Sweet Home Alabama

We made our annual pre-Christmas visit to Sweet Home Alabama last week.

We had a low-key afternoon at Dad's house on Thursday, highlighted by homemade hamburgers on the charcoal grill.  YUM!!!

We left bright and early on Friday morning and headed south to meet my BFF and her sweet baby girl for a mid-morning snack at the most amazing German bakery.  (We met there this time last year, and we've all been thinking about it since!)

Miss A is about 15 months younger than A&B, but the last couple of times we've been together, the girlies have played so well.  Miss A is something special...she's so incredibly engaging and spirited, and our girls think she's just amazing.

Playing with Wiki Sticks before our food got there...the girls all had a blast making animals and letters.

I asked all the girls to pile up their hands...LOVE!!!

A group shot before we left...4 of 5 looking towards the camera ain't bad!

Miss A looks like she's asking for help outside of the sandwich hug she was getting from the girls...I promise no children were harmed during the taking of this picture!

From the bakery we headed north to GG's house.  We had a fantastic holiday meal with all the trimmings (as if we needed to eat any more!), and then we shared some presents and lots of hugs.

One of my favorite pictures!  When the girls get a little unsure of a situation, they often reach for each other.  :)  :)

With Great Uncle Tommy and Aunt Janet

Goodbye kisses for GG

After a well-deserved nap in the car for three of the four of us (excluding me!), we returned to Dad's house.

Granddaddy got the girls trucks, and those were a big hit with all three of them!

Piggy banks!  The girls weren't quite sure of the concept, though...I think A wanted to ride hers!

Saturday morning snuggles with Granddaddy and Emme.  (Note that A has two baby dolls...those live in Emme's toy cabinet, but the girls take such good care of them when they're there.)

Our last stop was Grandma Linda's house.  The girls were met with fun playthings, and we had a wonderfully relaxed lunch before heading back home.

All in all, it was a great trip.  We got to see most of our friends and family, and best of all, the girls enjoyed it all. 

We were last in Alabama over Labor Day, and Hubby and I kept remarking how much the girls have changed, just since then.  They ate well, and slept well (!!!), and played really well, too.  It hasn't been that long ago that I felt like I had to keep my hands on them every single second, especially in non-baby-proofed environments.  This visit, though, was relatively relaxing for everyone!

On a housekeeping note, this trip was the first that I basically traveled with only clothes and toiletries.  I had a banana in my purse (in case we had to stop somewhere along the way), and a few kiwi that wouldn't have lasted until we got back home, but otherwise I didn't take any preparations.  I didn't take special cups, or utensils, and of course there were no strollers, high chairs, or pack-n-plays.  (And thank goodness for that...there's no way we could have fit the gifts in the car with anything else!)

Dare I say things are getting easier???  KNOCK ON WOOD.  ;)