ROAD TRIP!!!

I LOVE a good road trip and will jump at most opportunities to take one. My good friends John Murphy and Rachel Parker were married in the Orlando, Florida Temple on Thursday and I really wanted to be there so my friends Jenna Kimble, Laura Bain, and I piled into the car and headed down.

We left Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon after Jenna and Laura got off work and arrived in Orlando around midnight. A seven hour drive really isn't bad when you have good company. Jenna serenaded us with her ukulele, we played the license plate game, and we rocked out to James Taylor and The Beatles. We spent the night with Rachel and her family. The next morning we all enjoyed talking to Rachel and helping as she got ready for her big day.

The Orlando Temple is absolutely beautiful inside and out!

Waiting for John and Rachel to come out of the temple -
somehow I missed the black and white memo.

The happy couple coming out of the temple.

I love the way Rachel is looking at John in this one.

With the beautiful bride.

Jenna was the one who set them up!

John and Rachel were married at 9:30 so we were done by about 11:00 (their reception was not until Saturday back home in Atlanta). We didn't want to just turn around and go home so we headed over to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. I wouldn't recommend going the week before the summer season starts (several rides were closed for maintenance, the park is only open until seven, and just about every eighth grade class in the state of Florida was there celebrating middle school graduation), but we had a great time and got to ride most things we wanted to ride at least once. Plus, I love people watching at places like that! I am fascinated by the way people interact with each other, the kids who think they can outsmart everyone else and cut in line, and the little things people do when they think nobody is watching. Our six hours in the park provided lots of entertaining people watching!

Jenna's friend Michael lives in Gainesville so he drove down to hang out with us for the day.

Jenna wasn't sure if she was tall enough to ride Men in Black.

Laura and I waiting for the Spider-Man Ride - Everybody looks cool in 3-D glasses!

Jenna and Laura waiting in a line.

By the time we got to our hotel Thursday Night, we were all exhausted. I don't know what time Jenna and Laura fell asleep but I fell asleep around 10:00. We woke up in the morning and went to the temple then headed out at about 11:00. I had such a great time, I am always game for a mini-vacation!