It's been six weeks since returning from our beach getaway (and since I've blogged for that matter). I can still smell the salty air and hear the lulling of the ocean waves. . . gracious how I love the coast. This year was extra special seeing as we hadn't taken a 'real' family vacation in 3 years (Chattanooga weekend trips just don't count) and we were due some quality time together at a destination we've come to adore. So, we packed our bags (and more bags and more bags), loaded up the vehicle, picked up Gigi, and hit the south bound road.
And no, I haven't made a spelling error. Technically we stayed at Fort Morgan which is a peninsula directly before the main beach of GULF Shores, but Cole continues to call it 'Golf' Shores. And, nope didn't even set foot on the green :)
A breakfast stop at Cracker Barrel and mid-day lunch break at Peach Park, AL helped turn our 8 hour trek into a 12 hour ride, but were well worth the leg-stretching and get-out-energy breaks for the boys. And I must note that the boys were EXCELLENT little travelers. Super content to ride and play. Cade napped for maybe 1.5 hours (off and on), Cole didn't sleep
at all, and we only sported one 30 minute DVD. Whew! Thankful for Gigi who helped keep them entertained!
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| Yummy peach cobbler with ice cream |
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| Exploring the grounds at Peach Park |
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| So many goodies to purchase! |
After grabbing dinner at Subway and making a quick trip to the grocery for needed breakfast items, we finally rolled in to our destination. Woo-hoo!
Beach house was lovely
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| 'Bliss' - Our home for the week |
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| Checking out all the goodies in the garage |
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| Daddy's favorite :) |
After breakfast and a large grocery run, we couldn't wait to get our feet in the sand on Sunday. Cole loved it, but Cade wasn't too fond of the sand.
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| Ahhhhhh |
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| Check out the farmer's tan :) |
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| So, so glad my mom could enjoy all the fun with us! |
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| Afternoon storm rolling in on Sunday |
Papa arrived Sunday evening and it was wonderful to eat breakfast together on Monday morning. We headed out for another gorgeous beach day and ended with dinner at the 'Home of the Throwed Rolls'. My parents had never been to Lambert's, so it was a must!
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| Silly boy |
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| First time coloring at a restaurant :) |
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| Shrimp gets two thumbs up! |
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| Front row seat to the boats passing by |
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| Cole even got them to honk the horn |
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| Cade enjoyed a wave as well :) |
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| Wharf Marina |
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| "C'mon ride the train, and ride it. C'mon it's the choo-choo train" - I'll have these song lyrics in my head forever thanks to this f-o-r-e-v-e-r ride. |
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| Wanted to ride in a car by himself - growin' up :( |
After the Wharf, we stopped at Scoops for a delish ice cream treat
Late night crabbing is a must, so the boys headed out in search of some creepy creatures
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Success! Too creepy!!
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Wednesday was bittersweet as Papa had to head out to catch a Thursday flight, but we soaked up our time together and enjoyed a night out at The Track with Gigi.
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| The boys :) |
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| Papa and his boys |
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LIVE starfish that Papa found
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| Brave boy decided to give boogie boarding a try this year. . . |
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| LOVED it!! |
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| Souvenir shopping fun :) Suits him don't ya think? |
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| Found Nemo! |
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| Hot night at The Track. The humidity brought out all of his sweet curls . |
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| An arcade visit isn't complete without a game of Deal or No Deal |
Thursday was full of more pool fun and a DATE NIGHT for Michael and I thanks to Gigi. We had a great time enjoying delish food and music at a local favorite, but upon our return found that the house AC unit had been hit by lightning the night before and was blown. The task of packing and moving everything was daunting, but we were more than pleased with our new place. Although the we said good-bye to the golf cart and other house amenities, waking up to an ocean view while enjoying breakfast on the balcony was a lovely transition.
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| New view - LOVELY |
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| Beautiful corner balcony |
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| This boy was a fish by the time the week had ended. |
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| Date Night with my man |
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| New abode |
Friday was another beautiful day and we soaked up sun once again. That evening, we headed down to the beach for a few fun pics. Wish we would've started earlier seeing as the sun set quickly, but it was fun just the same.
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| L.O.V.E |
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| My boys. . . I'm one blessed lady! |
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| We found this sign while driving one evening and had to stop for a pic. Perfect! |
Saturday was our original travel home date, but Michael surprised us with an extra day seeing as we spent the better half of Thursday evening/Friday morning moving to a new space. Even though it was an overcast day, we loved our extra vacation time and traveled down to the ferry, viewed Fort Morgan, and stopped for lunch at the Beach Club Cafe.
The sun came out that afternoon and Gigi, Cole, and I enjoyed one last beach stroll. Perfect way to end a fabulous week!
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| Fun sand sculptures we spotted on our stroll |
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| We even spotted a sea turtle nest - super cool! |
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| Soaking it in. . . |
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| I LOVE the beach! |
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| The ferry to Mobile, AL. The oil rigs seemed so close! |
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| Fort Morgan, AL |
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| My favorite beach house along our peninsula drive. . . a girl can dream :) |
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| Fun balloon animals at Beach Club |
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| Imagine her with a Russian accent - quite hilarious :) |
