To the Coast we go...

So anyone who knows me or reads my blog should know I'm: Type A, scheduled, literal, by the book, and not too spontaneous.  Spontanayety doesn't go hand-in-hand with Type A folks.  Nope!!!!

However, I caught a wild hair and thought outside the box.  Trey's office is the attorney for the Board of Supervisors.  They had a convention on the coast in Biloxi.  Normally Pops goes on this venture, but since he is a world traveler and just got back from Italy, Fancy got to go.  Now under normal circumstances there is NO WAY I would have packed up, headed to the coast, and not known the agenda.  Apparently, I wasn't feeling "normal" because that's just what I did on Tuesday.  All 5 of us packed in like sardines (because I can't pack light) and headed south. 

JB watched the Sesame Street movie twice.  My sound won't work for some reason so that was boring.  

We made it to Jackson.  First stop: The Capitol.  I stayed in the car and fed Annie while the boys went inside and acted like donkeys. 

Next stop: The Supreme Court to see Puddin.  Bitty wanted to hold Annie "all by himself".  Can you see the frustration?!?!

Annie needed a couch picture since the boys had one at that age.

Butttttt she can't sit up yet. 

We ate lunch at George Street then continued on after our two hour stop.  Finally, after a lot of hours, we made it to our destination, The Beau Rivage.  

It's huge.  No Motel 6!   The boys were impressed.

Ford did NOT want to go to the coast, initially.  The thought of driving for 5 hours wasn't appealing to the little man.  I think the pool made the trip worth while!!!

Another absolutely NOT at all normal Jill thing was: I got a babysitter I did not know.  I didn't find her in the hotel, ha.... Rather she came highly recommended by some friends we have in Gulfport.  The boys loved Meghan, and she even had an easy time getting Annie to sleep. So since we had a babysitter we went to one of the dinners associated with thr convention.  Waiting on our car....

Cartoons in the morning....

All that packing I did wrinkled my clothes.  I whipped the iron out of the closet and Bitty said: "What's that, momma?"   Shows that I do lots of ironing. 

Breakfast via room service.  I'm not usually so fancy, but the real Fancy was at a meeting and Annie was napping in the bathroom.  You gotta get creative when you're loaded down in a hotel. 

Wednesday after breakfast, and Annie's nap in the bathroom, we headed to Gulfport to the Discovery Museum.  We met the friend who referred the babysitter and one of her little girls.  The boys had big fun. 

Ford thoroughly enjoyed the wheelchair basketball.

Puddin told the boys to make sure to get some ice cream at the hotel.  Literally, like I'm not even lying, the thought of eating ice cream consumed John Brantley's thoughts until I got him some.  Vanilla please.  Or as he calls it, white ice cream.  

None for Ford.  He's weird. 

You better believe I had some.  It's not good for man to eat alone.  Chocolate please. 

The Cat in the Hat is good stuff...

Sister has become a constant drool factory.  Bibs are necessary. 

Pool time again.  This kid defines cool!!!

Miraculously, someone thought she was a boy on this trip.  I. Give. Up!!!

Wednesday night the boys walked across the street to watch the Shuckers play baseball.  Annie and I had girl time. 

Thursday morning while Annie napped and Trey wouldn't get up, the boys and I went to eat breakfast.  I think the fruit, being healthy, cancels out the fatty huge cinnamon roll I ate!

Tastes better if you stand up in your chair. 

As children Trey and I both remember our parents taking us to souvenir shops to look at all the junk.  That's just what we did while daddy was at a meeting Thursday. 

Bitty got "shubbles" (shovels) and a bucket and Ford got an alligator head.  Annie was asleep and I skimped her!!!

Lunch was yummy.  We ate at Mary Mahoney's. 

Please note the green door and the balcony above the door with the sign....

That's how high the water got during Hurricane Katrina. 

We had to take a picture with this huge old tree...

I'm a sucker. I admit it.  I am a sucker. The boys begged and pleaded to go to the beach.  Trey was having no part in such.  I caved.  We went. I warned them ahead of time it was no Destin.  They didn't care. It was nasty.  Trash all over the beach.  Dead fish.  Brown water.  We left quickly, but not before Bitty could pitch one because I wouldn't get in the bacteria infested pond!

The coast was fun. A spontaneous outing every once in a while is good for the soul.  Fun was had, food was eaten, memories were made, but it's good to be home. 

The moral of the story is: Don't invite us on a trip unless you really want us to come because we just might take you up on it!!!!   Until next time, Biloxi.....

Needed to add these three pictures from swimming lessons on Monday.