Look Out Tiger Woods!

Well, this is it folks...the last of my beach pictures. You can finally breathe a sigh of relief! I do appreciate all the sweet comments you've left for me...they are much appreciated!

Now, on Friday, we'd all pretty much had enough of hanging out on the beach. Actually, the girls had, but I could sit out there all day long and do absolutely nothing. They, of course, were ready for a change. So, we drove back over to Panama City Beach and went to a nice outlet mall and did a little shopping. Abby can shop anyone under the table! Talk about a bargain hunter! We enjoyed an early dinner at Olive Garden, then we drove around for a place to play a game of putt-putt. Chris and I are very competitive and I warned him that I was going to "whoop" him in a big way!

Here's Brittany sizing up her shot.
Abby was pretending to heed her daddy's instructions.
"Yes!" I sunk my ball in the hole in only two shots! Chris was starting to sweat!
Just look at that form and the concentration on his face! He wasn't about to be defeated by us girls!
And, sadly enough...he wasn't. He won the game by only 3 strokes ahead of me! Brittany came in 3rd and Abby was dead last! Oh, well, we all had so much fun, but was it ever hot! We had to stop and get a gallon of Chick Fil-A sweet tea on the way back to the Cape to quench our thrist. Boy, did it taste GOOD!

Here's a picture I took of our last sunset at the beach as we were crossing a bridge back to the Cape. Isn't God's handiwork AMAZING? If you're looking for the perfect place to rest and relax on the beach without the crowds or the hoopla, head to Cape San Blas, FL. where life is easy, simple, and carefree!

Brittany was thrilled to find what her boyfriend had scribbled all over her car when we got home. Chris and I just looked at each other and rolled our eyes.
Her boyfriend was diagnosed with mono about 3 days ago! Please say a prayer that Brittany doesn't contract it! I had it in my early 20's and it was, without a doubt, the worst sickness I've ever had. I wouldn't wish it on anyone!

Now, I have to show you a picture of Abby's new smile, as of Wednesday morning. Yes, she got her top braces on...finally! Her bottom braces will be put on in 8 weeks. The afternoon that she got them, she had a really tough time because her mouth was so sore she could hardly eat anything. It's beginning to ease up now, so things are looking up! She's not my baby, anymore!Just a couple of hours after Abby got her braces, we took Brittany in for her senior portraits. It was all I could do to hold myself together! Seeing her in the drape was a bit too much and made everything all too real. This year is going to fly by...no matter how hard I try to prevent it! Say a prayer for me that I'll find strength and acceptance in what lies ahead.

Hope your weekend's a great one! I'll pick back up next week with answering your remaining questions. See ya 'round!

Photo Session On The Beach

I know y'all are probably saying, "OK, April, enough pictures already!" I promise, we're almost to the end. In fact, I should be done showing them tomorrow...if you can hang in there that long!

Today, I've decided to share some pictures we took on Thursday. I'd seen a lot of beach portraits before and I convinced Chris and the girls that we could do it ourselves. So, I had all of us wear white shirts with khaki shorts and no shoes.

This one was taken right outside of our beach house. Ants were eating our tootsies ALIVE!
We drove out to see this historic lighthouse on the Cape. There was a very secluded beach nearby that had stumps laying all over the place. It was the prettiest setting for pictures. My girls...my pride and joy!One of my favorites!I really like this one, too!Me with my sweetheart...it's been nearly 20 years!Jumping for joy!How I wish I could hold on tight forever!The beautiful sky that greeted us when we got back to our beach house. Bella says, "Look, Mom, can you get the camera out of my face...I'm ready for some Z's!" “The Sea, once it casts it's spell, holds one in it's net of wonder forever.”~Jacques Cousteau

More Memories In The Making

At the end of yesterday's post, I made mention that the last picture I shared had stirred up some strong emotions for me, as did these next two pictures that follow. Let me explain why.

I, vividly, recall the very first time I saw the ocean. Mom, Dad, and I, along with my soon-to-be sister-in-law, had driven down to Pensacola, FL. when I was about 11 years old to see my oldest brother get commissioned in the Navy. I walked out on the beach and it, literally, took the breath right out of me. What a beautiful sight to behold! Well, on Tuesday evening, we all went out on the beach. The girls walked along the shoreline, my mother-in-law gathered seashells, Chris fished, and I wandered off for a little while by myself. As I stared out into the wide, blue ocean, I began to think about Mom and Dad and what they meant to me. I missed them so much at that very moment...I can't really describe it. Then, I walked back to where my girls were and it hit me. I suddenly realized that this might be the last family vacation we'll have at the beach (or anywhere else) before Brittany goes heads off to college and begins her own life, chasing her own dreams. Abby won't be too far behind.

So, I decided to have the girls stand side by side, holding hands on the shoreline, and capture it in a photo. The way they looked through the lens really knocked me for a loop. Then, I asked Chris to take a picture of the three of us standing together holding hands. I wanted to remember that moment FOREVER! As soon as Chris snapped the picture, I had to walk away because the tears came on without warning. I thought I could make a clean escape, but no such luck...Brittany walked beside me and asked what was wrong. All I knew to do was be open and honest with her. I tried to explain that I've been a stay-at-home mom to her for the past 17 years and knowing that I'm going to have to let her go in just a year from now is something that's not easy to face. I went on to explain that it isn't that I'm not excited for her as she begins a new chapter in her life, it's just that things will never quite be the same, again. I am so thankful that she's a strong and independent young woman. She said that I can't look at it that way because we still have many more memories to make. I know she's right...but, my heart still longs to freeze time.
Now, I certainly didn't intend to ramble on and on, but I wanted to explain myself...I know you understand.

OK, on to more cheerful subjects! So, on Wednesday, we all decided to go kayaking in a bay area nearby. Unfortunately, about an hour or so after we paddled away, the tide went out and the water was only about 6-8 inches deep. So, Chris, being the chivalrous man that he is, pulled us girls in our kayaks along the water. I felt like the Queen of Sheba! Here we are checking out some of the sea life. We saw blue crabs, a few baby sting rays, horseshoe crabs, a starfish, and lots of hermit crabs! See all of those brown specks? Those are hermit crabs!There had to have been thousands upon thousands of them! I've never seen anything like it!There were so many, in fact, that they made a noise when they scuttled across the sand! Abby almost looks like she's walking on water. Just goes to show you how shallow the water was!We went kayaking for about 4 hours, so when we got back to the beach house, we were exhausted! I made Crock Pot chicken for dinner, so we just took it easy the rest of the night. The girls and I went for a late night walk on the beach with flashlights in hand and saw lots of blue crabs heading back into the ocean. The stars in the sky were so bright, you felt like you could reach out and touch them.

The next day was another day at the beach. The girls and I relaxed on the beach and played in the ocean all day long.I, finally, convinced Brittany to let me bury her in the sand...Abby said, "No way!" Later on, we went for another walk on the beach...we couldn't stay away for long!Abby drew this in the sand...it's a picture of the four of us and it reads, "Dad, Mom, Sis, Me" at the top. The perfect ending to a perfect day...
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."~Mark Twain

Another Day Of Sand And Surf

Ok, let's see, now where did I leave off? I've already told you what we did on Sat. and Sun. at the Cape. Today, I'll share with you what we did on Monday and Tuesday.

On Monday morning, we all got up to be greeted with another beautiful sunny day at the beach. You gotta love it! Chris, of course, was bound and determined, once again, to catch some really big whoppers for dinner. Well, this one that Abby's holding (YUCK!) is the only decent sized fish he brought in...poor guy! Abby, Brittany, and I felt so bad for the fish that we finally convinced Chris to allow Abby to let it go back into the deep, blue sea. I still can't believe she held that thing with her bare hands! Soon, thereafter, Brittany grabbed her boogie board and headed out to catch some waves!The girls were so taken with these little creatures they found that would burrow down into the sand along the shoreline. Here's what they looked like. I have no idea what they were, but they were neat to watch.
The beach we stayed on was pet-friendly, so we had to take Maddie and Bella out for their first glimpse of the ocean. Maddie loved it, but Bella was a big ol' chicken!A certain somebody couldn't resist burying her nose in the sand in search of vermin!After a long day on the beach, we cooked hamburgers on the grill and they really hit the spot! We drove into town for an ice cream and stopped by a marina for a quick look at some of the boats that were docked.
The next morning, we got up and headed over to Panama City Beach, which was about an hour's drive. We went in some souvenir shops on the main strip...there were people were everywhere! Made me quickly miss the peace and tranquility of Cape San Blas.

Brittany fell asleep in the car on the way home. I think she had drool dripping out the corner of her mouth at one point! LOL!
That night for dinner, we went to another seafood restaurant and the food was so yummy!Poor Abby looks like she's half asleep!Now, this picture is one that stirred up a lot of emotions in me...as were the ones that followed, which I'll be sharing tomorrow. They made me realize just how quickly time has flown by and how fast this chapter in my life is rapidly coming to a close.
"Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone."~Author Unknown

I Wanna Go Back!

Hello, again, everyone! You'll be happy to know (hopefully!) that I didn't get eaten by a shark! Yes, we made it home from our trip to Cape San Blas, Florida on Saturday evening. We had such a wonderful vacation...I miss the beach already!

We arrived at the Cape on Saturday, the 13th, around 6:30 PM. We got a late start, as I mentioned before, because Brittany had to take the ACT that morning. It was about a 6 1/2 hour trip from Atlanta. The girls and I drove down by ourselves; we, literally, looked like the Beverly Hillbilly's. Our SUV was packed to the gills! We followed Chris and my mother-in-law. She stayed with us for 4 days.

As soon as we got there, the girls wanted to check out our beach house. It was just a stone's throw away from the ocean! After we unpacked everything, we ventured out to find something to eat for dinner. Cape San Blas is very secluded from the hustle and bustle of the typical beach scene. So, there was only one local restaurant; we didn't want to venture 15 miles back into "civilization". I had a slaw dog and chips, Abby had chicken fingers and fries, Brittany had a roast beef sandwich (no lettuce, tomato...nothing!), and Chris and his mom both had hamburgers. The bill came to $50! We all about fell out of our seats! Needless to say, we didn't eat there, again.

Our second day was spent romping on the beach. Oh, to see that vast ocean and to hear those roaring waves roll in was a feast for my eyes and ears! PURE BLISS! Here's the view we had everyday we were there...our own private beach. A few people would wander by every now and again, but that's about it.
Chris decided that he was going to do a little fishing. He had big intentions of catching our meal for the night, but it didn't quite pan out as he'd hoped. He caught a couple of little fish, but I guess I have to give him kudos for trying!
I loved seeing the excitement on the girls' faces when they went out on the beach. The water was a little chilly at first, but it felt really refreshing as the day worn on.
We had a ball looking for shells...they were EVERYWHERE! Brittany, of course, never runs from a photo opportunity! That night for dinner, we decided to drive over to Apalachicola. We ate at Boss Oysters. We opted to sit outside, but a storm blew in very quickly. Look at those ominous clouds!Just before the downpour hit, we decided to move to another table under the roof. Here's where we had been sitting only seconds before! Chris with his mother. Look how dark he got after just one day in the sun! Of course, I keep reminding him that he'll be a walking, talking age spot some day. Hee hee! Me with my girls.After we finished eating and were leaving the restaurant, we spotted this gorgeous double rainbow. What a treat that was! Then, this beautiful sky soon followed.So, that wraps up our first couple of days in Florida...more stories and pictures to come! I'm looking forward to catching up with all of you. It might take me awhile, but I'll make my rounds as soon as I can! It's good to be home!