Sand in our toes

While at the beach, we tried to stay away from buying a bunch of junky souvenirs that we wouldn't care about a month from now. Instead, we collected shells and sand and made sand footprint molds using Dana's tutorial here. I would have liked to bring lots of hand and footprints and other fun shapes home but it proved to be a bigger task than I planned. Between the sand being too fluffy, one breaking, and the one year old not wanting to cooperate, I was very pleased that I brought home these two. Aren't they fun?

Exploring and sleepover

Last Saturday we took Courtney, Landrey and Grandma Cindy with us on a little fall exploring. We needed to get one more outdoor adventure in before the weather turns grody. We headed up to Williams to let the kids walk around the bridge, dam, and just enjoy the beauty. I'm a little sad that the bridge is closed. It was a place my Grandpa George used to take me when he was "showing us the country", and a common stop on long and winding backroad excursions as a teen as evident in this I-can't-believe-I-am-showing-you-picture from my youth.

And when our adventure was done, we made popcorn and snuggled up like best friends do.

Just beachy

Since neither of the kids had seen the beach before and everyone involved was in dire need of a vacation, we took Ella out of school a couple extra days before her fall break and headed to the beach. We probably told her about it too far ahead. I forget how impatient you are at 5, and I bet I heard her sing "let's go to the beach, each, let's go get away" a hundred times in the weeks leading up (and honestly I might have got excited and sang it a few times with her). Oh and we took the Grandmas along too.

We stayed at the Waterscape in Fort Walton and it was so perfect for us. Sweet cousins Ash & Dan helped us book and armed us with all the tips we needed since they actually have one of the condos at the resort and are super familiar with the area. Most days it was beach in the morning, pool in the afternoon and patio sitting or going out for dinner. We had sand in everything we owned, smelt of sunscreen, ate junk food, and enjoyed every second of it.

First Mani Pedi



In preparation for her first trip to the beach, this little miss also was treated to her first mani pedi by Grandma C. She loved it, can you tell.

6 years

Yesterday was our six year wedding anniversary. We actually didn't get a chance to celebrate on our actual anniversary, but will be taking the kids and our mothers to the beach with us this week. Yay! Mom took the kids yesterday so that we could clean the car out and pack, but when she brought them home last night Ella gave us each a pack of M&Ms as her anniversary gift to us. Such a sweet girl. Well, I really need to stop blogging and finish this laundry so we don't come home from vacation to a dirty house.