Plans change...

Last weekend, we decided to surprise my mom for her birthday. The plan was to leave after a birthday party at 11:30 and be there before dinner for the big surprise. Of course, we were having so much fun at the party, that we got a 45 minute late start! It was also raining, great...We were still hopeful about making good time though...Until the van started making a funny noise.

BANG! Our tire had gone flat and then blew out on the high way! In the rain! We knew our tires were old and needed replacing, and I had been worried that we would get a flat while I was out on my own. So, I was thankful that Troy was with me, even though it meant a change of plans was surely in order. He was able to get us pulled over, get our shredded tire off, and the spare put on. We didn't run over anything to cause the flat; basically, just drove a hole in the tire!

So plans changed...

Troy drove (slowly!) back to the house, where I would stay while the boys napped, while he went to the tire shop. The original time estimate was an hour and a half, perfect timing to get on the road after naps and be in Conroe by bed time. It actually took about 4 hours, though, so plans changed again...
After a crazy afternoon of no napping for all 3 kids, I was so ready to hit the road when Troy got home at 4:45. The new plan was just to head straight to Grandma's house for the night and surprise my mom with breakfast. The big boys were already asleep in the van and transferred great. Lachlan had other plans and wanted to play for awhile before going to bed. He finally crashed around midnight and was still the first one up on Saturday!
Before heading to my mom's, we picked up an amazing spread from Panera Bread. Reef and Jonas rang the doorbell with birthday card in hand. Gigi was so surprised to see them! I was impressed that Grandma, Taylor, and I were able to keep the secret for several weeks. It was a great morning of visiting, and Aunt Taylor and Jacob joined us too.

At lunch time, we decided to head to Chick Fil A for some food and to let the boys blow off some steam. It also gave my mom some time to rest. Then it was back to grandma's for a nap. After nap time, we enjoyed the sun finally coming out and spent the afternoon in the backyard. They spent a lot of time mastering the art of bubble blowing. I think they're finally getting the hang of it.

Then Troy did the blowing while they did the chasing.

I really can't stand the stickiness of bubbles, so Troy did the dirty work for me...

Grandma made a great dinner for the whole family to enjoy, and then it was back in the van for the long ride home. Whew! What a fast trip, but it was so worth it!