When the Babe is Away.....

The grown ups will play!  Errr---rest, sleep in, take it easy....RELAX!  Last Monday Kyndall went back to Georgia with Matthew's parents for a little mini vacation.  They took her to Panama City Beach for the week and have been spoiling her real good for the past week!  I've enjoyed the break but I have definitely missed my girl!!  Since I'm unable to travel and essentially STUCK here in Jackson, I'm glad that Kyndall was afforded the opportunity to go on a vacation and do something fun.  She deserves it more than any kid I know.  I just wish I could have gone too.  It was almost torture looking at the pictures of her enjoying the sandy white beaches of the Gulf that I love and miss so much.  

My Mom and I used the week to not only rest (sleeping in some mornings until 10:00!!) but also to get a few things done.  We ran lots of errands, marked things off our to-do lists and just enjoyed not having to obey the demands of a little one.  Some days we didn't even get out of our PJs!

One of the things I've been wanting to mark off my to-do list is finishing up Kyndall's bedroom.  I still need a few small touches but I really like the way it's coming together!  I really like the pink/gray/white combination!

I love the way this black and white enlargement of Kyndall and her BFFs turned out!!

Hoping to find the perfect white mirror to hang above her dresser....If you see one, let me know!  =)

Same lamp she's had since she was a baby, I just added a gray flower to match the pink/gray theme!

Next my friend Ms. Donna will make me a large wall monogram of Kyndall's initials to cover that empty wall on the left!  Can't wait to see it!

I also FINALLY got around to enlarging and framing our family portraits that we had made over two months ago!  It's amazing what you can get done when you have so much free time!

Gonna hang this over our couch but it weighs about 783 pounds so I'm waiting for Matthew to put an anchor in the wall......

Here's what the babe has been up to while we held the fort down back home in Tennessee......

(Thank you, Nonie for sending me pictures every day!!)

Living the good life on PC Beach!

They took her to Gulf World to see the ocean critters

They even treated her to a night at Miracle Strip in Pier Park!

Today they headed back to Georgia, but not before stopping by Tallahassee to have lunch with my Dad!  How sweet!

Kyndall loves her G-Daddy!!

On a whim, Matthew, Mom and I decided to venture over to Nashville yesterday for a fun afternoon/night at the Opry!  Mom hasn't been since I was a toddler and we wanted to treat her to a night out for all of her help over the past couple of months.  This was also my first time leaving Jackson since the end of February so I was MORE than excited to get the heck outta here......but also a little nervous!  With it being a holiday weekend (Lots of crazies on the road...lots of accidents) we all took our bags just in case I got the call while we were in Nashville.  Obviously I didn't and I was fine with that because it meant we were able to enjoy a nice day doing something for ourselves!  

We started out by showing Mom around the Opryland Hotel

We had an early dinner at one of the many yummy restaurants inside of the hotel, then headed over to the Opry House

There were a few names we recognized on the play list for the evening (Suzy Bogguss, Jason Crabb, etc.) but we were especially surprised when Little Jimmy Dickens showed up!  He wasn't on the schedule so it was a neat surprise!  He's just as teeny tiny in person as he looks on TV!

The Opry Square Dancers are always my favorite---probably because of my past clogging days with the Mountain Dew Cloggers!  Maybe once I get my new liver I could audition....hmmm.....  =)

It was a fun way to spend our FREE Saturday and I'm glad we took some time to do something fun for a change.  I'm going a bit stir crazy being stuck in Jackson and unable to travel so it was a welcomed break for me.  Our bags are back where they belong, but we're not unpacking them just yet!

While I'm sitting here I might as well share some super cute pictures that my friend Glory took last weekend.  She bravely took several kids over to Memphis to celebrate Caroline's birthday at Build-A-Bear on Sunday afternoon.  (That is, after she took them all to CiCi's pizza for lunch!!  Glory--you are my hero!)

She named her bear.....wait for it.....ASHLEIGH-ANNE.  Do you know how weird it is to hear her say "Mommy, can you bring me Ashleigh-Anne?"  "Mommy, can I change Ashleigh-Anne's clothes?"

Only my child would do this.

Enjoying a birthday cupcake in the mall!

And a carousel ride!  Thanks for a great day, Mrs. Glory!!

Kyndall comes home tomorrow and it will be back to life as usual but I'm actually looking forward to it.  I've really missed her and can't wait to see her pretty little tan lines and hear all about her adventures at the beach!

I hope everyone has a happy and SAFE Memorial Day weekend.  I also hope you'll take time to remember what this weekend is TRULY all about.  It's so much more than a 3 day weekend, a trip to the beach, cook-outs and vacations.  

For me, this weekend is about honoring two men who are very special to me.  My brother-in-law Michael and my beloved Granddaddy, both who served our country proudly in the US Army.  

We are thankful for and proud of you, Michael!

(An old picture, but one of my favorites of Kyndall and her "Ankle Michael")

We adore and miss you, Granddaddy!!!