We began our adventures by heading to Memphis at the end of July. Mommy and Ivee were accompanied by Brittney and her friend, Corene. Corene has always wanted to visit St. Jude, and as it is with all people who visit there, she was quite touched. It doesn't feel like a hospital, and St. Jude is not draped in the doom and gloom that many think it might be. However, you do pass sick kids, kids on chemo, kids after surgery, and this time unlike any other time, there were many, many kids there that have lost a limb to this disease. I've never seen that many kids there at one time who are not only fighting for their lives, but have already had a disfigurement because of it. Many people who see Ivee don't know her struggle with this horrible disease, but these poor babies, many teenagers, have a very noticeable and embarrassing reminder! They're struggle, faces, and hearts are not far from my mind!
We did leave early on Sunday morning so that we could fit a visit in to the Memphis Zoo. Ivee loves it there and Corene really loved seeing those pandas...who were awake and eating, luckly.
And Ivee enjoyed her favorite part...
the Merry-Go-Round!
And my favorite part was in the indoor bird house....where birds were flying at Brittney's head! :) 
After Ivee's good MRI news and her loooonngg endocrine test, we arrived home late Wednesday night. I had one day to do laundry, recover and repack for a trip to North Carolina to see my dad's brothers, sister, and all my other family there. We left out VERY early Friday morning for a 14 hour trip. We actually made pretty good time!
My dad's brother, Wesley, is an avid fisherman/boats man. He took the kids tubing for the first time on Saturday. Ethan was a go from the start, Brittney took some convincing, but loved it as well. And once we got Ivee on the boat, she LOVED the ride. She wanted to keep going faster.
I just love Brittney's face in this one!! :)
Ethan even got to drive it, making Brittney, who was on the tube, quite nervous. But he did a great job!
That night we had dinner with most of my uncles, aunts, cousins and their kids. Here is my father, center, with his two brothers and my cousin Keith, who so graciously gave us a place to stay.
Ivee took immediately to Mary Emma, my cousin Kara's little girl and the new baby, Michael! Ivee just loves them babies.
Ivee's two greatest loves while we were there, though, were the Gator, which she asked to ride everyday, and the Barn, where we stayed. She commented many times that she really missed daddy, but that he needed to come see us, at the Barn! Even when we got home from our trip, she said, "Daddy, you need to come to the barn!" My cousin did an incredible job of converting the old place into this really nice two story living space. We truly appreciated being able to stay there!
The Monday after we arrived in NC, we left out early again for a two day stay in Washington DC. I and the kids had never been there. It was quite warm, but I was very grateful to be able to share that with my children, and plan on going back when it is cooler with the kids and Emmett.
We visited Ab two times the first day, during the day and at night. The next day Ivee awoke and said, "I want to go see the big boy in the chair." Love a child's mind!
We visited the WWII memorial, Washington Monument, passed the White House, and ended the day at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.
Ivee loves elephants.
That night after supper at the GREAT Mexican/Salvadorian restaurant in Arlington, we visited the Capital at night. It was so beautiful!
Then we visited the big boy in the chair again, and the Jefferson monument.
Tuesday, we visited Arlington National Cemetery. I was quite moved and emotional at the massivity of the grounds and the many, many lives of service men and women buried there.
In DC we were blessed to here the playing of this sax player outside out lunch establishment. He had only been playing 2 years, but you would have thought he was born with that thing in his mouth. He was packing up to leave as Britt headed out with money to give. She got out there and told him she had cash, but he had to play her a song for it.
Our DC trip ended with a walk through the Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian Castle! Beautiful gardens there!
We left DC, headed back to NC for a little more family time. Saturday, made our way back home through the Smokey mountains, and into the arms of one happy Daddy!!!! Who was smothered by one happy Ivee!
Two days later we finished out an exhausting time with my birthday "party", cause if you have a birthday in this house, there MUST be a party. This law is know as Ivee's LAW! She and Britt even went and got me a cake...it happened to be Brittney's favorite kind of cake!
And so ended a long 2 weeks that left us with 1 week to prepare for school!
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