Traveling with Multiples

So have you ever seen some of those shows on TLC... like "Make Room for Multiples" and others like it?? Well I really think they need to start a new reality show about traveling with multiples. You know, something like volunteer your family to have their vacation taped and aired to the public, everyone seeing you at your worst, and then get your trip paid for or something?! I'm saying all of this because traveling with little ones is interesting! It is very doable but you have to be ready to take on obstacles... as a team! If you are not a team... well, everyone in the airport notices! Ha!
We made it successfully to Orlando from Minneapolis on the way down. Pretty non eventful, actually! It is just hard because we have a three hour drive to get to the airport and then we had a three hour plane ride and then a two hour car ride to get to our final destination... Sarasota! It was all worth it when we woke up the next day to sun and warmth! It just takes major planning!

But back to our traveling blunders! So my mom dropped us off at the airport and we proceeded to unload the car... two suitcases to check, two carseats to check, a stroller, two diaper bags and two carry-ons, a cooler of milk to travel on the plane, blankets times four, my purse, oh yeah... and TWO children under the age of TWO... who are now capable of RUNNING in the airport! We got these great monkey backpacks that we used for them the whole time in the airport. They have little leashes on them and made it so I could go through security with them and then Caleb took all of our stuff! Besides forgetting our carseats and my mom having to rush back we made it in plenty of time and even had a pretty good flight. I would say even easier than last year!

So on to the trip in pictures... the boys LOVED playing in the sand this year! It was so fun to be down there with Angie and Lonnie and their kids again... Caleb's sister and her family. The kids all played together and it was so fun to spend time just relaxing!!

Playing in the sand with cousin Sammie!

Uncle Lonnie burying Luke!!

Family picture plus my nephew, Kaydon! :)

Max playing with some lizards that his cousins caught!

Luke digging in the hole.

Sunset picture time...

The girls...

The boys!

All the cousins, this year 2012.

All the cousins... Last year 2011!!!
The really funny thing is that we didn't even pose them the same... or tell the boys to pick up the same baby. Crazy!

Sleepy babes on the beach!

At the zoo!

Luke in his sweet shades... that he wore the whole time!

Max too!

It was really such a great trip! So fun to spend time together... as a family with no distractions and to just enjoy each other! Caleb and I were talking and praying on our way down and just wanted so badly to keep Christ centered in our minds and do everything we could to honor him on and with this trip. It is so convicting when you stop, and really put things in perspective and think... EVERYTHING we do and say should be to glorify God. That really stopped me and I can't help but think... so this trip, is in vain? My motives while planning it I'm sure where not always pure and were many times selfish, so we talked about how we could redeem that to use the time to grow closer to Him together and just take the time to slow down. It is so cool though because out of it we did grow closer once again, had some time to read the bible together, took more time to pray in the evening and tried our hardest to work together as a team! We even had a really cool encounter with different people on the plane... I met one lady who was traveling with her 19 year-old son that had cerebral palsy. He was born at the same gestation as the boys and was 1 lb 13 oz. It was so humbling and yet we had a bond. Knowing what each other has come through. Amazing what 20 years of technology has done! I also, very quickly, talked to a beautiful girl in the airport while we were claiming our bags. We just chatted real quick and went our separate ways. She a couple days later found me on facebook and wrote me the sweetest message just to encourage our family and said such sweet things. How cool is the bond of Christ?!?! How cool that I didn't even know her and in turn she blessed us by reaching out in that way. Anyway, hope you enjoy the pictures. Have to run.... one little man awake one to go... nap time over! :)