trip number ...

Had to think about that one ... this was trip number six since the beginning of May {see full list below}. One week after I got back from visiting John Winters in Oklahoma, I got a text from my brother saying they were headed to the hospital. The text and call from my sis came in the middle of the night, and I could barely sleep from then on til morning. It was Monday night when the text came in, and I knew logically that I could wait until the weekend to try to make the drive up to north Mississippi alone (when Graham could watch the girls). But, I just couldn't wait.

So, early on Tuesday morning, I packed up stuff for me and the girls, Graham helped us get everything packed up and by 9:30 or so we were on the road headed for Mississippi.

Over the next 5 days, I logged nearly 20 hours of driving with both girls and only 4 of those hours with another adult in the car. Thankfully, the girls were absolute troopers ... E fed her sister snacks even when she completely frustrated and yelling, "I don't want to do this anymore." Lydia slept alot, read books, and thankfully was pretty content as long as E payed her some attention.

When we made it to the 147, E was beside herself with excitement to see Sugar.

Since Granddaddy had already made his way to Oxford and CC was on a flight on her way back from Oklahoma, we had to be the ones to drop off Sugar at the kennel. At the drop off, E acted out her own scene from the Wizard of Oz .. she was Dorothy, Sugar was Toto, and the kennel was the Wicked Witch's castle. She even made herself cry real tears to show her desperation. I'll try to post that acting video soon.

What could have been a 6 hour drive, turned into a two-day event. I questioned my sanity over the 5 days a number of times, but it was of course worth it to meet Henry Winters before he even left the hospital, to spend time with Courtney and Britton and personally witness their new-parentness, to actually have my own photos taken with my very own camera of E & L's newest cousin, and for E & L to get to spend time with their cousins Fable and Ever.

More about our trip north coming very soon.

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*Trips this summer (making up for a summer of no travel last year):

• Oklahoma to meet John Winters Little - three days old
• Bodie Beach Trip
• McComb, MS to meet CC & Granddaddy and drop off E while Graham was at ICA
• the 147 and then Oxford for Courtney's baby shower
• Oklahoma again for time with Whit and Winters @ 6 weeks old
• Henry Winters Jones trip {with visits to CC & Granddaddy's and Allison & Jeff's}
• in four days E, Graham, and I are headed to Chicago!!