We LOVE the Beach!!!

Update -- I edited this post, took out the LONG line of pictures, and inserted a slideshow. Thanks, Heather, for the help. I am most proud of myself!!!

My vacation was wonderful!

It seems that so many times, my expectations get the best of me. I plan how things will/should go; then, I am usually disappointed. However, this time, everything went just as I had hoped. Now, I do think that our trip was a great trip. But, mostly, I believe that three children (who shall remain nameless) have helped to lower my expectations. Therefore, I just enjoy things as they are. This gift is one of the many gifts they have given me.

First of all, Mom, Sassy (that's what my children call Alyson) and I had a blast in Canton. We left the house at 6:30 and did not leave Canton until around 4:00. We were hot and completely worn out but already looking forward to next year. Thanks to "G" and Medow who watched the three C's so that we could get an early start. Their daddy took some time off to manage them the rest of the day. He's the best!!!

I guess you see that Mom did not cooperate with Sassy's plan for all of us to match. She has always been a rebel!

Friday morning, we left for the beach after checking Caleb out of school. We made it in RECORD time. And by record, I mean the fewest traveled miles per hour in recorded history. We left Clinton around 11:00 and made it into Gulf Shores close to 6:00. So, roughly 7 hours in a mini van (key word being MINI) with three children. The first time Caleb asked, "are we there yet?" was around the Madison exit. He and Collin took turns asking that same question in approximately 3 minute intervals for the remainder of the trip. During the time that they were o.k. with the traveling, Claire turned red-faced and tried to bust out of her carseat -- LITERALLY.

I am exaggerating quite a bit -- not on the 7 hours, but on their behavior. They really did a great job. And, they were fabulous for the rest of the weekend.

I think, for me, I can get caught up in our daily routines. The things that I repeat regularly throughout the day; "stop fighting", "clean up", "stop saying bathroom words", etc. make me CRAZY. I begin to think that I am not being heard. But, in a different setting, they were the most obedient, easy going children. They made me very proud.

Claire absolutely LOVES the beach. I was expecting at least some hesitance to the water. After about 5 minutes of the water running over her toes, we were having to hold her out of the ocean. She was ready to ride the waves. It was hysterical, and we got many laughs from others on the beach.

The first thing we did upon arrival was go crab hunting. We were provided nets by the company we rented the condo from, and the boys were most excited about the hunting. I, however, wasn't, because the crabs scare me. They are way too fast. We needed Daddy for this activity, but Sassy did a pretty good job. We did come home with two hermit crabs (yes, two more living things in the MINI van for the ride home!!!), but they were bought from the "shark store". In reading the information provided, Sassy found out that the average life span of these hermit crabs is 11 years. I did not know this fact prior to purchasing the animals.

But, I feel quite certain Collin's crab is going to seriously lower the average. If not, these are the toughest animals ever. He took it to school Tuesday morning to show his friends. When I picked him up, he threw his bag into the van with the crab house in it. Poor, poor crab!! He was looking out for the crab's well-being, though. He told me immediately that his friends scared his crab because they were screaming too loud. His next comment..."boody-head friends". Collin's fans out there can really appreciate that comment. I'm sure you can even picture the face. So, a few more pictures of crab hunting, and I'll leave you until the next post.

I can't say enough about our wonderful trip. And, my words would not do it justice, so I'm giving you the pictures. I still can't make a slide show, so I'm sorry for the many pictures. But, the smiles tell it all.

I know this post was lengthy. If you read the whole thing, thanks for indulging me. I wanted to share much more. But, maybe another day.