2nd Annual Mommy Beach Getaway!

It only took four weeks of planning for me to be able to leave for four days to enjoy a beach weekend with my best friends. The time away from the insanity of what is currently "my life" was very much needed and so appreciated. I adore my family, love my husband and kids with all my heart and soul, and I even enjoy the challenge of making it through each day successfully while remaining sane, however, time away from it all is crucial for me to continue the madness and not wind up on a selection of anti-depressants or locked up in a loony bin!

Thank you so much Kelly Hazelwood and Cyndi Murr for taking care of the boys Thursday. You two are purely amazing and I am so grateful God brought us together two years ago. What a treat it is to know you and share life together. Your girls are so precious and my only regret is that I was only able to teach them half the year.

Thank you Aunt Katy (awesome sister-in-law) for flying to the rescue for the 2:00 pick up for Ellie bug on Thursday and Friday. Ellie wants to move in with you now..You are way cooler then me:)

Thankfully my mom and neighbor were able to keep the boys and Jenna at our house Friday ALL DAY. I appreciate their sacrifice so much. My neighbor told me yesterday, it took her all weekend to regain her energy level back after one day of the boys and Jenna..she said, "Honest to goodness Dana, I don't know how you do this everyday?"

My mother-in-law deserves an academy award for "being mommy while mommy is gone"...she did all the kid pick up Thursday afternoon and supper, bath time, evening routine since Daddy works late on Thursdays. Then Friday afternoon did the same thing again and they all spent the night with her Friday night because Daddy had a dinner function that night and worked the Air National Guard the next morning at 6am. So Mamaw probably needed to take off Monday from work to "recover" from being me half the weekend.

And my precious husband, who by the way did only have the brood all to himself half the weekend, did a fabulous job. He took them to Sonic, and parks, vegged out on chicken fingers and fries Sat. night and even had the whole gang bathed, cleaned and dressed for church Sunday morning. Not sure if any of you have a tough time on Sunday morning getting kids ready and to church on time, but we usually struggle when we do it TOGETHER and this time he was solo in the feat! The funniest text I got from him was, "im at sonic, boys screaming, jenna needs to potty and ellie dropped her ice-cream...all at one time"

So, it took two moms, one aunt, two friends, one neighbor and a husband to step in and be ME so I could enjoy a four day beach retreat. Thank you is not nearly enough, but thank you guys so much. I know how demanding those little stinkers are, but I also know how blessed I am to have you all help me.

Dana








Group Shot! So thankful for these girls...



Natalie Hinds and I posing..she is a workout nut like me. Actually she is a personal trainer, I am just a nut.


My bestfriends in the whole wide world. Boy have the three of us been through some "life" together. Couldn't imagine my days without them. And yes, Aimee is wearing a robe (the robe of many colors) because she is always cold...too funny!


What a joyous feeling to walk in your home from being away for four days and be greeted with all these precious smiley faces.
Claire said, "Mommy, I missed your smell".....




And I think daddy might have missed me a little too..he looks pretty tired in this picture...