Destin {Catch a Wave}

If you're sick of hearing and seeing pictures of our trip to Destin...than I would suggest you just move along...because I have more to share!  ha!  I'll admit that it is major picture overload...and really the first one looks about the same as the one-hundredth one...but the kids, and Dan, were thrilled to get their pictures taken!  {okay...I'm lying...but they were very cooperative and I want to thank them tons for letting me point my camera at them for a week...and they'll thank me some day when they get to go back and remember how much fun we had...right?  Of course!}

So then...

We had a blast with the waves here!  They were fierce...but so much fun to ride them onto the shore! 

Emily would crack us up because she would get pounded by a wave and come out with a huge smile on her face!  I kept asking, "Are you okay?!"  And she'd say, "Yeah, that was fun!"

I was a little more cautious...but had a good time too! 
{I have to remain cool for as long as possible to them!  I'm pretty sure in a year or two they will not want to be seen with me riding the waves!  ha!}

I mean these were some powerful waves...there were kids actually surfing on them!

The waves were as calm as could be on our last day...and the kids enjoyed looking for seashells with their goggles on...and I was able to enjoy a more relaxing float too!

If Alex and Emily weren't digging in the sand...the waves were most definitely a huge hit!

...and once again...Ellie was just fine...as long as she was just far enough away from the sand and water!

{...to be continued...and continued...!}

Destin {Life is Good at the Beach}

We miss the beach so much!  We had such a great time this summer in Destin!

{except for my hair...not so much! ha!}

I don't even know where to begin!  I tried so hard to keep myself from picking up the camera every minute...but I didn't want to miss capturing all the fun!  But I also wanted to actually be there in the real moment...and not be living it through the lens the whole time!  {okay...so maybe I could've tried a little harder!}

The kids did so good for their first long road trip ever!  We've been very lucky to fly for our vacations...which can also take it's toll...but I actually relaxed more knowing we were going to drive...especially packing and not worrying about how much the suitcases weighed! ha!  What a relief!

We stayed overnight in Nashville on the way down...and got going early the next morning.

...Alabama being the longest leg of the trip...but we made it through with a few stops...

We made ourselves right at home in the condo...it was so cozy! 

{excuse Dan's big foot...ha!  I told you it was just like home!}

We would've had  no problem just leaving all of our stuff behind and staying here!  But we got a good chuckle about all the elephants in the condo!  It was decorated in a jungle/tropical theme with bamboo, leopard, monkeys, lots of foilage and we'd find a new elephant somewhere in the decor every day!  Ha!

We had good views of the beach and pool...

...and a nice little courtyard where we could watch Alex and Emily playing frisbee...

But we didn't spend too much time looking at them from our balcony...we headed down to the beach and pool right after breakfast!

It was great to have the beach chairs to sit back and watch the kids splash in the ocean and dig in the sand...

...and to have a shady umbrella while Ellie took in all the excitement too...

{at least for a little while...}

This is only a small portion of what I still want to share...I just couldn't get enough of all the wave-riding, sand-digging...and especially these little piggies...

{even though she could have done without the sand between her toes!}

{...to be continued...}