Girls (or Moms) just wanna have Fu-un!

From Thursday evening ... until Sunday evening -- it was just the FIVE of us ... GIRLS -- MOMS to be exact! Our wonderful husbands all agreed to keep our little ones -- youngest (11 months) -and we headed to Florida for 3 days. The drive was a little long - but we MADE it and with lots of stories there and back!

Here we are going to the beach - bundled in ALL of the warm clothes we had - not much - we thought we were going to the BEACH!

Rachel, Hannah, Shari, Jessica and Megan.

This was the BEAUTIFUL sunset that we got to see as we walked on the beach. We picked up lots of shells, some starfish - that we believed wouldn't survive anyway, and saw more interesting animals than we've ever seen before!

A farovite beach picture.

We DID stay up late, got to SLEEP in, ate yummy meals, ate at That Place on 98, watched chick flicks, made cards, did our hair - and just got to be GOOD friends! We pretty much talked about EVERYTHING.

Some funny/not so funny moments...

getting lost VIA Tom-Tom trying to take us down dirt roads, asking if we were in Georgia/Florida, being scared to go downstairs or outside in the dark, boiling in the hot tub ... literally, hearing sweet voices on the phone and all the things daddy was letting Benjamin do at home, LOTS of ice cream, and many incredible memories.

I have to say that my all-time favorite - was kneeling together for "FAMILY PRAYER" Thursday night at 1:30 am ... so exhausted and ready to hop in bed - but that was most important to each of us ... it was the icing on the cake!

Chattanooga Aquarium!

So -- New Year's Eve day Benjamin and I went to the Chattanooga Aquarium with Charity and little William -- Benjamin could not be contained in his stroller the wholetime -- this is a FANTASTIC place for kids. He LOVED trying to pet the sting rays -

so long as they didn't come to close!

Here's Benjamin looking at the Sting Rays -

and Sharks and other swimming animals in the petting "water"!

Benjamin LOVED the Penguins and watching them swim! I think he thought this one was real - I'm not sure that he's figured out that in-animate objects are really not alive, but that's okay.

I think he would've taken this guy home if he could've!

We also enjoyed the butterfly house ... along with the most incredible looking seahorses... the only thing I could think of - someone sure had furn coming up with that animal!

Christmas 2008... I mean 2007!

Well these are REALLY late Christmas pictures from 2007 ... even though we are WELL into 2008! They got "misplaced" for a little white -- but finally after re-loading, they are back! We spent Christmas at The Harrisons ... and New Year's at the Owens ... most of these are fun pictures of Benjamin ... but a few with us!

Benjamin Owens and William Ray ... cousins!

Jonathan and Benjamin opening a TRUCK!

Jonathan, Rachel and Benjamin Owens - Christmas morning at the Harrisons!

Jonathan and Benjamin blowing out the Christmas Candles!

Kinsley Forscutt, Benjamin Owens and Mary Mitchell - different cousins!