Beach vacation part I - the Gulf

We followed through with our big summer vacation plans this July and it was worth every penny of airfare, every second of travel, and every ounce of worry and stress about travelling!

Getting there was actually not a problem...

and once we were finally in Orange Beach, Alabama - WOW!

Behold, the view from the 29th floor of the brand-new condo complex where we stayed!

But while the beach was beautiful, and the accommodations were extraordinary...

what we really came for was FAMILY!

These sweet faces greeted us when we pulled up to the condo - and the cousins were almost inseparable the rest of the week!

One of the big hits at our complex was the lazy river! Everyone got in...

Best family night out?

Happy hour, playtime and dinner at Lucy Buffett's restaurant (as in Jimmy's sister!)

So, between the lazy river, the water slide, and surfing the gulf waters the kids were water logged:

While we loved the water, the warm gulf sand, collecting sea shells, watching movies while the afternoon storms passed, catching crabs on the beach at night, and listening to the kids all play...

I am simply so glad that there was time built in to just sit and visit with one another and laugh and laugh at... er, with each other! It is so wonderful to have a family that likes to be together and appreciates having time to relax and enjoy life together.

THANK YOU PAPA & YAYA for a memorable beach vacation!