adventurous surprise

you'd think this warmer weather and the ability to now get out and do things would be just what the doctor ordered for the winter blues, but for some reason I was still itching to do somethin a little more crazy/exciting.
and so it came to me... how about a little spur-of-the-moment road trip with the girls? i could drive down to florida and surprise my parents! ok, so that's not really "little" but still, it could be fun! plus I LOVE to just drive, especially when its nice out. my moms been fussin about missing the girls, the calendar was empty for the week, a road trip adventure with the girls was certainly something to look forward to and calm that antsy itch, and it would be the perfect surprise! ...enough reasons for me!
Pete and I decided that the more I thought about it, the more I'd probably psych myself out - so if i was gonna do it, I needed to just throw some things together and go.
I armed him with a week of lunches & dinners and a typed-out detailed plan for each day to help him out (I know, you're probably either gagging or feelin thankful your not married to me, but he appreciated it!)
we left after the girls naps around 4:30. I was prepared with a hotel about 10 hrs in, just in case and pete determined for me that 9:30 was roughly my turning point - if I needed/wanted to turn back, that would be the time to do it.
off i went... no turning back. no hotel. 18 hours later I was pulling into their condo. dizzy. exhausted. ready to surprise and then go straight to sleep. that's just what we did. my parents were just getting home from a bike ride to find the girls playing in the yard yelling "hi nana, hi papa!" priceless. they were totally shocked and it made it all worth it..... we'll mostly. ;-)
we spent the next 4 days enjoying a little extra rest in the florida sun, napping and preparing for the trip home. mom decided to join us on the way back (dad just couldn't bear the thought of me making the drive through the night again) so we added an extra girl for our adventurous trip home.
though i could have made it back, some severe storms forced us into a hotel around 5 am and we finished the trip the next morning.

it was SOOO good to be home but as crazy as it was, the girls did AMAZING and I have to say I was a little proud of myself... i'm not quite as old as i sometimes feel. i've still got a little youthful excitement left in there somewhere! :)

a big special thanks to adele and keith urban for joining me for 36 hours up and down I-75 :)



(now wheres that mommy picnic lunch, park and sidewalk chalk that wasn't quite as "exciting" last week?)