18 days later...

Where has the time gone?!!!  Didn't realize it's been 18 days since my last post.  Whoops.

So, hmmm, what has happened?

We celebrated Easter with the Zimmermans…

Mike and I went on a vacation to Nashville/Alabama…

Kids spent 8 days with grandparents…

Rachel had her Cardinal Skippers Community Night...

There, that's it!  Okay, kind of a lot and probably not as many pictures as I should have from all the fun stuff that's happened.  Oh well.

First was Easter…
We celebrated the weekend before with the Zimmermans before we left for vacation.  The kids had a great time!  The Easter bunny even made a visit!

The kids were at my parents' on Easter, so we were not there for that.  The Easter bunny still came to my parents, so that was nice.  Glad the Easter bunny figured it out! :)

The kids did some cookie and egg decorating with grandma.

Mike and I drove to Orange Beach, AL.  We broke up the drive and stayed in Nashville on our way there and back home.  Was nice to spend time there, too… never been there.  So, it was 10 hours from FDL to Nashville and then 7 more hours to get to Orange Beach.  I actually really enjoyed the drive!  Would definitely do again.

[a collage of our driving plan, my Starbucks, a text from Rachel right when we left and the license plate we saw (from TN) as we were leaving FDL.]

[rooftop bar in Nashville… view of Titan Stadium]

[view from rooftop of Tootsies… so neat!]

Mike and I met some friends in Alabama.  They got there the day after us, so we had one night in a hotel before our nights in the condo with friends.  We stayed at a place right on the Gulf and it was so neat.  Too bad it rained this day.  View was still pretty!

[the pelicans flew right by us on the 8th floor]

[one of many FaceTimes with the kids… so nice to be able to do that!]

We didn't do a whole lot of anything in Alabama besides lay on the beach and go to dinner.  Relaxing at it's finest!!!  We had perfect weather… so lucky!

I got a run in on the beach most mornings… very easy to get up to views like this!!!  I saw dolphins swimming just out from shore most mornings, too.  So awesome!!!!

[these were all over the first morning, but then didn't see many more the other mornings… so neat!!]

[relaxing!]

[good times with good friends!]

And, finally, this picture.  This is where Mike and I were looking the morning we were going to leave… when we spotted something about a half mile out in the Gulf.  At first we thought it was a bird, then a shark, then a huge log and finally a person.  When it finally made it to shore it was a… DEER!!!!  Not kidding!!!!!  The oddest things I've ever seen in my life.  So glad Mike also saw it or I might have thought I was losing it!!!

Rachel also had her Community Night tonight.  I got a few videos, but no pictures.  Ugh.  Was busy with crazy Nate and then served the drink after, so didn't get any after show pictures.  So bummed.  Oh well.  Rachel did great!!!  So proud of her!  The team works so hard and learns so much.  Proud of them all!

Keep smiling!