A Surprise Visit!

On Friday morning, Daddy and the girls and I loaded up for a short trip to Alabama.  We had a couple of accomplices who were in the know, but our visit was a complete surprise to Aunt GG.

We arrived at her house mid-afternoon and parked on the side, out of sight of her back door.  Daddy and I hid around the corner while we sent the girls to knock on her door.  You should have heard the squeals!

GG didn't know to expect us, but she somehow color-coordinated with the girlies.  Here the three of them are, snuggling in the den...

Uncle Tommy and Aunt Janet (our primary accomplices) arrived shortly after we did.

And then Granddaddy and Emme stopped by for a few minutes, too.

The girls entertained the crowd with a footwear fashion show...

After everyone left, the girls enjoyed some time in the gazebo with Aunt GG, while Daddy went to pick up a pizza...another big treat!

Much to GG's chagrin, we headed to a hotel to spend the night.  (The girls still sleep in cribs at home, and it's much more comfortable for us to sleep in the same room with them when we're depending on them to sleep in "big girl beds".)  The girls were TICKLED to pull their new suitcases for the first time.

We headed back to GG's on Saturday morning for a huge breakfast.  (The smell of bacon and eggs hit me as I walked into her house...taking me right back to when I was not much older than the girls!)  After breakfast we went for a nice walk, and then headed to meet my BFF and her baby girl, who turned two in April.

We met at the McWane Center in downtown Birmingham for the first of what I hope are many, many play dates.

Of the 1,000 or so pictures I took (not quite literally), I only caught a few of all three girls.  There was so much to see and do, they weren't still long enough!

Here everyone is, at what was probably our girls' favorite station...

And digging for dinosaur bones was another hit with the crowd...

I love this picture of B, perched atop the pirate ship, peering through the telescope.

And the look on Hubby's face as he scaled the pulley system with B is just priceless, too.

After lots of morning fun, it was time for lunch.  We stuffed ourselves at the Mellow Mushroom.  Finally, bellies full, I got a picture of all three girlies!

And one of the five of us, to boot.  Three of five smiling, and four of five looking at the camera...I'll take it!

Can we just go ahead and sign A and B up to be BFFs with Miss A already???

It was a bit of a whirlwind, as usual, but we had a truly fantastic time in Sweet Home Alabama, surrounded by many of our favorite family and friends.  And that's what it's all about!