On the Road Again

Preface

The H.U.G.E. gap in dates from the last post to this one is one of the big reasons why our summer vacation trips were so necessary. Life is so fast-paced and each day seems to just collide right into the next. Before I know it, weeks have turned into months. This trip was a much-needed break for our family. To just get away from all the hustle and bustle, regroup, re-energize, relax. . .

SO, our summer vacation had a Part Two. . . this time, all four of us were able to go. We were headed for Perdido Key, Florida with two other families. The week's agenda included hanging out at the beach, eating, hanging out at the pool, eating, hanging out at the beach. . . perfect vacation!

If you can believe it, we departed for Florida about 6 hours after the girls and I arrived home from Omaha. I'm still a little in shock with how my Type A personality was able to overcome that. I didn't have to start packing from scratch--I just had to reorganize suitcases a bit, pack in the water gear, load up on more diapers and baby items. . . we rolled out of the house around 7:45 pm, following our friends and their two kids down I-20. We had a long drive ahead of us, but fortunately, driving through part of the night helped because both Carly and Hannah slept for the majority of it.

We rolled into Perdido Key Beach late afternoon on a Saturday, stopping for a late lunch at the Crab Trap. Fried food never tasted so good. And, I quickly asked a waitress, "Is it 5 pm here?" I really thought they were an hour ahead of Texas time, so I was elated to hear her say that it was 4. Even a one-hour time change for toddlers can be a not-so-fun thing to witness.

The kids were initiated into the beach life right away at the Crab Trap when they received a sand bucket and shovel with which they could use in the restaurant's "backyard"/beach. Needless to say, they didn't stick around long at the table before they were off to fill their buckets and shovels with sand.

That's how our week-long AMAZING time at the beach began and that was par for each day--sand, ocean, swimming pool, eating, laughing, repeat again the next morning. Here are some highlights and memories from the trip:

**Taking a break at the Love's Travel Stop on the way out of town sometime around 10:30 pm. Kids were still awake from the excitement of being on a road trip (also coupled with the fact that Carly thought we would arrive at the beach sometime that night, so I'm sure she didn't want to fall asleep and miss out on that). When we exited our cars, you would have thought the kids hadn't seen each other for months. Picture children running towards each other, arms outstretched, yelling "Carly!" and "Luke, Lola!"

**Hannah falling asleep on the beach. She was the ultimate beach bum. What a great backdrop for falling asleep--listening to the waves crash on the shore.



**Roxanne and Eric's cool stovetop espresso maker. I'm no barrista, so I don't even know the technical jargon for it, but I do know that you put milk, espresso and water in it, put it on the stovetop and it basically brews and steams your perfect latte right there for you.

**The kids--Luke, Lola, Max, Kat, Carly and Hannah--playing together so well for the entire trip. Each family had their own bedroom and bathroom, but you'd think after 6 days together, people would be ready to escape such close quarters. Not here! We had a great time, and I was especially impressed with how well the little ones did.


**The deck around the condo. The condo was on the 2nd floor, so it was perfect for sitting outside on a deck chair and looking out at the beach and the ocean. Plus, it was an L-shaped deck, so it made for a great 2nd playroom for the kids.


**Am the only one who was ignorant to the fact that A LOT of sand accumulates in one's swimsuit by just being in the ocean?

**The laid-back non-agenda for each day--no hurry to get out of bed in the morning, strolling down to the beach around 10 or 10:30 and setting up camp.

**Combing the beach for seashells with Carly. This became her favorite activity the last few days. With her bucket in tow, she would announce, "Let's look for shells, Mom!" And, we would set off to filter and pick through the white sand, each of us squealing with delight when we found even a fragment of a beautiful shell.

**The sunset at the beach. The vastness of the ocean and the beautiful sand just makes it that much prettier.

**Each couple had a chance to get away for a date during lunch or dinner. J and I went to a restaurant in nearby Pensacola--Atlas (and the Fish House) . I had the Grits a-Ya-Ya. Talk about a meal to remember: shrimp, bacon, spinach and garlic poured over smoked Gouda cheese grits.

**Six adults pitching in and helping with the meal preparation and cleanup. It made mealtime easy and FUN, standing around while chopping vegetables, talking and laughing with friends.

**Reading on the beach. This was heavenly for me. A few afternoons during the kids' naptimes, I would head out to the beach, set up my chair and towel, and soak up the sun while reading.

**J and Michael attempting to conquer the skiff board.

**The Play & Freeze Ice Cream Ball. Yvette and Michael brought this and it was a hit! We used it twice to make ice cream. Basically, add cream, vanilla, sugar, ice, rock salt. . .and get to bowling or playing ball!

**The older kids referred to Hannah as "baby Hannah." We would often hear, "Good morning, baby Hannah!" or "Where's baby Hannah?" The adults joked after our trip that the name will probably stick with Hannah, even as she gets older. So, when she's in her 20s, and one of these kids asks, "What's baby Hannah doing?", we won't be surprised.

What a tremendous week with dear friends. It was our first official family vacation and it couldn't have been any better!