Photodump-Beach Edition

The Beach

     If I had to choose a home away from home it would easily be Perdido Key, FL. When it comes to childhood memories of summer, if my mind doesn't land on Camp McDowell the only other alternative is the Gulf Coast. Every summer of my childhood, we took a trip to the beach that included all of our small family: my grandparents, my aunt and uncle and my cousins. Over the years there was not much of this area that we did not explore. I became familiar with the ins and outs of this beach city and the ones surrounding it. 
     Before we discovered the beaches of Perdido Key and the quaint surrounding community, we vacationed at the Gulf State Park. I remember them less clearly but in my head they were more or less hotel rooms with a great view. There was also a poolside snack bar that had great nachos. Unfortunately these structures were largely destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and torn down.
     I don't know exactly when it happened but at some point my folks decided to buy a beach property and the vacations moved to a building of condos called Ocean Breeze West. These were much nicer accommodations and much less crowded than our previous locale. Our unit was formerly the leasing and sales office, ground floor with an excellent view and easy access to the sand and surf. In a word, it was paradise.
     Over the years, I watched businesses come and go. One year a store front would sell us stunt kites and the next we'd be enjoying pizza coming out of the same door. There was a group of retail shops down the street called Colors named for the loud, tropical paint schemes on the buildings. At times we would get beach towels or inflatables from stores there or play mini golf. It always seemed to struggle. Ivan was the last nail in the coffin, though someone rebuilt on the property and it seems to be doing well.
     I could do a huge series of posts about my coastal favorites and all the things and places I love about this area but I will spare you and get to the point. A couple weeks back we had our first family beach trip to Perdido Key to give the next generation some memories of their own. Off season beach trips are much more comfortable, affordable and everything is less crowded. No lines and no waiting is important when you have hungry or excited young children.
     The surf was rough at times but the water was still warm enough to swim. Over the course of our stay we built sand castles, flew kites, walked casually and collected shells, ate great seafood and took the girls to see some of the attractions. No trip would be complete without stops at staples like Lambert's, Souvenir City and Adventure island. On the last day the temperature took a dive so we enjoyed the views and sounds from the couch with the sliding glass door open.
     As always, leaving is difficult but we managed to jam a lot into our stay. Packing the car, I could feel the occasional sting of sand blown through the air and smell the salt water just yards away. Driving out, we crossed the bridge that connects the island to the rest of the world and took in our last views of the gulf. Hopefully this is the start of a tradition that will continue for years to come. One of the greatest gifts I can give my children is the joy of memories and experience that my parents gave me. These were some of the best times of my life, times I will never forget. Hopefully one day, my girls will see the sand and feel exactly the same way.

Photodump-80's Throwback Edition

Home Again

     After a few days in New Orleans for a wedding, we are back home with the girls. Ruby and Sailor were so stoked on their souvenirs, they put them to use right away. They both got a shirt and one each of our Hurricane cups from Bourbon Street. Rest assured, we washed them out well before putting them into use. We spent last night as a family watching Lady and the Tramp and eating pizza and bomb pops.
     Special thanks to our friends TJ and Amy who kept the girls all weekend so we could make the trip. Between their kids and ours, I can only imagine the chaos they endured. Also a big congrats is in order for our friends Christy and Davis who tied the knot. Best wishes on the new chapter. 

Vacation

Taking the week off, see you on the flip.

Photodump

Extended the vacation to Monday, it was worth it.

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Taking the rest of the week off, see you on the flip...

Anniversary Continued

So my mother-in-law took the girls Wednesday to Sunday leaving olivia and I alone to have some anniversary celebration time. We watched DVD's, drank beer, consumed countless coffees, ate quality food, bowled badly, caught up on sleep, read and in general just enjoyed the time together.

Thanks for all the Anniversary wishes, we had a great one.

Anniversary

This Wednesday marks four years. Much love to my wife, you are the greatest!

Taking the rest of the week off, see you next Monday!

Yard Work

Not that you can see it in this picture, but it has been raining here all morning. My plans of epic yard grooming have been quashed by bad weather. Guess I'll have to stay inside with the family all day instead.

Taking a week off...

Vacation

Taking one, back in a week.

Castles Made of Sand

From the recent trip to PCB, our sand castle. I am certain I had more fun with it than the girls did. This was the first time in years I had made one. When I was a kid, I built them almost every day on our annual summer beach trips. My Uncle Bill is an architect and his castles were real pro creations. He would spend hours and hours on them. 

Just like back in the day, I packed the molds full of sand and carefully dumped them over. This was lost on Ruby who just wanted to throw sand everywhere. She did excel at digging the moat and when we were done demolishing everything. Sailor helped. It reminded me of old Godzilla movies and made me smile.

Kids are awesome. 

Empty

So the wife and kids are on vacation. They have been gone for over a week already and still have several days to go. I always think that some time alone will be awesome and I think about all the stuff I'll do and things I'll get done but after a few days, it gets a little too quiet. The areas where kids are usually playing and getting into things are just silent and empty. I hope the to-do list to keep me occupied until the weekend, otherwise I'll just have to pull the toys off the shelf and throw them all over the room just so it feels normal again.

Spring Break

See you on the 26th...