Searching for our tree of life

We're home! Our one week trip actually turned into two weeks. I almost didn't even make it to NW Florida in the first place! We got up at 4:00 in the morning on the 21st because I needed to be at the Miami airport by 6:00. We drove for almost an hour and then I saw police lights flashing ahead of us. All the cars were making a u-turn and driving the same way they just came from. They had closed the only road to Miami from where we live. We ended up having to drive almost an hour out of the way to get on the turnpike and take it to Miami. We have a few fines coming from the turnpike because we did not plan on using it so we had no money to pay. I made it to the airport around 7:00 got my bag checked and sat down in the boarding area less than 10 minutes before we boarded the plane. Thankfully the plane took off on time and by 7:30 we were in the air. Jakob really liked flying during the daytime. He just looked out the window and thought it was so cool. I brought a variety of snacks and thankfully (we forgot his cup in the car) they gave me a little bottle of water so he was so proud to be drinking out of a bottle his own size :) We landed in Ft. Walton at 7:55 their time and my mom and sisters were already waiting for us. When we left Miami that morning it was about 80 degrees. When we walked off the plane in Ft. Walton it was probably 50 degrees. It was so cold!!! I hadn't even checked out the weather, but I figured it was probably mostly warm up there so I only brought short sleeved shirts for myself. I did bring Jakob a few long sleeve shirts and a couple jackets. Thank goodness Kara's clothes fit me, so I had to borrow some jackets/shirts while we visited. Jakob had a great time with his Grandma's, Grandpa's and Aunts. We went to the park, shopping quite a bit, but mostly just hung out and Jakey got to play. We got to go to Panama City and see Shelly and the kids. I was sitting at the table in PC talking to Kymberly (when my Mom and Shelly had gone somewhere) and I just couldn't believe that my best friends daughter is old enough to have a real "grown up" conversation with me. She is a sweetie. We had a lot of fun. Jeremy's mom had been sick all week, and we really hadn't seen her that much so on the 28th Me, Jakob and Jeremy went to stay with them. On the 29th we ended up in the ER and Jeremy's mom had to have emergency surgery for a ruptured bowel. Thankfully they caught it in time because it is very toxic.  She is recovering, but it is going to be a long process, please keep her in your prayers. First thing this morning I set Jakob on his new potty chair and he peed. I don't think he had a clue he did it, but it's a start. I think this week I am just going to do it every morning, then we'll think about trying it all day long. Jakob has added a couple more words to his vocabulary- one is all my mom's doing. While we were there she gave him two baths a day. He now says BAF every time he eats, when he wakes up from sleeping, he wants a bath all the time :) He kept saying BU-- for buzz lightyear. This morning we were going to the grocery store and I said BUZZ and he looked at me and said BU..ssszzz. Jeremy looked at me with this huge grin and we clapped and screamed for him. He kept on saying it. We had a really good time visiting the family, but it is good to get home too. You can only live out of a suitcase for so long. Oh! We saw Jeremy's old boss at Cracker Barrell the other night, and his wife told Jeremy that just about every day he says he misses Jeremy at work and wishes he was there. (I think she embarrassed him by saying it, but it made Jeremy feel good to hear) Anyways, that's a long trip in a short story. I didn't take that many pictures, but my mom did, so maybe you'll see them on her facebook. Hope that you all are doing well, and have a great weekend! :)