Roadtrip!
This year, we traveled to Ohio for Christmas. We had twelve days, so we decided to drive and take Kimo and Naia as well.
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| Nap time with all of his friends! |
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| Where's Koa?! |
We stayed with our friends, Willie, Lindsey, and Gaby (Koa's girlfriend) just north of Atlanta on the way up. It is always great to see them--and the last time we were there, the kids were so little! This time they played together and were so cute!
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| What dada? Gaby let me borrow her pink cup! |
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| Thanks, Gaby! |
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| So precious! |
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| Yes, Koa is sitting in Gaby's princess chair! |
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| Wow! Miss Lindsey's tupperware cupboard is so much more fun than Mama's! |
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| Oh my! |
What a great stop on the way up to Ohio. Willie and Lindsey, thank you for having us! We had a blast and can't wait until we can get together again!
We made it!
What a great trip we had: great weather, no traffic issues, and super comfy ride! Koa did great watching his dvd's (Baby Einstein, an annoying nursery rhyme dvd, and The Fox and the Hound), napping, eating snacks, and playing peek-a-boo and we never heard a peep out of the dogs! Oh, and we even heard "wuvoo" (love you) from Koa for the first time while we were on our drive. We tell him all the time that we love him, but this time he said it back! Joey and I were both so shocked we were speechless and just looked at each other! Here he is saying it the next morning:
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| Naia relaxing... |
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| Kimo relaxing... |
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| Joey wanted to show Koa the snow flurries...that was the extent of the snow for this trip! |
We drove to Cincinnati where we met up with some of our friends we met in Jamaica last summer. We really enjoyed seeing Kevin and Katie--what an enjoyable night! Koa LOVED them! We are looking forward to seeing them in Florida soon! (I forgot to take pictures! Oops!)
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| Date night to Red Lobster! |
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| After dinner, we stopped by the local coffee shop, Night Sky, and enjoyed a warm beverage! The Mocha was delicious! |
Koa was so excited when Oakley got to Grandma and Grandpa's house! They really enjoyed playing together!
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| Oakley sharing icecream with Grandma... |
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| Koa sharing icecream with Grandpa... |
Koa started doing a little dance when he is sharing icecream with Grandpa: he shakes his behind and his leg!
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| Kimo and Naia getting some lovin'. |
Oakely and Koa helped Grandma make the apple french bread casserole for Christmas breakfast! They helped put on about two apples before they started eating them!
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| They held hands at breakfast for quite some time until Oakley said his arm was hurting! ha ha |
Present Time
These two were hilarious as we were trying to get them to both smile for a picture before we started opening gifts!
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| Matching Christmas PJ's! |
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| Aunt Katie got them adorable puppy slippers. When they walk, the ears pop up! |
So, Joey, Katie, and Brian enjoy playing video games together. This year, they bought each other a new game (the same one so they can play online). This meant they knew what they were opening. Well, Joey opened his to find another layer of wrapping paper that had been wrapped with shipping tape. It took his knife to open the package. He assumed my brother had done this, but it was actually my MOM! ha ha!
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| Koa got a "fort kit" that his Aunt Ashley made along with a cool flashlight. He loves playing with his flashlight and watching the dogs' reactions to the light moving all over the house! |
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| Aunt Katie with her nephews! |
Christmas Eve--Candlelight Service
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| We went to the Christmas Eve candlelight service in one car. Four of us had to squish in the back seat... |
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| and the boys were happy to sit next to each other! |
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| After the service, the boys socialized with their daddy's! |
I love these pictures of the boys...Koa thought he needed some firewood in the picture!
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| Helping Uncle Brian make a fire! |
Christmas Day
Roadtrip Home
We decided to drive until we wanted to stop and then finish up the drive the next day. I got to be the planner and research where we were going to stay and find a place to eat dinner and watch some football. So, while Joey drove and Koa slept, I found a bed and breakfast in Knoxville, TN that would take kids and dogs. I also found a microbrewery that looked like a fun place to grab a bite, watch some football, and sample some local brews (for Joey). This is what the researching got us:
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| Nap time...one comfy little dude! |
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| Our local sports bar in Knoxville...it had two working grain elevators. |
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| Happy boy even though it's past his bedtime! |
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| It was dark when we arrived at the Maple Grove Inn...and this is what we drove down to get there. |
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| Yes, that's an old family cemetery...anyone spooked yet?! |
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| This house was built in 1799...you can't see the rest of the massive house that was added over the years. It is now over 10,000 square feet. |
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| Our bedroom, the Magnolia Suite, was on the second floor--the two windows on the right. |
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| This was our view out the side window... |
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| Koa loved running around the room! |
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| I couldn't get him to hold still long enough to get a picture! |
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| After an amazing breakfast prepared by the innkeeper's chef of a son, Koa explored some more of the house! |
We really enjoyed our trip--including the drive up, the time we were there, and the drive back. It as great seeing our family and friends! I can't wait to get pictures from the Shafer get together...we have a picture of my Grandma and Grandpa Shafer, all of their kids and spouses (6 people), the grandkids and spouses (11 people), and the great-grandkids (6 kids). Next year, my grandpa and grandma will have at least 9 great-grandchildren! I can't wait!
