First Family Vacation

We were finally able to plan a trip to the beach this year, and we were so excited. This was both kids' first time at the beach. I know everyone likes to take their babies to the beach, but not us. Let me tell you, it was totally worth it to wait and see and hear the sheer delight of seeing the beach and ocean for the first time. That's something I'll never forget.

Avery immediately ran into the water, and it was hard to get her out the whole week. I couldn't have been more proud of her! She swam like a big girl all by herself. It helped that the water was completely clear and there were absolutely no fish.

 

She even found a friend our first day there. They had a blast playing.

 

I mean, stop it. So sweet.

 

The weather was perfect, and we spent most of our days playing in the sand and water. We didn't even go to the pool because we were having so much fun at the beach.

 

Colt had fun building sand castles with his Olaf he got at the Disney outlet. And then I thought it was funny that we fulfilled Olaf's wish...summer!!

 

Daniel had the stomach bug for the first few days, and after a couple nights eating in, I was ready for some seafood! The kids and I walked next door to Pineapple Willy's and had us a delicious meal right on the beach.

 

One day we rode over to Destin to the outlet malls then hit up the Track. We spent wasted $5 in the arcade. I hate them, but the kids had fun. Then we did the wooden go cart track. It was fun, but it was a big spiral that just went round and round. Even Colt looked green after the second go round. That was a fun day.

 

We stopped at our favorite spot, the Back Porch, to snap a picture in the big chair. Then back to PCB to get ready for dinner.

 

We went to the Back Porch in Panama City then strolled through Pier Park. Can't go anywhere without "pets".

 

We walked out on the pier. I guess that was a different night...Colt has a different pet.

 

One morning we found this delicious hole in the wall called the Pickle Patch. It was delicious!! One review I found on Google said, "Only one waitress, but she was jam up." He was absolutely correct!!

 

One of Daniel's cousins just moved to PCB, and she brought her two kids to the beach to play one afternoon.

 

One night we ate at Margaritaville. They had pirates on stilts making balloons. Avery got a princess crown and Colt got a sword. "Fins" came on and I taught Colt how to do fins up...we got us a little Parrothead. Couldn't be more proud.

 

Colt liked to run away from the waves as they came on the shore. His laugh and squeal are my favorite.

 

More beach pics.

 

This is a fourth of the excitement she had the first time she went in the water.

 

These pictures don't come close to describing the amazing time we had. We feel so blessed to have been able to go for a week and spend time as a family. We would have rather been awing over baby Susannah as a  newborn, but we made the best of where we were in this season of life. God is good all the time....all the time God is good.