Our Family Trip to Florida
We got the news that John’s cousin — the youngest and last to get married — had gotten engaged last winter. Even amid some C19 restriction uncertainty, they planned to get married at the end of May in FL and invited the whole fam.
We marked off our calendar and counted down the days, planned and prepared, and with a 1-year-old and 7-month pregnant belly in tow, we made the family trip down to Florida!
You know how it goes. Any bigger trip requires some finessing with taking time off of work and nailing down an exact schedule. And with a baby, there’s a whole new element of preparation that lends itself more to Army Marmy than to the free-spirit road-tripper that I know is still in there… somewhere!
So, after list-making, several trips to Target and Walmart, and some packing strategery, we loaded up the car and made our way South.
A quick stay in Savannah
John and I decided to break up the 10-hour trip down into two parts, stopping to stay the night about halfway, in Savannah. Last year we spent our babymoon in Savannah, and we knew it would feel extra special to show Griffin around. Although our accommodations were hilarious and not exactly restful, we had such a fun time taking her to the best pizza joint that evening, and strolling her beside the river over biscuits and coffee the next morning. We also showed her the Griffin statue outside of the historic Cotton Exchange building, one of the confirmations we received to go ahead and name our gal after a powerful eagle/lion!
We hit the road right after that, onwards to Florida!
Thunderbird Inn - cute stay but not exactly baby friendly : )
She took it in stride, and we all (kind of) slept through the night-ish
Never too early for a parkour plank pose
Me + Griffin + baby in front of the Griffin statue in Savannah!
The Vacay Rental
Have you ever been to Northern Florida (think GA-FL line, but not the band, unless you really want to)? It is some of the most beautiful land I’ve ever seen in the USA. It’s lush and rural and has rolling green hills peppered with giant Oaks covered in Spanish moss. After watching almost all the seasons of Swamp People during postpartum and over the last year, you better believe I was on high alert for some gator spotting!
We got there 2 days before the wedding, and stayed in a beautiful VRBO rental cottage by a river with John’s family. The day before the wedding, John gave me some time off to go into town and get my nails done before the rehearsal dinner. It was so lovely to see the extended family that evening at the venue, a gorgeous cattle farm with 500-year-old oaks all around, Spanish moss swaying in the warm evening breeze.
The Wedding
On the wedding day, I joined the bride, her sisters, and some of the ladies in our family for a bridal brunch. Then I had the privilege of stepping back into my HMUA shoes and spending the morning with the bride, helping her with her hair and makeup. One of my favorite parts of that job was to bring a sense of peace and presentness, and I love that I got to do that again for family.
At 7 months pregnant, I tried to take it easy, drink lots of water, and sit when I could. It was warm and a busy day, but so very beautiful!
Brie and Caleb got married under one of those super old oak trees with the swaying moss, and we celebrated the night away, dancing with Griffin and catching up with family and friends.
7 months preggo! “Restin my gams” as I like to say : )
Thank you Nancy for taking these precious images!
The mother of the groom, John’s aunt, and one of Griffin’s favorite people — Aunt Becky!
The day after was a rest day at the vacay rental, complete with sleeping in, swimming, and laundry before DISNEY! Even with my deep knowledge of gators, I decided to be adventurous and tube down the river twice on our rest day! It felt so nice to swim and rest my muscles after a long day the day before, and at heart, I’m a real river rat.
Disney World!
I love that our fam was totally game to drive the extra 2 hours down to Orlando and do Disney all together! It’s not something we would go out of our way to plan for, I don’t think. But I’ve always wanted to go to Disney, the opportunity presented itself, and the whole Ray clan decided to just go for it, even very pregnant Nancy and very pregnant me!
We decided to join for Animal Kingdom on day 1, enjoy a rest day at the pool with extended family on day 2, and rejoin the Ray crew for Magic Kingdom on day 3 to round out the trip!
I had very few expectations for the parks knowing I couldn’t ride much, it would be quite hot/lots of time on my feet, and Griffin wouldn’t remember anything, but I was still VERY excited! I tried to read some pregnant-at-Disney blogs to prepare. (Yes, they DO exist and they were very helpful!) Best tips there? Bring a change of shoes, for when your feet start to swell, and use the slow rides as times to rest your feet in the AC.
I have to say, Disney exceeded my expectations for accessibility for rides/activities for expecting moms and infants, especially in Magic Kingdom. We didn’t have to wear masks around the parks except on the rides, we were able to find great food, and Griffin napped like a champ in her stroller.
My (+ Griffin’s!) fave things and attractions in Animal Kingdom: Up! (the exotic bird show), Pandora (just walking through the world!), Na’avi River Journey, Sanaa restaurant
My/Griffin’s favorite things in Magic Kingdom: It’s a Small World, Peter Pan, Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, character mini-parades through the streets (still mini due to C19), Under the Sea, and Lafou’s Brew (yummy iced beverage!)
John’s favorite: Avatar Flight of Passage! (I’ll be back for that someday!)
The whole crew minus J+K!
It’s tough being strolled around all day!
And she’s out : )
The ladies!
Griffin’s favorite was definitely the bird show, Up!
I’d say that was one for the books!
Listen, a big family trip isn’t easy, and it isn’t always convenient or comfortable. But it’s worth it for connection and memories that will last forever! One thing I learned during my international travels growing up is that flexibility is key. When you’re flex, you have the most fun. And this trip was filled with memories I’ll hold onto forever.
It’s also inspiring to infuse our everyday, central NC life with as much fun as possible, and to shake up the routine every once in a while!
