Florida Fun

We are blessed to have so many family members who love our little girl SO much and this past weekend we were able to take her to Florida and spend time with them! We got to introduce her to David's wonderful Grandpa and GrandBobbie, uncle, aunt, and cousins while also taking her to visit his sweet grandma at the rehab facility she has been in since suddenly completely losing her sight a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, David has most of the good pictures on his phone so I'll just share the few that I have of our girl loving the time she had on the beach!

What better way to kick off a road trip than with Chick-fil-A? It was an all outdoor Chick-fil-A too! 

 Sitting in the same high chair that Grandpa grew up using!

 A beautiful morning on Jax Beach.

Enjoying the tide pools.  

What's that thing flying over there? 

Pondering the world of babyhood.  

 David and his mini-me. 

Hey, ma, how come we're this close and not at the beach?!? 

She loves her daddy!

 When some random guy at the beach offers to take a family photo, you let him!

Enjoying her very first balloon. I'm pretty sure she would have been over the moon if it had been a red balloon ;-)

Beachin' It

One of the wonderful (because there are SO many!) perks about living in Raleigh is the close proximity to the beach. We are close enough now that a day trip isn't out of the question, and for this beach-loving Carolina girl that is a major win. Another perk about living in Raleigh is that with David's new job he works four days a week and has Fridays off. Another win! What do you do when you have this many wins? You schedule a beach trip and introduce your baby girl to the sand and salt water!

We originally planned on heading to Wrightsville Beach early Friday morning and coming back that same day, but with her still taking two naps a day we decided to stay overnight. Our trip was made even better when we discovered David had racked up enough points that we earned a free night AND they upgraded us to a suite with a separate room! We were so thankful for everything aligning so perfectly and allowing us a precious mini-vacation with our little family:-)

We hit the road on 1-40 East early Friday morning and after a quick pit stop for beer and Jersey Mike's (beach necessities) we headed for the coast. I have about 3 million pictures of the same thing because I was so excited to see Amelia Grace's reaction, so I'll spare y'all the craziness and just showcase a few of the cutest (because they were all pretty stinkin' cute)

What is this stuff? 

 This is fun!

Hey, mom, can we bring some home with us? 

Dad, let me help you with those. 

I think I like this place, Dad

After a few hours our little princess started reaching her limit so we headed back to the hotel for naps. She was a champ and took a great nap which allowed us to rest as well. Then we headed out for supper where we gorged ourselves on seafood. Amelia Grace took her first few bites of shrimp and decided she liked it so much she needed more. She ended up ending FIVE pieces of shrimp herself. And this was after she ate her full regular meal. We then picked up frozen custard (because what's a beach trip without a little frozen treat??) before heading back to the hotel and putting her to bed.

Mmm this is yummy 

 Sometimes eating is exhausting. . .

The next morning we hit the beach again for a nice stroll before hitting I-40 again. It was a fantastic trip and we can't wait to bring our baby girl back again!

Lovin' on my daddy

Spring Break 2014

This past week was a very much anticipated Spring Break trip to Charleston, SC! It had been almost two years since we had been able to visit this wonderful city so I started begging for a visit as soon as the new year rolled around. My wonderful husband graciously conceded (who wouldn't want to go to Charleston??) and booked us a condo about a block from the beach. The best part? The princess was able to tag along!

In past trips we've stayed in hotels and have been unable to bring her, but we knew this time that we wanted her to come. If you've been following along on Instagram you know she LOVES the beach. She's definitely having withdrawals from her daily walks in the sand!

We didn't make any big plans, but instead just decided to fly by the seat of our pants. We couldn't have made a more perfect choice. Each day we visited the beach to wear the pup out, and either stuck around and soaked up some rays or headed out to explore the city. We managed to eat more than a few delicious meals and not replicate a restaurant once!

It was an incredible trip that we can't wait to repeat next year with our baby girl:-)

She was less than enthused about this.

She LOVED jumping in the waves, until they got too big and chased her back!

The one and only picture of the two of us and I look nekkid. Cooooooooool.

A tired pup after hours of chasing the ball in the waves.

She used the sand as an exfoliant over and over and over. 

She loves it. Well, at least David does.

The Fourth in Florida

This past week we were fortunate enough to venture down to Florida for a few days to visit with some of David's extended family. We normally see them at Christmas, so it was a treat to see everyone to celebrate a different holiday-July 4th!

Here are a few pictures from our trip. . .

 We hit the beach as soon as we arrived.

A yummy seafood supper the first night.

A gorgeous good morning for day two.

My pitiful attempt at a fruit and marshmallow flag!

My goofy love waiting for the fireworks.

Beer in a mason jar #welcometothesouth

It was not easy saying goodbye to this view. . .

While there aren't any other trips on the horizon, I would love to sneak away to the beach for a few more days before school starts!

We're Backkkkkk!

We're back after a wonderful few says of sunshine and shopping, food and family! I'll be back to post of our adventures, but you must excuse me while I scrounge up something to eat in our barren kitchen, battle an 8-foot tall tower of laundry, and tackle a few suitcases of unworn clothes thanks to my tendency to over pack.

Happy Monday!

Ocean Isle Beach Weekend

The past few weeks have been very stressful in the Mobley household. We both were crazy/busy at work and it seemed like even when we were at home we were going in a zillion different directions. Enter the need for a beach weekend. Luckily David's aunt and uncle have a gorgeous place in Ocean Isle Beach! Here are a few pictures from our extended weekend trip. . .

I found my happy place. . .

David playing football with his cousin, Cameron

Showing off the new bathing suit David picked out and got me!

So much has happened since we took a picture in this same spot last year, but our love hasn't wavered!

Yummy shrimp appetizer

View at supper. Good thing the view was so nice, we waited an hour and a half for our meal!

 

Uncle Jon, Cameron, and Aunt Debbie-our FABULOUS hosts!

Breathtaking view after my run on Sunday morning. . .

We had an amazing weekend and are counting down the days until our schedule allows us to return!

Friday's Letters [06.13]

Happy Friday, folks!!

Dear summer, Welcome.

Dear summer storms, Though you kind of crimped our style at the Brad Paisley concert last weekend and your power outage almost ruined supper, you sure can be fun. How about knocking the force down a smidge?

Dear beach, We're on our way! Keep those waves rolling, the sun shining, and the sand toasty!

Dear Davido, I love how completely and totally perfect you are for me. I love that you challenge me to be a better me. I love that you never let me settle for just okay. I just love you to pieces!

2012 Rewind

Happy New Year's Eve one and all! I've decided that people fall into two distinct categories: they either loved the previous year and are hopeful for the new year, or they are totally over the previous year and are hopeful for better times in the new year. Regardless of which camp people fall into, no one ever wishes to stop time. People are always hopeful for the new year, and I am no different.

Here is a glimpse at some of what we've been up to . . .

I set some goals and created a 30 Before 30 List. 

I completed my first 5k.

My sweet husband guest posted and kick-started his blogging career again.

We ventured to Charleston, SC for a few days.

We witnessed my brother graduating from NCSU and his commissioning ceremony into the USMC.

We celebrated our 2nd Anniversary.

I had surgery on my foot to remove a cyst.

We spent a week at the beach with family.

My kidneys relapse, and we tackled the minimal change disease again.

We announced our little family would be growing in the coming year!

And much, much more. Thank you for joining us on this journey!

Beach Blowout

What is about the beach that is so relaxing? Is it the waves crashing? Or the sand between your toes? Or is it the knowledge that you are on vacation and supposed to rest? Whatever it is, I want to bottle it and carry it around with me always. We just returned from our final beach trip of the summer and I am bummed. Don't get me wrong, it was an incredible trip. I'm just bummed that it's over!

We arrived at David's Aunt Debbie's house on a Thursday evening and headed back nine days later. Talk about a week and a half of bliss. In that time we hit the beach many times, I got my very first facial (and a follow-up!), hit the outlets a couple times (and scored some stellar deals!), ate at multiple different restaurants specializing in yum, introduced the princess to the sand and saltwater, and visited with family. Needless to say, bidding this vacation goodbye was difficult. Here are a few pictures giving you a glimpse of our bliss:

So peaceful.

Working on those Crossfit handstand push-ups.

Game night!

First trip to the beach for the cousins.

My fabulous find of the day-$40 Michael Kohrs wedges!

Catch of the day.

Following a yummy seafood supper.

Bliss.

Can I go back??