we had to go to bed.
A special Friday morning treat. CARTOONS!
We ate breakfast at the Maple Street Biscuit Company. Now I'm not a big biscuit lover, but these were some good biscuits and their home made jelly in the middle! YUM! We started our day off right, with great food and warm sunshine!
After breakfast, we went to the Aquarium. Cora LOVED it!
They're good sports for me with all my picture taking.
This is my favorite picture, with the shark in the back!
I wonder what she's thinking. There's a lot to take in here!
The boys love to look at jellyfish.
Anders face!!
This was a cool little bubble we could lay in and see all around us!
Piranha, Alligators and Jellyfish!
Biggest turtle shell ever!
After a failed attempt at naps, we hit Build A Bear!
They had the best time here! Custom made Darth Vader, Chewbacca and a Pink Bear.
Cora didn't want a princess dress for her bear. She wanted balloons!
Pizza (from Gondolier Pizza. Like the best pizza. Really.) and Movie Night in the room! We were whooped!
Cora and Daddy were watching the basketball game, while the boys and I watched Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
Sleepy heads!
Today we get to RIDE ON A TRAIN!! I was so excited!!
We let the boys pick our seats. Then the conductor came and punched our tickets, just like on The Polar Express!
In the dark tunnel!
It was dug by hand in 1858! It look them 2 years to dig it.
(Dynamite wasn't invented until 1867. Just a little history lesson for ya!)
This was the coolest thing to me. The kids really loved it too, but I REALLY loved it!
The Engine was on the turntable. So cool.
Anders grabbed the DO NOT TOUCH SAFETY ROPE, right as I took the picture.
Where's that kid's parents...
While we were walking back to the train, we stopped at the Blacksmith shop and watched them make a nail. We didn't know that's what they were making, until he handed it to Jaden! That was the most magical moment on the whole trip!
Before we left, we had to check out all of the trains.
Steak N Shake for lunch!
After a successful 2 hour nap, we headed to Coolidge Park!
There was so much to do here, we didn't have time to do it all.
This carousel was hand carved in 1894. The details were amazing!
Anders took over my Pura Vida strawberry, blueberry, beet and coconut water smoothie. I may not ever tell him what was in it. He said he would drink it if I made it at home. We'll see...
Climbing little monkeys!
Such Naturals...
Their favorite part of our trip was probably throwing rocks in the river!
A little music fun, before we go eat!
We ate supper at Bluewater Grille. We'd had our share of BarBQ, hamburgers and pizza. We wanted to try something a little different. This place was fabulous!
This is Hazelnut Goat Cheese Mahi. YUM. I have this masterpiece in front of me, and Jaden tells me I "HAVE to try the RANCH! It's the best I've ever eaten! Except at Nana's house. She makes the best, but this is SO good!" I did try it, and it was pretty darn good!!
Cora ended up eating her share of pasta and then the rest of my supper!
As long as she's willing to try different foods, she can have all she wants!
We ended our trip with a visit to Ben and Jerry's! Chocolate, Sweet Cream and Cookies (x2) and The Tonight Dough were our choices.
They approved!
We had a great Spring Break! The weather was perfect and attitudes weren't too bad! Days at home are just as much needed as a little getaway. We loved our time together this week! :)
