Ode to Alabama
Road trips. They are probably my favorite activity. With the open road ahead of us and adventure upon us, Hannah and I set out for Alabama the day after Christmas. With only one minor detour, we made it to Birmingham around 11:00 that night. After catching up with the cousins for a little bit, we crashed so we could get some sleep before church the next morning.
After church Sunday morning, we went to a Thai restaurant. Here's the thing: Hannah and I are both terribly picky eaters. It's a curse really. As a person who is super conscientious about other people's feelings and not wanting to hurt them, I absolutely hate to be awkward or rude. Having never tried Thai food put me in a rather delicate situation. I'm glad to say that I survived and actually really liked the food. I ordered some sort of barbecue chicken, which probably wasn't the most thai-ish food on the menu, but it was delicious. It came with shrimp fried rice, which I also ate...after I gave the shrimp to Hannah.
After a delicious and a wonderful first-time experience with Thai food, Denise, Laura, Hannah and I went to see Sherlock Holmes at the movie theater. We settled in with two large tubs of popcorn and drinks. The movie turned out to be very good, once the plot transitioned from the sacrificial offering/raising from the dead theme it had going on, to actually figuring out the science behind the black magic facade. Once the movie was over we got in line for our free popcorn refill and headed home. That night, Anna entertained us with a lovely magic show. I was very impressed. We ended the night with a movie and a few hands of nertz-a perfect end to a wonderful day. The rest of the week was a blast! We found some great deals shopping, visited a local Christian coffee shop, watched a bunch of chick flicks, played Nertz a LOT, and Laura even got her ears pierced! I have to say, I felt a little bad for Eric. There were so many girls in the house, and it's not like our activities were all that appealing to him. Eventually though, we introduced him to the art of Nertz. We're still in the process of convincing him that he really loves the game, he just hasn't figured it out yet. We consoled him with a couple rounds of Go Fish after the initial mind-boggling rush that comes with being introduced to the game. I think Anna and Elsa really enjoyed getting to show up the big kids with their card playing skills. I couldn't ask for cuter cousins :)
I have decided that Alabama is one of my most favorite states. It hosts some of the most fun cousins, for sure. I think the neatest part of the trip was simply the fact that Hannah, Laura, and I are all members of the third generation. My grandpa and his siblings (mostly sisters) were the first generation and their kids were the second generation. My mom, Hannah's mom, and Laura's mom were first cousins. Rumor has it that when Denise was only sixteen, her parents let her fly to Arkansas all by herself. The she, my mom, and Hannah's mom all road tripped to Six Flags by themselves. This story was shared with Hannah and I about a month ago, and it's what sparked the whole idea of a visit to Alabama. What started as simple teasing turned into a reality, and I am so very glad. The three of has had a lot of fun and made some great memories....and I can't wait to do it again! One of the best parts was hearing stories from Denise about how she and my Aunt Lisa used to force my mom to sleep in the middle, or about how they used to all play Nertz together. I love it when people share memories of my mom, especially ones about when she was my age. Memories that I'm sure she would have shared with me and laughed about all over again.
Hannah and I made it back safely-and with much better timing-last Wednesday. Since then I've been trying to shake a cold that simply won't go away, discovered I'm allergic to either our laundry detergent or fabric softener, and I've been watching a lot of E.R. I bought two seasons for the price of one while in Birmingham. I'm sure my roomie is thrilled :)
I only have a couple of days left until I return to school, so I'm going to attempt to rest up and enjoy this last bit of relaxation. Tonight I'm watching the kiddos and will hopefully attend some very intense, very entertaining, home school basketball games. Go Warriors! After that, movie night with my dear cousin Hannah. And....more Nertz? Please?
After church Sunday morning, we went to a Thai restaurant. Here's the thing: Hannah and I are both terribly picky eaters. It's a curse really. As a person who is super conscientious about other people's feelings and not wanting to hurt them, I absolutely hate to be awkward or rude. Having never tried Thai food put me in a rather delicate situation. I'm glad to say that I survived and actually really liked the food. I ordered some sort of barbecue chicken, which probably wasn't the most thai-ish food on the menu, but it was delicious. It came with shrimp fried rice, which I also ate...after I gave the shrimp to Hannah.
After a delicious and a wonderful first-time experience with Thai food, Denise, Laura, Hannah and I went to see Sherlock Holmes at the movie theater. We settled in with two large tubs of popcorn and drinks. The movie turned out to be very good, once the plot transitioned from the sacrificial offering/raising from the dead theme it had going on, to actually figuring out the science behind the black magic facade. Once the movie was over we got in line for our free popcorn refill and headed home. That night, Anna entertained us with a lovely magic show. I was very impressed. We ended the night with a movie and a few hands of nertz-a perfect end to a wonderful day. The rest of the week was a blast! We found some great deals shopping, visited a local Christian coffee shop, watched a bunch of chick flicks, played Nertz a LOT, and Laura even got her ears pierced! I have to say, I felt a little bad for Eric. There were so many girls in the house, and it's not like our activities were all that appealing to him. Eventually though, we introduced him to the art of Nertz. We're still in the process of convincing him that he really loves the game, he just hasn't figured it out yet. We consoled him with a couple rounds of Go Fish after the initial mind-boggling rush that comes with being introduced to the game. I think Anna and Elsa really enjoyed getting to show up the big kids with their card playing skills. I couldn't ask for cuter cousins :)
I have decided that Alabama is one of my most favorite states. It hosts some of the most fun cousins, for sure. I think the neatest part of the trip was simply the fact that Hannah, Laura, and I are all members of the third generation. My grandpa and his siblings (mostly sisters) were the first generation and their kids were the second generation. My mom, Hannah's mom, and Laura's mom were first cousins. Rumor has it that when Denise was only sixteen, her parents let her fly to Arkansas all by herself. The she, my mom, and Hannah's mom all road tripped to Six Flags by themselves. This story was shared with Hannah and I about a month ago, and it's what sparked the whole idea of a visit to Alabama. What started as simple teasing turned into a reality, and I am so very glad. The three of has had a lot of fun and made some great memories....and I can't wait to do it again! One of the best parts was hearing stories from Denise about how she and my Aunt Lisa used to force my mom to sleep in the middle, or about how they used to all play Nertz together. I love it when people share memories of my mom, especially ones about when she was my age. Memories that I'm sure she would have shared with me and laughed about all over again.
Hannah and I made it back safely-and with much better timing-last Wednesday. Since then I've been trying to shake a cold that simply won't go away, discovered I'm allergic to either our laundry detergent or fabric softener, and I've been watching a lot of E.R. I bought two seasons for the price of one while in Birmingham. I'm sure my roomie is thrilled :)
I only have a couple of days left until I return to school, so I'm going to attempt to rest up and enjoy this last bit of relaxation. Tonight I'm watching the kiddos and will hopefully attend some very intense, very entertaining, home school basketball games. Go Warriors! After that, movie night with my dear cousin Hannah. And....more Nertz? Please?
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