Thursday, Brinley, my mom and I headed out to Fayetteville, Arkansas for Amanda's wedding shower. We picked Brinley up from MDO at lunch and started our journey. Luckily, Brinley napped for 2 hours and then watched a movie for another 2 hours! We got to Sherman, Tx (right at the border of TX/OK border) when she decided she had enough! We got a hotel room and went to dinner. Since Brinley had been sitting in the car seat for 5 hours, she wasn't about to sit for dinner so it was more of nightmare with crying, running around and only wanting to eat applesauce for dinner. After mom and I quickly scarfed our dinner, we headed back to the hotel where we all passed out for the night!
After a very long day, but still smiling!
We got up Friday morning, ate breakfast at the hotel and headed out once again (after we fought Brinley who did NOT want to get in her car seat at all!) After another 4 1/2 hours in the car (thank goodness for the invention of the DVD system in cars!!!) we made it to Fayetteville! We grabbed lunch (in the hotel room so Brinley could stand and eat...lesson learned!) and went to the mall to let Brinley burn off some energy of being locked in a car for two days!
We met Rachel, her kiddos (Meredith and Russell), her mom, dad and sister for dinner. We also ran into Wendi, her mom and sister at the restaurant...not to many choices to eat in Fayetteville! Meredith and Brinley are 3 months apart so it was neat to see them somewhat interact (even though Meredith had a cold and Brinley was cranky from being cooped up!)
Brinley and Meredith (hard to get 2 year olds to smile at the same time!)
Saturday morning, we had the shower for Amanda where I got to see all my sorority sisters in my pledge class. It was really great to see them since I only get to see them once every year or some of them since we graduated 6 years ago!
The beautiful bride, Amanda
Kappa Delta sorority sisters
Saturday night, mom babysat Brinley at the hotel while I went to dinner with my old roommates and then hit the old stomping ground, Dickson street (bars and restaurants). Did I mention the entire time we were in Fayetteville the weather was frigid! I think it got down to 28 degrees Saturday night...but I got to use my seat warmers in my new car and didn't have to wait until next February! Anyways, nothing makes you feel more old than going out to the places you went in college that are still filled with college students! Cold, smelling like smoke and tired, I was home by 11:30!
My roommates, Wendi, Amanda, Kylie and Me
Sunday, mom and I decided to get up eat breakfast and head home. We decided to try and make the 9 1/2 hour trip in one day to "get it over with"! So after several movies, a few naps and lots of entertaining we made it home Sunday evening!
Overall, Brinley was a trooper and traveled well! I wish I could have taken more pictures of campus and the gorgeous scenery with our new camera but it seemed like we were always running around....plus it was too cold! Hopefully when we go for the wedding in June (we are flying!!!), I can take advantage of taking more pictures!
After a brief nap in the car, we headed to Melody's craw fish boil birthday party. Her parents live on the bay and the afternoon had turned in to a gorgeous day! All my family was there so Brinley and Reese got to run around.
Brinley found the live craw fish very interesting and watched them for a while, until Uncle Blake decided to pick one up and have it make a loud noise as it came towards her....then she went running and didn't go near them the rest of the evening!
Once we got home, we realized Brinley had been bit by something several times around her knee (she never cried or acted like she had something on her the entire evening). She woke up Sunday morning with her knee swollen about 3 times bigger than the other one and running a fever. After a quick doctors visit, it is diagnosed a severe reaction to some kind of insect bite and treatable with Benadryl.
