We left last Sunday for a trip to visit grandparents (the kids’ great grandparents) in New Jersey, as well as their Aunt Leah and some other friends in Salisbury, MD.

After a stop in Johnson City TN (Cracker Barrel for breakfast of course), we pretty much drove straight through to NJ and stayed at a hotel in Toms River. Girls did well, Abby was getting a little restless by the end.

The next morning we went to Grandma Dee and Grandpa Chick’s for breakfast. After they gave their gret grandkids some gifts, we took a ride over to Amanda’s Aunt Kelly’s, where the girls played in the pool with their cousins.

The princess on her throne.

The next day the girls and I went to the beach. Much fun.

Mmmmm … work those hips.

Of course after all the natural beach stuff we just had to make a stop by the boardwalk, where I got the funnel cake I had been so looking forward to – and ride the ferris wheel.

Heaven on a paper plate.

We went out to dinner with Amanda’s grandparents that night and then sat around the pool back at the hotel with them for an hour or so. Much fun.

The next day we packed up and hit the road for Leah’s house in Maryland. We ended up driving onto the Cape May ferry which was pretty cool.

It was nice seeing Leah and meeting her friends. But Tate was getting pretty worn out with her current back problems – none of the medicines were helping. She had a couple of really bad nights and with me and Amanda without sleep, so it was time to head home early. Tate’s scheduled for another MRI in addition to an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon in Durham later next week.

Hopefully they will have good news for us – or at least a path to get her on the road to recovery soon!