We're in Florida!
I finished my associate degree this semester, and as such, I wanted to do something fun since I have been working so hard on school for the past year and a half. I mean, seriously. I was taking finals about 6 hours after Coen's C-Section. So...I figured some fun was in order. So I packed up the kids on Thursday and we drove to Florida.
Obviously I'm insane. I know.
The entire trip took about 24 hours. Where we live in Indiana to where we lived in Florida is a 19ish hour drive, and we stopped at a hotel to get some rest, so all in all, I think it was a pretty successful drive. I packed lots of snacks and we only stopped for a couple of meals and we're all still alive, so I think that's a win.
Thursday's drive went just great. We left after school was over and there was no traffic and it was all just really peaceful. But I got pretty tired around three AM and so I found a hotel and got all the kids schlepped inside and was so excited about sleeping. But of course by then Seth and Evany had totally gotten a second wind and were bouncing off the walls. The hotel was out of cribs and so I just kept putting them back in bed but they kept sliding off and running around. Problem was the beds were pretty high off the ground and neither Seth nor Evany was tall enough to get up on the bed without help. So they kept getting down then crying to get back up and Ava and I would hoist them back up on the bed and the whole thing would happen again until things finally quieted down around 4:30 AM. One of the younger kids was sleeping with me but I'd be lying if I said I could tell which one it was. Seth just got a hair cut and he and Evany's hair is about same length and texture and I was exhausted so I really have no clue and it was pitch dark.
I woke up when my phone alarm went off at 8 AM and looked around to count the kids, who were all still totally passed out. Coen was sleeping in his bassinett and I saw Ava and Jace and Seth, but I didn't see Evany. I sat up, all groggy and bleary eyed and started calling for her. I'm not sure where I'd thought she'd gone, but I was really stressed about it. I jumped out of bed and got the other kids up to help look for her, and finally we found her passed out halfway under the bed, head on a pillow. She must have gotten off the bed after everyone else passed out and been unable to climb back up, so she just grabbed a pillow and camped out. She's resourceful.
It was cold, in the thirties, basically until we got to Florida. But we stopped at a rest area in Florida to feed Coen and the kids got out to run around, and it was finally warm. It was amazing! It's amazing how fast you can forget what it feels like to be warm outside. The kids loved it.
It's crazy and surreal to be back here. We're hanging out with my mom and catching up with friends and I cannot tell you how amazing it is not to have to open another book until January. When we were coming across the causeway into town Jace looked out at the water and said "This cannot be Florida. I've never even SEEN this lake before!" Ava shook her head at him and said "Jace, really? That's the OCEAN."
What a difference 9 months makes.
