So the last full week of April we loaded up myself, Jeremy, Jonah, Samuel, and my mother-in-law (Vera) and hit the road. I was attending the Orange Conference in Atlanta (children's ministry), so we decided to make a vacation out of it.
Our first destination was Louisiana to stay with my grandmother for a couple of days.
On the way, we stopped at a great rest stop in Nacagdoches. Seriously, it had covered picnic tables, a nice indoor area, and a playground! While we were there we saw a man who had stopped that was towing an excavator (the things I learn as the mom of boys!!). Jeremy took Jonah over to look and the man asked if he wanted to get up in it. Yes, please!! Jonah had a blast!
We enjoyed the chance for fresh air!
We enjoyed our time with MawMaw. We took walks, relaxed, and Jonah got to help make spaghetti!
After a couple of days, however, we were back on the road. The boys really were great travellers. It's not easy to make this trip (13 hrs if driven straight!) with an almost-3-yr-old and a 10 month old who's determined to walk. Thankfully we packed more than enough entertainment and for the moments when we couldn't take any more our rental van had a dvd player. : )
By some miracle, the boys were actually awake for every state line (except Louisiana, maybe). We took the opportunity to get out and take some pics. 
Also, for those of you who don't know, Alabama has a state law that designates the left lane for passing only. Just thought you may want to know that...
We couldn't resist this photo op with our bear : )
More fun at a park in Alabama. Perfect shady spot for a picnic!
This was the Mississippi state line. I guess I didn't upload the pic of us with the state name. Oh well. I think the gigantic river is proof enough.
Finally made it!! I was tempted to do a zombie tour (Walking Dead!!) but decided it may not be a great idea with the 2 little ones ; ) 
While I was at the conference, Vera, Jeremy, and the boys had some fun of their own!
Riding the cart and the elevator are Jonah's 2 favorite things about hotels. He also got really attached to the shoe polisher in the lobby.
Gotta love free breakfast with 2 little ones!
We ate at one of the first Chick-fil-As! They were called Dwarf House and they have a restaurant with an expanded menu and even waiters! It felt strange to order a burger but all Jonah cared about was the door that was just his size.
We also checked out another Atlanta staple: The Varsity. Food was pretty good, great prices. Mostly it was a fun place to eat.
My children don't stay in hotels much, so everything is a bit of a novelty.
If you look at the second picture, you'll see blue tape on the a/c. No, we didn't stay at a trashy hotel. I had read a tip in a magazine to take painters tape when you stay at hotels with little ones. It was awesome. We put some over the electrical sockets, taped the drawers (no smashed fingers!!), and prevented them both from messing with the a/c. Great tip!
I think the boys' favorite thing we did was the Children's Museum. Jonah had a great time riding a tractor, driving a crane, milking a cow, fishing, and sliding down a banana. Sam also loved hanging out with Honey (Vera) in the crawler space. He was finally able to roam free without hearing "No!" Poor kid. Hotel rooms just aren't kid-proof!
At last it was time to head home. The drive back was a bit of a beast (think 2 little ones, little sleep, uncomfortable chairs, driving through the night) but thankfully we made it home! I'm not in a rush to do it again but we did make some great memories!!
