florida

yes -- if you read my last post -- we did go to Florida for an extended weekend trip.  crazy, much?  My dear, sweet cousin Carol was celebrating her 70th birthday and we were NOT going to miss it!  Loaded up the fam at 5:30 Thursday morning & (after many potty stops) we arrived in Pensacola around 9:30 pm.  Totally worth the trip - we celebrated, beached, ate lotso food, and most importantly, spent time with family......then loaded up for the long drive home Monday morning.  Just a (ahem) few pics from an incredible weekend.

first stop - Metropolis, IL...home of the "Giant Superman Statue"

 and just down the road Coopertown, IL

 rest area right inside the Alabama boarder

Hale, Hale the gang's all here -- 11 of us made the trek down from IL

Win teaching Piper to play the piano

 they became fast friends

Justin took Piper on a walk 

 Piper & Baron

birthday party 

 birthday girl cutting the cake

 Piper found a fountain 

 and had to be reminded not to climb in

cousins

 day 1 at the beach

so proud of the shell she found

 we drove down to an area of the beach my cousins & I used to hang out at

I can still remember walking over one of these bridges when I was 7 & seeing the white sand for the first time

day 2 at the beach

 boogie boardin'

 digging for buried treasure

 playing boats with Sean