Day 12

Nothing but driving.....all day long.
We made it home safe and sound around 10:00pm. The kitties were glad to see us.

silliness after 12 hours in the car

Day 11

We spent a nice, lazy day in Pineville, LA at Brad's parent's.
Grandpa took the boys out in kayaks for a little bit on the pond. They were going to go to the big lake later but it ended up raining on and off all day.
We had the best meal we had had all trip, on this day. Homemade potato salad, beans, cornbread, roast and tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers fresh from the garden. Yum!
It was a nice visit.

Day 10

We checked out of the condo at 9:30am and drove to Gulf Shores. Saw the empty beaches and the place we stayed last year. Drove on to Fort Morgan - where we were supposed to stay this year. We drove down one road about 15 miles and found a dead end and had to turn around. Finally found the right road and drove about 20 miles to Fort Morgan. There we found even emptier beaches and tar balls. The duplex was pretty much at the end of the island so we were going to take the ferry to Dauphin Island and continue north from there. Unfortunately, we missed the ferry by 10 minutes. The next ferry was not for 1 1/2 hours - so we turned arounf and drove back - again. We made it Pineville, LA around 8:30pm. The 7 hour trip took us around 11 hours.

warning sign on Gulf Shores beach


Double red flags in Gulf Shores - means don't go in the water


this is the condo we stayed in last year


this is the duplex we were supposed to stay in this year - before the oil spill ruined the beach


tar ball on the Fort Morgan beach

Day 9

another quiet day...
We went to Destin Commons to the Bass Pro Shop, Life is Good store and Johnny Rocket's burgers.
Pool, Beach, Pool, Cleaning, Packing......

sunset from condo

Day 8

Today was nice lazy day around the condo. We went to the beach a couple of times and the pool a couple of times but didn't drive anywhere. We just ate what we had in the fridge.
There was a time this evening, on the beach, where I felt completely content. It was marvelous! I was sitting in my beach chair, watching the boys play in the surf. There was a wonderful ocean breeze blowing. I was not hot or cold, not thirsty or hungry, no bugs, no worries, no stress - just complete contentment. I only remember a few others times in my life that I felt so at peace. It was true contentment.
That one moment made my whole day - so that's about all there is to say about Day 8.

Day 7

We went parasailing today! Not just the boys - but me too! We did a triple one so we got to go together. Brad came along as a spectator. We couldn't convince him to go too. He said he's done it before. I guess once in lifetime was enough for him. This was the boys second time and my third. It is so calming to float on air. Loved it!
After parasailing we came back and went to the beach for a bit and then the pool. We had to get out of the pool around 5 because a storm was rolling in.
We went to Moe's Southwest Grill for dinner then to Books-a-Million and then to Publix for a few more supplies.
That was about it for the day!

lots of seaweed in the water in the morning


clear water in the afternoon


storm rolling in

Day 6

We planned on going parasailing today but found them to be very busy. We were able to make a reservation for the next day so we will go back. We were able to rent waverunners though. we rented 2 of them for 1 hour. Alec rode with Brad and Jason rode with me. They were a LOT of fun. At first we went out in the Gulf - which was a bit to rough. So then we headed back to the bay where it was much nicer. I made sure Jason wasn't disappointed that he had to ride with me and we went pretty fast. It was a blast! We also a pod or school or whatever you call it of dolphins. That was very cool. There were probably 5 dolphins all together swimming right next to us.
The hour went very quickly and we had to go back - but it was very very fun while it lasted.
After the waverunners - everyone was pretty tired so we came back to the condo and relaxed. Brad, Jason and I took naps. Alec just watched TV.
I woke up first and talked Alec into going on a walk in the beach. After we got back, he talked me into a swim in the pool. We finally went back to the room at 6:30 and then out to dinner at 7:00. It doesn't take me too long to get ready. There is not much point in fixing my hair or make-up when it will be sweated off as soon as we get outdoors.
We ate dinner at Gilligans. The boys had all you can eat popcorn shrimp and Brad had all you can eat catfish. They have fireworks at the harbor every Thurday night and we were able to see them perfectly from our table. We didn't know that when we went there. We had planned on driving down to watch them after we ate and I was afraid we were going to miss them since we had to wait for a table. But we lucked out and could see them right there. That worked out well!
That's about it for day 6. It is now day 7 at 10:30am and we are just lazing around the condo.

Day 5

I found a Lenscrafters in Mary Esther, FL where Brad got an eye exam and new glasses. Thank goodness for on-site labs and 'glasses in about an hour'.
There was a red flag on the beach today. Not sure why - but there sure was a LOT of seaweed. It was very green. Not pretty! Anyway - we took it easy that afternoon and the boys swam in the pool.
We went back later to pick up the glasses and then we ate dinner at Five Guys Burgers and Fries. We then went to check out the Harborwalk and the Emerald Grande. The Emerald Grande is a big, fancy condo building right on the harbor. The Harborwalk is right below it and has several shops and restaurants - as well as boat slips. You can take dolphin cruises from here or rent waverunners or go parasailing. We just looked around and then came back the condo.
We all went for an evening swim in the pool - which was very relaxing. It was a hot and steamy evening - so the water felt great!
At about 10:00pm Alec and I decided we wanted to go the beach - but our one and only flashlight was dead. So the 4 of us made a trip to Wal-Mart. We always seem to end up at Wally world at 10 at night on our vacations. Anyway - we joked that our flashlights cost $34 because of all the other stuff we bought. But we finally got down to the beach with our flashlights at 11pm. It was a nice night for a stroll. We didn't stay out very long though because by then we were pretty tired. That was about it for day 5.

Harborwalk/Emerald Grande

Day 4

We checked out of the Hampton Inn at 11:00. We still had at least 2 hours before we could check in to the condo. We decided to drive on down the coast to see the area (Alec was not happy about this). Anyway - we drove down scenic highway 30A to Panama City Beach. We saw some cute little coastal towns along the way - including Seaside, FL.
A day before we left I found out that one of my oldest friends was also driving to Florida with her family for vacation. They stayed in Seaside. We did not get an opportunity to visit them - but Jennifer and I are going to get together when we get back and share our vacations. Jennifer is actually the first person I came to Florida with. When we were in our 20's we came to Florida twice. Once we drove and stayed on the gulf coast in Venice and once we flew and stayed in Ft. Lauderdale. Those were fun trips.
Back to day 4....
We were able to check into our condo at 1:00. It has one bedroom and 2 baths. There are bunk beds in the hallway and a sleeper sofa too. There is also a full kitchen and a great view from the balcony. We are on the 9th floor. Plenty of room for the 4 of us.
We went shopping for food and beach toys then came back and finally made it to the beach.
We got 3 air mattresses and a tube. We all went out and rode the waves. I did not last long. The waves were strong! I decided to go back and sit on the beach. Brad, Jay and Al kept on riding the waves and were having a blast. They kept getting farther and farther out. I kept watching them thinking - when the heck are they going to head back? I finally got up and walked down the beach a ways and kept trying to wave them back in. Some guy said - "Is that your family out there?" He told me that the waves just keep taking you out and it is really hard to get back in. You can swim and swim and get no where. Well that scared me! Then he pointed out a rescue guy heading out towards them. Apparently he thought they were out to far too and was going to bring them back. Whew! That made me feel better. He didn't technically 'rescue' them. He just told them they needed to go back to shore and stayed with them until they were safely back. I just stood there and felt helpless until the made it back. I was not happy with them. They, however, thought it was awesome. They were never worried and had a blast on the waves. Jason said "Raft $4, going out so far Rescue has to come for you - priceless". That's my boys!
After that, we gathered up our things and headed back to the condo. While I was in the shower, Brad unpacked the bag and discovered that his glasses were missing. Not a good thing! His watch, phone, wallet, etc were all there - but his glasses were missing. I am not sure why he took all those things to the beach anyway - but that is beside the point I guess. Alec and Brad went back down to the beach and searched and searched. They asked the front desk if they had been turned in and then searched some more. No luck! They came back up and then we all 4 went down and searched. Still no luck! He also went down later with a flashlight and looked some more. They are lost and gone forever and we will probably never know what happened to them.
We cooked frozen pizzas for dinner and just hung around the condo the rest of the night.

Day 3

Monday morning I woke up and went looking around for a condo. I had looked online and wanted to see them in person. We decided to go ahead and stay at the Hampton Inn for one more night. When I got back, we went to lunch and then I showed the guys a couple of condos. We ended up at the Pelican Beach Condo. We were able to go to the on site rental office and reserve a 1 bedroom for the next 6 days. It was a relief to have that done and know where we were going to stay. After that we relaxed in the pool at the Hampton Inn. We pretty much had it to ourselves - which was great.
Later we went to dinner at The Back Porch. It is a seafood restaurant right on the beach. It is all open air and the atmosphere was great. The food was okay. Alec got his kid's meal on a souvenir frisbee so the boys went out the beach when they finished and tossed it around. I could see them down there looking for something. Jason had lost his phone in the sand. Luckily after about 10 minutes, they found it. Brad was not so lucky with his glasses......more about that on Day 4!
After dinner we went the "The Track" and the boys drove go-karts. It was really hot and humid that night - but they enjoyed it. By the time we got back to the hotel though - we were worn out.

waiting to ride go-karts

Day 2

been too busy or tired to post :)

We left Oak Grove, KY around 9:30 Sunday morning. We drove to Nashville. We planned on seeing a few sights while there but didn't get to see much. We tried to go to the Grand Ole Opry and found every road to be closed due to the big flood they had in May. So we just drove around a bit and headed on to Alabama. I was surprised by the Nashville skyline. It was more impressive than I imagined.
Brad drove from the AL border, through Birmingham and to Montgomery. I drove on from there to Pensacola, FL.
We went to the main beach and there were people swimming but there were also signs advising against it. Other areas appeared to be closed completely. Not sure if it was due to the oil clean up or to birds nesting. Probably both. We saw no oil on the beach when we walked around for a bit.
We headed on from there to Destin. It was getting late and dark so we stopped at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers. It as really good but it takes 25 min to bake their fresh pizza so we used their wi-fi to find a hotel. We ended up at a nice Hampton Inn in Miramar Beach.

Nashville skyline

Summer Adventure 2010 - Day 1

and so we begin....
We left home at 11:20am. We drove 4 minutes before our first stop :) - QT to fill up with gas. Then we were really on our way. We got on I-70 and headed east.
Not far from home we saw an idiot on a motorcycle - doing wheelies and weaving in out of traffic - driving way to fast. Hopefully he did not kill himself or anyone else.
Our first stop (after QT) was in Kingdom City, MO at Nostalgia-ville. We saw several billboards for it along the way so we decided to stop. We didn't buy anything. Mostly we really stopped for the bathroom. :)
Next stop was White Castle in Wentzville, MO. Neither of boys had ever had White Castle - so we thought they should experience it.
We drove on to I-64 and through St. Louis. We saw the arch and drove over by it but decided it was too hot and crowded to park and get out. We'd all been there before anyway. The river was very high and there were some closed roads in that area. We also saw a mostly submerged statue.
We made another bathroom stop then headed on through Illinois. Not much to see along I-64. We went on to I-57 then I-24.
We ended up tonight in Oak Grove, KY at the Quality Inn at 7:30. We had a bite to eat at a very loud Mexican restaurant and then the boys and I came back to go swimming while Brad went to Wal-Mart.
Brad's watch quit working this morning. He saw it as a sign that vacation was starting and there was no need to pay attention to the time. Of course all day he kept asking what time it was and went and bought himself a new one tonight.
I guess that is about for day 1! Oh and I drove the whole way today. I think tomorrow is Brad's turn.
Time to get some sleep.

June 2010

We seemed to find plenty to do to fill the month of June....

The last day of school was June 2. We had a cul-de-sac party that evening. Made Chicago Dawgs and roasted marshmallows for s'mores. We didn't stay out as late as usual since it had been a full day and the guys had to work the next day.



Also on June 2 - Zachary Wendele James was born to my cousin Lisa and her hubby Erick. I went to visit them at the hospital on the 3rd. He is adorable! Lisa has very fast labors and he was born within 2 hours of her water breaking. Considering they have a 45 minute drive to the hospital - that was cutting it close :)


On the 4th - Jason got his learner's permit!


On Saturday, June 5 we went to Jake's grad party. They had it at a shelter house at Mill Creek Park. It was pretty hot and humid - so we were all a bit sweaty - but it was a fun time! The 'kids' cooled off by throwing water on each other.


On the 7th I went to Plattsburg to take pics of Zachary. I had a wonderful visit with my cousin.


We were supposed to have our second bookclub on June 8 but it was canceled due to non-participation. I have a feeling we are not going to get it up and running again. I did read the book though. It was Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

On the 13th I dropped off a picture at Mom and Dad's for my cousin to pick up and I ended up going with them to see Aunt Charlotte. She will soon be 99 years old. She has good and bad days but seemed to be pretty good when we were there.

Trent and Michelle celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary on June 15.

On the 18th I joined some old work friends for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Not a lot of people were able to make it but it was great to see those who did. Jackie, Lori, Amy and Heather came from JPM and Debbie, Deb and Carla from TIAA. After lunch I visited TIAA's new office space at College and Metcalf. It is much nicer than the old space - but they have short cubicle walls which would be distracting.

On the 19th we had the family over for a Father's Day dinner. I feel very lucky to have such a wonderful father and to be able to spend time with him.

On Father's Day we didn't do much - which is what Brad wanted. He did talk to all his children and his father. It was a good day.

On Monday the 21st, Taryn and Hunter came for the week. They had been in Kansas for their Grandma's 70th birthday and they came by here on the way home.

The 6 of us went to the Royals game on Friday night. The improvements to the stadium are very nice.

Taryn went home Saturday but Hunter decided to stay another week. We are taking him home this Saturday and will spend the 4th of July in Sioux Falls. This will be the first time in 9 years that we have not celebrated the 4th in the cul-de-sac. I have mixed feelings about that.

This week we have had a painter in the house. He painted the living room, entryway, front room and hallways. The front room is Red Delicious and the rest is Clay Bisque. Next is new carpet!