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!

Wish I Was Here

Jason & I are pleased to present the trailer for "our" movie that opened at select theaters this past weekend!

Seriously though, as fans of Zach Braff's work we jumped on the Kickstarter bandwagon last year and gave money to help back his latest movie project... thus the shout out in the preview and the cool tee shirts! Hope you get a chance to check out the film - and the soundtrack!

Into the woods

One element of this summer so far that has been totally excellent has been the frequency of camping trips taken by the boys! 

Just to be clear, I owe all three trips to our dear friends who were willing to bring a couple of tag-a-longs with them on their adventures. I am overwhelmed with gratitude...

It all started with a 2-day, 1-night hike in to Mirror Lake with just two adults and three boys (Sammy didn't make this one!) ~ and for the first trip of the summer it went perfectly! Weather was apparently warm & dry and the fishing was a great success.

Another overnight trip found both boys camping at South Fork with their friends and exploring Spring Cave!

Then last weekend, both boys took off on a 2-night, 3-day back pack trip to Rainbow Lake!

There were two adults and eight boys; Sammy was the youngest and apparently he was quite a trooper!

Of course, I was torn between relief of having a quiet house and time to myself (and having everything stay clean for more than 5 minutes!) and worry of them getting scared at night or getting eaten by a bear.

But I knew better than to be too apprehensive at letting them go ~ there is no better place in my mind for two boys to be in the summer!

summer fun

June came and went and in between it all we have finally managed to settle in nicely to summer ~ we have enjoyed the lack of routine and all the adventures that come with it! The rental house is comfortable, and the boys took no time in exploring the new neighborhood and making themselves at home. Jason is resting & recuperating well with only some minor pitfalls with chemotherapy and doctor appointments. I am a coordinating maniac between upcoming vacation plans, house rebuilding plans, Jason's healthcare and the ever-important happy hour! And Gabe...

... he's just happy to be with his boy!

For me, the best part was having my mom visit after the fire and help me do, well everything! 

When she wasn't cleaning rescued toys and clothes from the house she was entertaining the boys or shuttling them to play dates and the pool. I did manage to steal her away for one evening to have dinner/drinks just the two of us... it was lovely!

Perhaps the boys' favorite Mojo memory is the scavenger hunt of sorts that she sent them on all over town! They checked the mail, got an ice cream sundae at the soda fountain, rented Frozen at the movie store, stopped in the library and the bank ...  all the while following clues to the next stop!

Most days I try to get Gabe a good run at the park and a drink from the river.

Meanwhile, the kids are magnets for play dates and anything that involves water!

The boys and I celebrated a relatively quiet 4th of July around town with a parade, friends and fireworks.

Most significantly though, we continue to treasure every moment with our friends who are so good to us.

coming up next... more summer fun in Meeker!